AS usual, Megawati Soekarnoputri opened her speech with the cry “Merdeka!” (Freedom) at the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle’s (PDI-P) 3rd Congress held in the Agung Room, Inna Grand Bali Beach Hotel, in Sanur, Bali. Hundreds of participants dressed in red and black responded to their party leader’s cry and raised their fists in the air.

The conference room slowly fell into silence as Mega began to speak about the plunge in the nu