AHALF an hour has passed, but the gate at Jalan Teuku Umar 27A, Central Jakarta that Friday morning remained as firmly shut as ever. The approximately 30 protesters outside the residence of President Megawati began to get restless. One of them, Eurico Guterres, talked urgently to a presidential guard. The former boss of Aitarak—a pro-Jakarta militia in East Timor—was demanding permission for his group to enter.

To no avail. The pr