THE spread of the mud at Sidorajo, East Java, is a difficult test for the government of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. The government must take a firm stance against the company at fault, even though the owner is close to the people in power. It is not enough to pay compensation: the boss of the company suspected of negligence should be taken to court.

The calamity caused by the hot mudflow is extraordinary. More than 150 hectares of land has been cove