AT a house in East Jakarta, the man spoke in a semi-pleading tone. “Bapak try to get some information about Sjam. I heard he is still alive and living in California, United States,” he said. The dialog partner shook his head. “In my opinion he is dead. There is no reason for the government to save him.”

The first person was Suryoputra, not his real name, a former political prisoner from the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) and close fri