Long ago and far away, in a rambling garden beside a clear blue lake, two flocks of birds began to fear each other because of their differences. The fear grew, and soon the birds became enemies, hoarding great quantities of weapons to protect themselves--until panic struck and the chance for peace seemed lost forever.
Though ongoing economic, political, and social crises have kept Indonesia in the headlines for over a year, Southeast Asia's troubled giant remains poorly understood in the United States. This 17,000-island archipelago, ranging over 3,000 miles from east to west, occupies a strategic location that connects the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean to East Asia. The fourth-most populous country in th…