Reinventing Indonesia

Reinventing Indonesia presents an insider's view of the tumultuous transition that took place in Indonesia from 1997 to 2004. This was a period of unprecedented changes in democratized governance and decentralizing power throughout the country amidst significant economic turmoil. The results of these changes were not pre-ordained, but were the result of the social forces unleashed by the Asian Financial Crisis and the end of the New Order as well as the deft guidance of key policymakers. The book also examines the origins of the economic crisis of the late 1990s in Indonesia and the actions taken to address the crisis during those difficult years.

The authors were directly involved in many of the events recounted in this book, particularly Ginandjar Kartasasmita through his career in the Indonesian government under various ministerial positions. Thus, the book provides insights that could only come from those directly involved in the decision-making. It also explains the transitions that occurred in Indonesia in the context of academic theories of democratic transition and consolidation, thereby adding to the body of knowledge in this area. The Indonesian story holds lessons, therefore, for the management of financial crisis, and for the urgency of reform and development of economic and political institutions.