Politics and Free Expression in Indonesia

Once a week in Jakarta,

the antics of a fictitious president named Si Butet dari Yogya – whose initials

are “coincidentally” the same as those of Indonesian President Susilo Bambang

Yudhoyono – have convulsed television viewers on a show called Republik Mimpi (Republic of Dreams) and driven ratings through the

roof.

But State Minister of Communication and

Inf…