In this article My Neighbour, The Dictator Tari Lang
By Atika Shubert, originally published in Mekong Review
Aug 11, 2026
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By Atika Shubert, originally published in Mekong Review
Aug 11, 2026
Back when I was a kid in the 1980s, Jakarta was a crowded city of organised chaos, somewhere between sprawling village and budding metropolis. Bicycle rickshaws operated in the shadows of nascent skyscrapers. Homes were lit by fluorescent bulbs but street vendors still hung kerosene lamps out for roadside dining.
According to a UN report released at the end of 2025, Jakarta, with almost 42 million inhabitants, is the world’s most populous city. Glittering shopping malls line wide avenues, threaded by a light rail that whisks commuters above traffic-choked streets. Given this, it always surprises me how little people know about Indonesia, much less its history.
According to a UN report released at the end of 2025, Jakarta, with almost 42 million inhabitants, is the world’s most populous city. Glittering shopping malls line wide avenues, threaded by a light rail that whisks commuters above traffic-choked streets. Given this, it always surprises me how little people know about Indonesia, much less its history.
Read the full article here. / Subscription may be required.
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