Tari Lang's 'My Neighbour, The Dictator' looks back at Suharto era

Memoir recounts repression and upheaval in Indonesia through a teenager's eyes

Six decades after the events described in her memoir, Tari Lang says she hopes it will help a new generation recognize how easily authoritarianism can take hold. (Source photos by Getty Images, Monsoon Books)

Many Indonesians still approach free speech with caution, as broadly worded laws can be used to stifle criticism of the government. The legacy of what is widely regarded as a three-decade dictatorship has left many Indonesians wary of speaking out. One writer's new novel pushes back against that legacy.