| The world economic crisis shook Asia first in July 1996 and has since crossed borders with a shock wave that still reverberates. What has happened in Southeast Asia, particularly Indonesia, during the last three years has halted a pattern of unprecedented growth enjoyed during the previous three decades. The crisis has forced the government to reexamine economic policies and priorities and has had an impact upon individual institution budgets. At this point the Indonesian economic and political situation is still unstable, and the economic and monetary crisis has set back the development we have achieved for more than 30 years. |