Indonesia's new criminal code reflects unresolved culture clash

Liberals, Islamists and traditionalists have all been left unsatisfied

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Indonesian university students protest outside parliament after the passage of a new criminal code on Dec. 15: Islamists fret that the code does not go far enough to embed Islamic law.  © Reuters

Michael Vatikiotis is senior adviser at the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue and author of "Lives Between The Lines: A Journey in Search of the Lost Levant."

For as long as Indonesia has been independent, there has been a gargantuan struggle for the soul of the nation.

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