Suharto was one of the world's most enduring rulers -- some say dictators. If he was a dictator, he was in many respects a benevolent one. He offered Indonesia a deal, by which personal freedoms were restricted in return for a share in economic advancement. Ruling in many ways like a traditional Javanese sultan, Suharto fell from power when he could no longer deliver his side of the deal. With the economy in collapse, a people who had been tolerant suddenly decided it was time for change.

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