Indonesia, long thought of as a basket case, has emerged as one of the key players in the Asia-Pacific. Author Jessica Brown says its democracy, while young and still consolidating, has proved to be remarkably resilient. While other countries are undergoing painful recessions, thanks to the global financial crisis, Indonesia is experiencing sustained economic growth. It has emerged as a key regional player on the diplomatic stage, forging strong bilateral relationships with its neighbours and joining the influential G20 group of major economies. The archipelagic nation is also strategically significant. Straddling the Indian and Pacific Oceans, it abuts the busy Malacca Strait — through which half of the world’s commercial tonnage sails — and the contested South China Sea. Any serious assessment of Southeast Asia’s security outlook must now include Indonesia.