She also notes that younger Chinese Indonesians are increasingly impatient with the inability of the government and military to prevent inter-ethnic violence.

Economists estimate that annual growth of at least 6 percent would be needed to produce enough jobs to absorb the growing ranks of unemployed young Indonesians, who form a pool of potential recruits for radical organizations.

From 1900 until the start of World War II, many young Indonesians received a Dutch education, with the brightest students going to universities in the Netherlands.

But a stalemate has developed, for a dignified promotion to senior statesman is not what young Indonesians have in mind.

"For many young Indonesians, including my son, who is in his early 20's, Sukarno symbolizes a sense of nationhood that is missing today."

Sewi doesn't understand how some young Indonesians are so eager to spend their hard earned cash.

But that progress may not be good enough to give millions of young Indonesians a chance to better their lives.

"I think young Indonesians like puppetry because the moral and ethical stories are more relevant to their daily lives than the dream world of foreign soap operas," Mr. Kayam said.

While tough on student dissenters and public figures he regards as "subversives," he is said to be concerned about the widening gap between Government leaders and young Indonesians who want to have a bigger role in political life.

Particularly in Java and to a lesser extent Sumatra, the Japanese educated, trained and armed many young Indonesians and gave their nationalist leaders a political voice.