Nepal, Sept. 14 -- Nations have always watched one another. What happens in one becomes a mirror for the other. In that sense, people of different countries often see themselves through the lens of their neighbours' experiences and actions. What they take from these mirror images, however, and how long it will take them to change the course of events in their own societies, cannot be predicted with certainty.

The 1896 Philippine revolution and the 1898 declaration of independence from Spain showed Indonesians what it would take to free themselves from the Dutch, who had ruled their country for three and a half centuries. Fifty years later, taking advantage of the realignments in the world after World War II, they swiftly declared their o...