Kuala Lampur, Sept. 3 -- Indonesia, the region's largest democracy and home to more than 270 million people, has once again reminded the world that its political equilibrium sits on fragile ground.

The spasms of violence that erupted across its provinces - triggered by public fury over parliamentary perks, excessive allowances, and a tragic protester's death - were not random bursts of anger.

They were collective expressions of frustration by a society increasingly weary of ostentation in power and neglect in governance.

For a brief moment, chaos overwhelmed order.

Police posts and government buildings burned, protests spread across Java and Sumatra, and the death toll mounted.

Faced with the collapse of public safety, President Prab...