Indonesian unity, shipping routes and separatism

Thatcher's case for Indonesian stability begins with the difficulty of holding together a large population spread across thousands of islands and hundreds of languages. She connects the country's governing principles with national unity, religious inclusiveness and mutual respect. Communal violence and separatist movements complicate that objective, while East Timor's independence is accepted as right despite doubts about its future prosperity. The strategic argument includes the large share of world shipping passing through the archipelago. Indonesia's position as the world's largest Muslim state also gives its political development wider significance in her account. The possibility of a successful democratic Muslim country supports her preference for preserving an orderly, prosperous Indonesia.