he oldest evidence of writing in Indonesia is a series of Sanskrit inscriptions dated to the 5th century. Important figures in modern Indonesian literature include: Dutch author Multatuli, who criticized treatment of the Indonesians under Dutch colonial rule; Sumatrans Muhammad Yamin and Hamka, who were influential pre-independence nationalist writers and politicians;[186] and proletarian writer Pramoedya Ananta Toer, Indonesia's most famous novelist.[187][188] Many of Indonesia's peoples have strongly rooted oral traditions, which help to define and preserve their cultural identities.[189]
Media freedom in Indonesia increased considerably after the end of President Suharto's rule, during which the now-defunct Ministry of Information monitored and controlled domestic media, and restricted foreign media.[190] The TV market includes ten national commercial networks, and provincial networks that compete with public TVRI. Private radio stations carry their own news bulletins and foreign broadcasters supply programs. At a reported 25 million users in 2008,[191] Internet usage was estimated at 12.5% in September 2009.[192] More than 30 million cell phones are sold in Indonesia each year, and 27% of them are local brands.[193]