is Indonesia a modern day empire pretending to be a country?

[mileslunn]

Not really, no more so than India or Philippines who have multiple languages and ethnic groups.  Not every country is divided exclusively along ethno-linguistic lines, there are other factors.  If anything more a left over of European colonization as Indonesia I believe is largely based on boundaries of Dutch East Indies.  Off course with exception of Irian Jaya, most languages and cultures part of Austronesian family.  And it is predominately Muslim although Bali mostly Hindu and seem eastern islands predominately Christian.