How can they get away with it? Easy. For the same reason one will have problems in other countries with this sort of thing: teachers go in without being armed with the information they need.

If a teacher knows about the minefield that is teaching in Indonesia, he won't go there. At least this is my take. I could be wrong and those who know better may enjoy sticking needles in their eyes.

Your post will definitely help us avoid the minefields that are (unfortunately) all too common in TESOL. I know someone who is heading to Indonesia this spring. I'll direct him to your post.

My advice to anyone going to Indonesia is "make sure you can get out clean (and cheap) if you have to run." If you can't, stay the hell out of there. And if you have to run, by all means run. You won't become someone worse than Stalin and Hitler morphed together if you do a runner, regardless of what the interested types will tell you.