Kristof claims that globalization and the availability of information is what is causing reform to occur in Indonesia. The IMF does this so that multinationals will invest in the free market. This free market economy, backed by foreign money, is supposed to bolster the Indonesian economy and thus save the economy while making the multinationals a pretty penny. What really happened is this. Indonesia, at the IMF's request, opens its economy a bit.
Investors move in.
However, jumpy foreign investors become wary, so the economy falters a bit more. The investors realize that if other investors start pulling out, then those who remain will lose money. By acting this way, the IMF has, essentially, yelled fire in a crowded theater. The IMF's actions make the fall of the Indonesian economy official, so more investors pull out. It is a slippery slope, a domino effect.