Is the New Left in Indonesia a threat?

Liputan 6 - April 4, 2007

Jakarta -- There was once a period when rival

ideologies were deep and prevalent across this land.

At that time political ideologies became the supreme

commander. Political forces were divided based on

ideological differences. This competition took the

form of demonstrations and political pamphlets in

the streets.

History it seems repeated itself last week. The

Islamic Defenders Front (FPI), which is part of the

Anti-Communist Command, attacked a rally by National

Liberation Party of Unity (Papernas) who they

accused of being leftist. "This harms democracy",

said the head of Papernas' advisory committee, Dita

Indah Sari during a discussion on "This Week's

Topic" aired Wednesday April 4.

Aside from Dita, also present was Indonesian

Institute of Science (LIPI) historian Asvi Warman

Adam, Indonesian Movement of National Patriots

(GNPI) chairperson Alfian Tanjung and the executive

director of the Institute for Policy Studies, Fadli

Zon. They were invited to the SCTV studios to

discuss the controversy surrounding Papernas.

Opposition against Papernas started in late January

when it was launched in Kaliurang, Yogyakarta. At

the time the Indonesian Anti-Communist Front (FAKI)

asked the police to disband the event on the grounds

that Papernas is a reincarnation of the Indonesian

Communist Party (PKI) that they believe goes against

the Provisional People's Consultative Assembly

decree on the prohibition of Marxist and Leninist

ideology(1).

It may well be that FAKI brands Papernas as a

communist party. But this is not so according to

Dita. She admits that they are leftist but rejects

it being referred to as communist. "As if all of the

'left' is communist", said the founder of the

People's Democratic Party.

Dita also condemned the methods used the FPI who she

cites as having committed physical violence against

women and children during the clash in the Dukuh

Atas area on Jl. Sudirman in Central Jakarta on

March 29. The different views held by political

parties can only be resolved through the courts so

she is asking that the issue be resolved legally.

Tanjung's views are of course different from Dita.

The head of the GNPI believes Papernas is an

embryonic communist party. This is because the party

always takes up issues of poverty and social

problems as its main agenda. According to Tanjung,

this is done only to attract the masses before

metamorphosing into a communist party. "It is

already approaching the next jump, not much is left

now", said the man who sports a thin beard.

There may well be no end in sight to the counter

accusations that Papernas is or is not a communist

party. According to Adam, Indonesian people's fear

of communist ideas cannot be separated from the

experiences of the past. The people are still

traumatised by the 30 September Movement(2) and

Indonesian Communist Party rebellion in Madiun in

1948(3).

According to Adam it is only human to have such

fears. Even other countries such as Germany are

still traumortised over the Nazis and its ideas of

ultra-nationalism. Likewise also with Malaysia and

the Malaysian Communist Party. Therefore he agrees

with the regulations in these two countries that

prohibit parties whose ideology is deemed to

endanger the country.

But making a problem out these differences will of

not course resolve the actual issues. Moreover what

is being discussed is party ideology that is not

easy to just change. Because of this Zon hopes that

the two side will forget the dim historical past and

accept their differences with an open heart. With

this endorsement, Papernas is not a communist party

because it would be in conflict with Law Number

27/1999 on the prohibition of the communist

parties(4). "If it is not communist why not?" said

the editor of the book "Testimonies of the Victims

of Brutality of the PKI in 1948".

Although holding different views on the question of

Papernas, the four have one thing in common that

should be supported. That is the need to resolve the

problem peacefully. Although it may not be able to

be resolved through dialogue, they agree with

resolving it in the courts. Not through counter

agitation that will only lead to the spilling of

blood and a repeat of this nations dim history.

(YAN/Tim Liputan 6 SCTV)

Notes:

1. Tap MPRS XXXV/1996 - Provisional People's

Consultative Assembly Decree Number XXXV/1996 on the

Dissolution of the Indonesian Communist Party and

Prohibitions on Marxist, Leninist and Communist

Teachings

2. G30S - A group of military officers who detained

and later killed seven generals on September 30,

1965 that the New Order regime officially described

as a PKI conspiracy, labelling it G30S/PKI. The PKI

was later banned and more than a million of its

members and supporters killed in an army-led pogrom.

3. The so called Madiun revolt was triggered by an

attempt by Vice President Hatta in alliance with

right-wing military officers to disband the PKI and

left-wing military units. The conflict culminated

when pro-PKI soldiers seized control of the city of

Madiun in Central Java in September 1948. The city

was retaken and thousands of PKI members massacred

and key communist and left-wing leaders of the

nationalist movement were arrested and executed.

4. Law No. 27/1999 is a revision to the Criminal

Code that codifies MPRS Decree Number XXXV/1996.

[Translated by James Balowski.]