Papernas Solo: 'This intimidation will not influence

Radar Solo - May 8, 2007

Solo -- The National Liberation Party of Unity
(Papernas) has been unlucky of late. A meeting to
establish a branch management board in Tanjung Anom,
Grogol, Sukoharjo, was forcibly broken up by a
certain group. Feeling cornered, Papernas is
officially and strenuously denying the accusation
that it is linked with the Indonesian Communist
Party (PKI).

During a press conference at Joglo Sriwedari on
Monday, the chairperson of Papernas's Solo branch,
Suprapto explained that the party he leads has
absolutely no link with the party formed by [PKI
chairperson] DN Aidit in earlier times.

According to Suprapto, there is not the slightest
indication that Papernas has a communist ideology.
"We are a genuine nationalist party. We are fully
protected by [the state ideology of] Pancasila and
the 1945 Constitution. So, if there is a presumption
that we are a new PKI, this accusation is baseless.
Perhaps they only understand us partially, not in
our entirety", said Suprapto.

On the question of the party's slogan of Tri Panji
(the Three Banners of National Unity), Suprapto said
this is merely coincidental. Particularly if it is
linked with the slogans used by the PKI in the past.

According to Suprapto, for their party the program
of Tri Panji is in the genuine interests of the
ordinary people. "Our Tri Panji includes abolishing
the foreign debt, the nationalisation of the mining
industry and building the national industry. If all
of this becomes a reality, we are certain that the
people too will feel the benefits. Once again, what
is certain, is that we will revive the spirit of
nationalism that has been dying out", he continued.

Central Java Papernas Chairperson Kelik Ismunanto
added that their party is orientating towards the
future. They want to make the spirit of unity the
basis for the achievement of the country's goals.

"I am surprised, why are we being accused of being
the new PKI. Who knows, perhaps the people who
accuse us are people that don't care about the
nation. What is certain, is that this intimidation
will not influence with our march. We will continue
to move forward", he asserted.

On the question of the breaking up of the Papernas
event in Grogol not long ago, Papernas plans to take
the matter up with the Surakarta (Solo) district
police. They will be asking the police to take
responsibility for the actions by the group that
broke up the meeting. According to Kelik, the police
should have provided protection because they already
had a permit to hold the event.

"But what happened, was precisely that the police
permitted them to wreak our plans. This is wrong. We
are asking the police to take responsibility.
Because our event already had a permit [from the
police]", he said.

Kelik also cited an article from the 1945
Constitution, which states that all citizens have
the right to association and assembly. So the police
are obliged to protect citizen's rights.

However Kelik as well as Suprapto said that they
have yet to decided whether or not they will lodge a
formal complaint over the incident. At this stage
they are planning to report the cases separately.
"Certainly we will report their actions. But we will
do this after we have asked the police to take
responsibility", continued Kelik.

Kelik also said they still need additional materials
to complete their complaint. But what is certain,
Kelik and his colleagues will be reporting the
groups actions to the Central Java Department of
Justice and Human Rights. "The planned agenda for
event that was broken up will be use to complete the
administrative requirements that are to be presented
to the Department of Justice and Human Rights, as
complimentary material for [our] fitness to
participate in the elections", he continued.

As has been reported, when Papernas was holding a
working meeting at the Gajah Building in Tanjung
Anom not long ago, it was visited by members of the
Islamic Defenders Front (FPI). They asked that the
event be canceled because they believe that Papernas
represents the PKI. In the confusion that followed,
Sukoharjo Regent Bambang Riyanto intervened to
resolve the issue. (mg5)

[Translated by James Balowski.]




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