Anti-Communism Fabricated Operations

KontraS noted that the trend of anti communism or Communism Party (PKI) operation is artificial and overwhelmed action. We noted that what already occurred within this May, particularly post the 1965 Incident Symposium and the effort of 1965 Incident Mass Cemetery data developing, are the effort in creating “enemy” and serious situation of the raise of communism or Communism Party (PKI) in various parts in Indonesia. This act is really peculiar, because PKI, which is a communism party already dissolved since a long time ago. Communism also should be seen as a general knowledge between other general knowledges. Then, why there is an effort to create fear in this knowledge? This situation become an enemy that created.

The insanity also seen from the act in field that occurred in these several days, the fear towards PKI or communism showed with secure, arrests, seize or prohibit symbol or clothes wearing with the picture of hammer and sickle, red clothes, movie that showing and discussing about human rights violations and intimidation against the book publisher. All of these acts are not connected with any criminal acts that already occurred. This situation instead showing that there are efforts to raising again the role of military intervention in Indonesia to enter and intervene the democratic civil living in Indonesia, where the military forces conducted intimidation (Resist Publisher, Yogyakarta, May 11, 2016), arrested person in Ternate, May 11, 2016.

What already occurred today is Operation, with the form of New Order Era and using little role of information technology. This opeation has role separations:

First, closed operation, propaganda in broadcasting information of PKI atributes or Communist such as in Palembang published various PKI stickers. Information spreading related with PKI also circulated in various social media that used by public in indonesia such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. We seen several motives: (a). Showing that PKI still existed, (b). Triggering sentiment sense among the social groups and tend to be among the conservative line.

Second, mobilisation operation (group) of community to maintain fear and threatened feeling, in line with visiting several organisation and accused communist.

Third, this closed operation then pulling the security policy makers to act restrictively and represively with pushing the expression groups using careless legal basis. Known that today (12/5) National Police Headquarter – Law Division will held Focus Group Discussion: Judiciary Study of Communism/Marxism-Leninism Study Prohibition in Indonesia with quoting the incident of Buru Island: Our Homeland movie dismissal hold by Indonesian Journalists Alliance (AJI) Yogyakarta and tried to justify the legal act to prohibit the study of “Communism/Marxism-Leninism as the part of the study of National Police Chief to take legal actions.

Unfortunately, Joko Widodo, the president, only following the operation trends or this propaganda. Joko Widodo only necessary to conduct law enforcement of communism. This statement could be the instrument to justify for whoever in the region or field to be accusing each other and ended into a conflict or violence eventually. In the name of “communism” of someone or some particular groups could tend to become vigilante. This operation is an impact of the inconsistency of president Joko Widodo presidency in the completion of gross human rights violations. The lack of legal obligation implementation by National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM), Attorney General and President affected to the completion steps that potentially raising or “deliberately created” social conflict or particular operations.

This particular operation already occurred several times before in Indonesia, one of the closest operation is on Septermber 2015, last year. At that time, the trend of PKI raising increased and there are several information that president Joko Widodo will “apologize” to PKI. Even though, this information never announced officially by the president or the Presidential Palace persons. Interestingly, the Presidential Palace persons acknowledged who spread the issue, however did not willing to open it to the public. The goal of this operation on last September was to make sure that Joko Widodo presented at the Revolution Heroes Monument in Lubang Buaya, East Jakarta.

The practical limitation of public expression with the act that preceding and and full with this fabrication clearly contradict with the commitment of Indonesian government to respect the freedom of expression that regulated in the article 19 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and article 23 Law No. 39/1999 regarding human rights. For them who trying to reject KontraS’ argumentation and other human rights defenders, we will quoting article 28J 1945 Constitution that interpreted ambiguosly and not according with the derogable spirit that regulated in the national and international law system.

At this time, the aim of the operation in May is to reject the plan of Military New Order crimes disclosure, particularly after the stronger of identification efforts of mass cemetery. Both purposely to silenced the critical group movements amongst the community that strengthen from the state crimes dismantling, either from the past or on the present days. For example, accusing the advocacy efforts of reclamation rejection of communism act, terror against the publisher in Yogyakarta. These operations are a form of fear from those who get benefits by practical corrupt and New Order military. Their interests are distracted by the development and changing times. Who are they? We from KontraS belive this is not difficult to be dismantled by the Presidential Palace parties. As on September 2015.

President should stop this kind of operations. If not, our future will be served by anti-communism drama and other hatred believes.

Jakarta, May 12, 2016

KontraS Workers,

Haris Azhar, MA

Executive Coordinator