Communism is dead, corruption a bigger threat: Observer<\/p>\n
Tiarma Siboro and A'an Suryana, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Rights activists called on politicians on Monday to have an open
\nmind on Communism, saying the ideology was no longer a threat to
\nthe country for the time being.<\/p>\n
Noted rights activist Todung Mulya Lubis said countries that
\nembraced Communism as their ideology had collapsed, and that
\n\"Indonesian politicians are overreacting in viewing the
\nideology\".<\/p>\n
\"Politicians are overreacting because Communism is no longer
\nposing a threat to both the country and the world because the
\nideology itself had collapsed,\" Todung said.<\/p>\n
Sharing Todung's view was Solahuddin Wahid, a deputy chairman
\nof the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM).<\/p>\n
\"The government cannot prohibit people from expressing their
\nthoughts on communist teachings, despite stern regulations
\nbanning them from following it,\" Solahuddin said.<\/p>\n
He stressed that instead of Communism, the country was facing
\nthreats of possible collapse due to rampant corruption practices
\nand the government's failure to promote policies favorable to the
\npeople.<\/p>\n
Todung and Solahuddin were commenting on the decision of the
\nIndonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) to
\nwithdraw its proposal to repeal a 1966 decree banning the
\nIndonesian Communist Party (PKI) and the dissemination of
\nCommunism, Marxism and Leninism in the country.<\/p>\n
The decision, which dashed any hope for eliminating the
\ndiscrimination of suspected PKI members and their families, was
\nmade public on Sunday during the preliminary hearing of People's
\nConsultative Assembly Commission B in charge of identifying
\ndecrees to be repealed during the current Annual Session.<\/p>\n
Todung blamed PDI Perjuangan for its failure to use the
\nongoing session to erase the so-called \"communal sins\" leveled
\nagainst suspected PKI members and their families following the
\nshadowy attempted \"coup\" in 1965.<\/p>\n
\"I'm curious whether the proposal has been made merely as a
\nmeans of political horse-trading with certain parties, including
\nthe military, instead of expressing genuine concern over the fate
\nof suspected PKI members and their families.<\/p>\n
\"We know that certain parties in the country are reluctant to
\nbe honest in disclosing the history behind the 1965 coup blamed
\non the PKI,\" said Todung, referring to questions as to who
\nbenefited from the 1965 incident that led to the transfer of
\npower from then president Soekarno to Soeharto, who at the time
\nwas a three-star Army general.<\/p>\n
Soekarno is the father of Megawati Soekarnoputri, the
\nincumbent President and chairperson of PDI Perjuangan, the
\nlargest faction in the MPR.<\/p>\n
Permadi, a legislator from the PDI Perjuangan faction, said
\nMonday that his party had suggested the revocation of the
\nCommunism decree.<\/p>\n
The revocation of the decree would get rid off discrimination
\nagainst suspected PKI members and their family members and allow
\nformer PKI members and their families to cast their votes in the
\n2004 general election, when the country will hold its first ever
\ndirect presidential elections.<\/p>\n
\"They (families of suspected PKI members) must not be barred
\nfrom seeking jobs in government offices. The sins of PKI members
\nmust not be inherited by their descendants.<\/p>\n
\"We also have to grant them political rights in general
\nelections,\" said Permadi, referring to the newly enacted election
\nlaw, which, among other things, stipulates that legislative
\ncandidates should not be implicated in the 1965 coup.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/communism-is-dead-corruption-a-bigger-threat-observer-1447893297",
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