Forty years since the day that changed RI<\/p>\n
J. Soedjati Djiwandono, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Until today, the so-termed G30S (the Sept. 30 Movement of
\n1965), has been a part of Indonesia's modern history, albeit
\nsubject to interpretation. It has been rich in mysteries.<\/p>\n
Soeharto, who based his \"silent coup d'etat\" on the so-called
\nSupersemar (March-11 order issued by president Sukarno) has never
\nrevealed if such an order really existed, and who really keeps
\nit.<\/p>\n
A document -- only revealed after the demise of Soeharto and
\nshown in a televised recording of Soekarno delivering a speech on
\nthe Supersemar -- said that the March-11 order \"was not a
\ntransfer of authority\".<\/p>\n
Napoleon Bonaparte once said, \"What is history but a fable
\nagreed upon?\" That seems to have been aptly applied to the G30S.
\nInterestingly, despite the different interpretations of scholars
\nand researchers the world over, the official version of the G30S
\nimposed by Soeharto has continued to be accepted in total in this
\ncountry.<\/p>\n
Despite condemnations of Soeharto's New Order by successive
\nregimes in the \"era of reform\", that official version of the G30S
\nhas continued to prevail with all its implications. Early last
\nmonth, this paper reported that dozens of people from various
\nMuslim organizations had staged a protest at the Central Jakarta
\nDistrict Court, demanding the suspension of a class action filed
\nby former members of the now-defunct Indonesian Communist Party
\n(PKI).<\/p>\n
Some of the protesters from the so-termed Islam Defenders
\nFront (FPI), Joint Islam Youth Group (GPI), Indonesian Mujahidin
\nCouncil (MMI) and Indonesian Islam Students (PPI) entered the
\ncourthouse, shouting, \"Allahhu Akbar (God is Great).\" Other
\nprotesters staged a \"free-speech\" forum outside the courtroom,
\nshouting, \"the PKI is the enemy of Islam,\" and unfurled a banner
\nreading \"Crush the PKI\".<\/p>\n
Eka Jaya, operational coordinator of the FPI Jakarta, said
\nthat their presence at the court was aimed mainly at demanding
\nthat the panel of judges presided over by Cicut Sutiarso not
\naccede to the class action. \"What a shame for the PKI. They
\ndemand compensation but they used to massacre (Muslim) followers.
\nIf their demands are met, there will be a war; we will drive them
\naway and use their money for violent activities,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Mujayin, 75, a representative of about 100 former
\nPKI members, now aged 60 years and above, said he was merely
\nseeking justice. \"We were arrested and jailed without any
\njustice. What about presumption of innocence?\" said Mujayin, who
\nwas sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment on Buru Island on charges
\nof involvement in an alleged PKI coup attempt.<\/p>\n
\"Stigmatization not only burdens the accused, but also his
\noffspring,\" said Mujayin, who is a Muslim.<\/p>\n
Through the class action, the former PKI members were
\ndemanding compensation from the government amounting to Rp 2.4
\nbillion (US$244.5 million) and another Rp 10 billion for non-
\nmaterial losses, violation of their rights and other losses
\ncaused by the stigmatization.<\/p>\n
On the front gate of the huge cemetery in what is now St.
\nPetersburg (previously called Leningrad), in memory of the
\nthousands of victims of the siege of the city by the Nazi forces,
\nwhich the former Soviet regime remembered as the Great Patriotic
\nWar, there was a sign in Russian, meaning \"Nothing is forgotten\".
\nPerhaps for Indonesians, another phrase would be more appropriate
\nto describe the attitude of many Indonesians, including our
\ngovernment since the era of the \"new order\", which is -- as far
\nas the alleged members of the PKI are concerned -- \"No one is
\nforgiven.\"<\/p>\n
Indeed, we have been talking about national reconciliation in
\nAceh and East Timor; and demanding justice for the victims of the
\nTrisakti and Semanggi tragedies.<\/p>\n
Without lacking in the slightest appreciation for the need for
\nsuch reconciliation and demands for justice for the victims of
\nthose more recent tragedies, the G30S tragedy was definitely not
\nof a lesser magnitude.<\/p>\n
Thousands of innocent people were massacred or imprisoned
\nwithout trial. Many died during their imprisonment; it is
\nprobable that most were tortured. Those who were released
\nare now facing old age with no compensation, other than the
\nreturn of their voting rights, which are practically meaningless.
\nThey have been stigmatized for life and their surviving children
\nand grandchildren have also been identified in such terms.<\/p>\n
We tend to forget that the PKI also staged a rebellion in
\n1948. Yet Soekarno never banned the party. It even rose again
\nunder a new leader (Aidit) two years later and in the 1955
\ngeneral election emerged as one of the big winners side by side
\nwith the Indonesian Nationalist Party (PNI), the Indonesian
\nMuslim Congregation (Masyumi) and Nahdlatul Ulama (NU).<\/p>\n
Now we have not even considered seriously reconciliation with
\nthe victims of the G30S -- dead or still alive. Are we going to
\nbe a vindictive, unforgiving nation forever? Because we are a
\nreligious nation? What does that mean, anyway? Is communism the
\nenemy of religion?<\/p>\n
However, the birth of communism had nothing to do with
\nreligion. Yet in a way, the birth of political thoughts had
\nsomething to do with man's dissolution with the principles of
\nphilosophy and religion, both of which teach equality and
\njustice, while the realities of life were not seen to be in
\nconformity with that kind of teaching. But then, by definition,
\nideals will continue to be unattainable. The realities of life
\nwill always be a relative realization of those ideals.<\/p>\n
Indeed, what we know of the past is based on the \"facts\"
\navailable to us -- some just \"myths\" -- and is understand through
\na certain approach. Therefore, history will never be fully
\nrevealed or understood.<\/p>\n
Hence the importance of a philosophy of history, to help us
\ndetermine the way we write and rewrite history to serve a
\npurpose. Cynics refer to history as \"his story\". A Russian
\nproverb says, a historian is an \"expert in predicting the past\".<\/p>\n
The writer is a political analyst.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/forty-years-since-the-day-that-changed-ri-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }