Habibie challenged over communist remark<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Politicians have challenged that President B.J.
\nHabibie prove his allegation that communism, \"Marhaenism\" and
\nsocialism -- dubbed by many as Komas -- have really threatened
\nthe nation, warning him against manipulating the issue to
\nintimidate his political rivals.<\/p>\n
They also said on Saturday that poverty, corruption and even
\nthe remnants of elements of former president Soeharto's New Order
\nregime may actually be more dangerous than communism, which was
\nlosing its popularity even in communist countries.<\/p>\n
Chairwoman of the Indonesian Nationalist Party, Supeni, who
\ndescribes herself as a fanatic Marhaenist, challenged Habibie to
\nturn words into deeds and arrest leaders of those three
\nideologies.<\/p>\n
\"If they (the leaders of the three so-called dangerous
\nideologies) really existed, why didn't he just arrest them,
\nbecause he has the police force, the military intelligence,
\nbefore their movement becomes too powerful?\" she asked when
\ncontacted by The Jakarta Post on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Supeni warned Habibie that the groundless communism label
\nwould not only draw ire of political parties, but also government
\nofficials, and even Indonesian military members as it did in
\n1960s.<\/p>\n
She dismissed Habibie's recent effort to explain away his
\nremarks. \"He can't retract his statement just like that after
\nhurting people's feelings, especially the supporters of president
\nSukarno, who created Marhaenism,\" she said.<\/p>\n
\"I think it is strange that he links communism to Marhaenism.
\nHe just wanted to find a scapegoat for his failure to save the
\ncountry from chaos,\" said the veteran politician.<\/p>\n
\"Maybe he is afraid that Marhaenists will win the general
\nelection,\" she charged.<\/p>\n
In two separate meetings with two youth organizations, Habibie
\nalleged Komas leaders were attempting to topple the government by
\ninciting riots and violence. Following a public outcry, Habibie
\nretracted his statement on Friday.<\/p>\n
\"Marhaenism is not identical to communism,\" he then said.<\/p>\n
Marhaenism was coined by the country's late founding
\npresident, Sukarno. Derived from the name of a poor farmer,
\nMarhaen, Sukarno used the name to describe his thoughts on a
\nrange of ideologies.<\/p>\n
The expression bears emotional connotations for supporters of
\nthe Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, whose leader is
\nSukarno's daughter Megawati Soekarnoputri, and several other
\nparties which call themselves Marhaenists.<\/p>\n
Separately, Ida Nasim, the secretary of People's Democratic
\nParty (PRD) central leadership committee, said it was funny
\nHabibie talked about communism when the ideology has even lost
\nits popularity in communist countries.<\/p>\n
\"The danger of the New Order is much greater than communism,\"
\nsaid Ida, who claimed his party as a leftist organization.<\/p>\n
He acknowledged that the military and government officials had
\nbranded his party a communist party following the violent
\ntakeover of the Indonesian Democratic Party headquarters on July
\n27 1996. The riot that ensued was, among others things, blamed on
\nthe PRD.<\/p>\n
\"I don't understand why they accuse us of being communists, as
\nnearly all PRD leaders were born after the communist (party) was
\noutlawed in 1967,\" said Ida.<\/p>\n
At the time, Soeharto and senior government officials,
\nincluding then Armed Forces (ABRI) chief Gen. Feisal Tanjung and
\nthen ABRI's chief of sociopolitical affairs Lt. Gen. Syarwan
\nHamid, accused PRD of masterminding the riot.<\/p>\n
\"Habibie's statement indicates he was using the New Order's
\n(tradition of stamping) a political stigma to silence people's
\naspiration who opposed its dictatorship,\" Ida said.<\/p>\n
National Awakening Party secretary-general Muhaimin Iskandar
\ndescribed Habibie's decision to retract his statement on Komas as
\na combination of poor political knowledge and a desperate attempt
\nto retain his power.<\/p>\n
\"He just wants to find a common enemy in order to maintain his
\npower, but he forgets that it is even difficult for him to find a
\nfriend,\" Muhaimin noted.<\/p>\n
Muhaimin, claiming to be a Muslim leftist, said that populist
\nand leftist ideologies are often branded as communists in
\nIndonesia. He cautioned that Habibie himself is always proud of
\nhis populist economic policies.<\/p>\n
\"Habibie just wants to shift people's attention from the New
\nOrder's corrupt and authoritarian practices,\" he warned.<\/p>\n
Nahdlatul Ulama deputy secretary-general Arifin Junaidi
\ndescribed Habibie's statement as funny but also foolish.<\/p>\n
\"We are facing more dangerous threats, namely poverty,
\ndisintegration and even abuses of the social safety net fund,\"
\nsaid the leader of Indonesia's largest Islamic organization.
\n(prb)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/habibie-challenged-over-communist-remark-1447893297",
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