'It's high time for us to forget the past'<\/p>\n
Former members and the relatives of former members of the now
\nbanned Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) hailed the Constitutional
\nCourt's decision reinstating some of their political rights. Some
\ncity residents The Jakarta Post spoke to expressed hope that the
\ngovernment would further reduce the discriminatory treatment they
\nhave suffered for over three decades.<\/p>\n
Roby Sumolang, 65, an activist with a non-governmental
\norganization for the empowerment of former PKI members. He lives
\nin Ciracas, East Jakarta, with his wife and two children:<\/p>\n
It is high time for the government to revoke the various
\nregulations that have prevented former members of the PKI and
\ntheir relatives from leading normal lives.<\/p>\n
They have been discriminated against over the last forty years
\nin the wake of the aborted coup which was blamed on the party. I
\nknew a lot of them whose assets were seized by the military
\nauthorities.<\/p>\n
Now that one unjust regulation is revoked, we can move forward
\nand come to terms with the past.<\/p>\n
Gita Mahyarani, 23, is a journalist for a website company in
\nKuningan, South Jakarta. She lives in Pasar Minggu, also in South
\nJakarta:<\/p>\n
I strongly support the decision to allow former PKI members to
\nvote. Besides, why should we make a problem out of something that
\nhappened a long time ago.<\/p>\n
I think most of them were wrongly accused by the previous
\nrulers. Even if they were members of the outlawed party, most of
\nthem were not directly involved.<\/p>\n
Besides, almost all of them are already old and they're the
\nlast people persecuted for political reasons.<\/p>\n
--The Jakarta Post<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/its-high-time-for-us-to-forget-the-past-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }