Threats to security -- Real versus perceived<\/p>\n
By Santi W.E. Soekanto<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): This year has been one marked with intensifying
\nconcerns of a possible resurgence of communism and of social
\ndisintegration caused by racial and religious tension.<\/p>\n
The curtain opened with government officials' warning that
\ncommunism was very much alive in society, and that the outlawed
\nIndonesian Communist Party (PKI) might still have supporters
\nlaunching insidious campaign to penetrate various social groups.<\/p>\n
Well into the middle of this year, several regions were hit by
\nracial and religious tensions, which erupted into rioting that
\ncaused extensive damage to some public facilities and forced
\npeople to flee. In yet other regions, reports of human rights
\nviolations, including killings, grabbed nationwide attention and
\ninvited foreign criticism.<\/p>\n
The year approaches its end with yet another warning of
\ncommunist resurgence and an announcement by the Armed Forces
\n(ABRI) that the authorities will soon screen legislators alleged
\nto have past communist links.<\/p>\n
Controversies on communism resurgence began late last year
\nwith reports that an official of the Indonesian Democratic Party
\n(PDI), Djajang Kurniadi, had past communist links. Without
\nbothering to wait until the authorities came with follow-up
\nreports or actions, some elements in the party used the momentum
\nto demonstrate against chairperson Megawati Soekarnoputri and
\ndemanded her resignation.<\/p>\n
The issue snowballed.<\/p>\n
It did not subside with the release in August of former deputy
\nprime minister Soebandrio, former Air Force commander Omar Dhani
\nand former police intelligence chief Soetarto, all directly
\ninvolved in the 1965 aborted coup attempt blamed on the PKI.<\/p>\n
Instead, their release provided an interesting tableaux for
\nthe nation's sentiment on communism. Along with a great sense of
\nforeboding, people could detect a spreading \"compassion\" when, in
\nconnection with Indonesia's 50th anniversary celebrations,
\nPresident Soeharto extended clemency to the three men mentioned
\nabove on humanitarian grounds.<\/p>\n
\"It's time to forgive and forget,\" some people said.<\/p>\n
This did not mean that ABRI was slackening its guard.<\/p>\n
Assistant to ABRI's chief for social and political affairs,
\nMaj. Gen. Syarwan Hamid, stressed that certain measures, such as
\nthe elimination of eks tapol (former political prisoner) stamped
\non the identity cards of people convicted of political offenses,
\nshould not be interpreted as an indication \"that we have forgiven
\nthem for what they did\".<\/p>\n
\"We simply believe that the direct danger (of communism) may
\nhave somewhat diminished,\" Syarwan said.<\/p>\n
The issue of communism threats resurfaced in October when
\nPresident Soeharto warned that certain \"formless\" organizations
\nhave been propagating communist teachings in the guise of concern
\nfor human rights and democracy, preying on young people in
\nparticular.<\/p>\n
Government officials and ABRI leaders followed the President's
\nwarning with one of their own, telling the public that remnants
\nof the PKI and its supporters have become active again.<\/p>\n
It was during the controversy over the dangers of communism
\nthat the public was introduced to various expressions like OTB,
\nan Indonesian expression for \"formless organizations\", \"night
\ncommunists\", \"daylight communists\" and \"new-style communism\".<\/p>\n
\"Communism is very much alive in Indonesia and is supported by
\nformer members of the PKI,\" according to Syarwan. \"It has
\nundergone a metamorphosis.\"<\/p>\n
On another occasion, Syarwan said that even ABRI, with its
\ntight security system, can be penetrated by communist elements.<\/p>\n
One indication of the communist's insidious campaign,
\naccording to the authorities, are the efforts by former PKI
\nmembers to cleanse themselves through their memoirs.<\/p>\n
The government has banned such memoirs, including those of Oei
\nTjoe Tat, one of the cabinet members under Sukarno rounded up by
\nthe military when Sukarno's government was dissolved in 1966. Oei
\nwas tried and convicted by a court of law for playing a role in
\nthe abortive coup. He was released in December 1977.<\/p>\n
Despite what some critics said, the military and civil
\nauthorities were not engaged in wild goose chases.<\/p>\n
Vice governor of the military's think tank, the Institute of
\nNational Resilience, Juwono Sudarsono, said the authorities were
\n\"honestly worried about the threats\" of communism.<\/p>\n
ABRI Chief of General Affairs Lt. Gen. Soeyono went so far as
\nto identify author Pramoedya Ananta Toer, scholar George Junus
\nAditjondro and labor leader Muchtar Pakpahan as being among the
\npeople behind a number of provocations that the military had
\nblamed on \"formless organizations\".<\/p>\n
The gong on the communism issue, however, was struck last week
\nby Army Chief Gen. Hartono, who announced the plan to rescreen 50
\nlegislators, who were already been vetted when they were
\nnominated to the legislature, alleged to have past communist
\nlinks.<\/p>\n
Screening for links with communism are routinely carried out
\non members of the legislature, the higher echelons of the
\nexecutive, as well as on officials in strategic industries and
\nsectors.<\/p>\n
Along with the threat of communism came concerns on
\ndisintegration in society, which were propelled by a number of
\nracial and religiously-charged riots in several parts of the
\ncountry.<\/p>\n
Both military and civil authorities repeatedly warned the
\npublic that social problems generated from ethnic, religious and
\ninter-group conflicts are becoming a real threat to the nation's
\nunity.<\/p>\n
It was Minister of Defense and Security Gen. (ret) Edi
\nSudradjat who brought the awareness of potentially polarizing
\nsocial issues to a new height when he spoke of social envy caused
\nby bankers' favoritism of wealthy ethnic Chinese businessmen in
\nissuance of credit.<\/p>\n
For a country of 196 million people, where some 25 million are
\nstill living in abject poverty and the gulf between the rich and
\nthe poor widening, the dominant role of ethnic Chinese
\nentrepreneurs in the economy is increasingly becoming a sensitive
\nspot. Especially when the issue was combined with religious
\nsentiment.<\/p>\n
A number of riots that took place in Central Java and West
\nJava were the proof. Moslems in Pekalongan, Central Java, rioted
\nin November, vandalizing shops and burning cars belonging to
\nethnic Chinese. The incidents were triggered by a report of a
\nChinese man, who was reported to be mentally ill, tearing up a
\nKoran.<\/p>\n
In Purwakarta, West Java, residents vandalized and picketed a
\nsupermarket belonging to a Chinese couple in October. The tension
\nwas triggered by the report of a young Moslem girl, accused of
\nshoplifting, being mistreated by the couple and their employers.
\nIt took some time before the city calmed down.<\/p>\n
In September, several riots took place in at least two
\nregencies in the predominantly Roman Catholic East Timor. The
\nriots were triggered by a Moslem official's denigrating remarks
\nabout Catholicism.<\/p>\n
Two people were killed and 12 people were injured in the
\nincidents. Some 120 people were detained for questioning. A
\nnumber of school buildings, a market and other public facilities
\nwere damaged and hundreds of Moslem migrants fled the region.<\/p>\n
Violent rioting also occurred elsewhere, triggered by various
\ncauses, including labor disputes, environmental concern, and
\nmistreatment of local people by ABRI.<\/p>\n
One of the riots occurred in Dairi, North Sumatra when
\napproximately 1,000 residents attacked a plantation company,
\nleaving one person dead. Another occurred in Pasuruan, East Java
\nlast month, when thousands of residents vandalized a South
\nKorean-owned food seasoning factory for allegedly polluting the
\nriver.<\/p>\n
This year also saw a number of attempts by some anti-
\nintegration East Timorese youth groups to seek asylum at foreign
\nembassies here, citing persecution by the military.<\/p>\n
More than 120 youths, on separate occasions, climbed into the
\nembassies of Japan, Britain, Russia and the Netherlands demanding
\nthat they be flown to those countries.<\/p>\n
The youths were invariably helped by the Indonesian office of
\nthe International Committee of the Red Cross to fly to Portugal,
\nthe only country willing to receive them.<\/p>\n
Both military and civil officials claimed that the youths
\ncampaign was groundless, that they were not persecuted, and that
\nthey were only seeking free tickets to go abroad.<\/p>\n
This year, Indonesia became a target of both domestic and
\nforeign criticism for its human rights record. Two of the most
\nsignificant cases of rights violations were the killings of 16
\ncivilians in the Timika regency by the military in Irian Jaya,
\nand of six civilians in Liquisa regency in East Timor.<\/p>\n
The first case occurred between Oct. 1994 and June 1995 and
\nwas said to have taken place in the operation areas of the
\nAmerican giant gold and copper mining company Freeport.<\/p>\n
The other case took place in January. In this highly-
\nscrutinized case, the military in East Timor insisted that the
\nsix people killed were supporters of rebel East Timor Fretilin
\nand that they were all killed during an armed conflict. A number
\nof East Timorese, however, say the six killed were unarmed
\nfarmers.<\/p>\n
Other security problems occurring include the recent uprising
\nof the secessionist Free Papua Movement in Irian Jaya. At least
\ntwo people were killed during armed clashes between the rebels
\nand troops, while a score of other people were taken hostage.<\/p>\n
However, the hectic condition served as a backdrop for the
\nsmooth regeneration within ABRI; younger generals are now holding
\ntop positions. Earlier this year ABRI witnessed Gen. R. Hartono,
\nLt. Gen. Soeyono and Lt. Gen. M. Ma'ruf inducted as the new Army
\nChief, the new ABRI chief for general affairs, and new ABRI chief
\nfor social and political affairs respectively.<\/p>\n
One of the most notable transfers was that of Brig. Gen.
\nPrabowo Subianto, who replaced Maj. Gen. Subagyo HS as commander
\nof the special force Kopassus. Prabowo is a son-in-law of
\nPresident Soeharto.<\/p>\n
This year approaches its end with a historical pact, which
\nwill hopefully lessen the worry of not only ABRI, but that of the
\nnation in general. On Dec. 18, Indonesia and Australia signed a
\nsecurity agreement requiring both sides to undertake ministerial
\nconsultations on common security matters.<\/p>\n
The agreement also requires that both sides consider the
\npossibility of joint measures in the event of adverse challenges
\nto either party, or to their common security interests.<\/p>\n
\"This agreement should dispel any fears Australians may have
\ntoward Indonesia,\" President Soeharto said of the accord.<\/p>\n
Window A: \"Communism is very much alive in Indonesia and is
\nsupported by former members of the PKI,\" according to Maj. Gen.
\nSyarwan. \"It has undergone a metamorphosis.\"<\/p>\n
Window B: Military and civil authorities repeatedly warned the
\npublic that social problems generated from ethnic, religious and
\ninter-group conflicts are becoming a real threat to the nation's unity.<\/p>",
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