Anti-communist groups accused of communist practice
Anti-communist groups accused of communist practice
JAKARTA (JP): The threat issued by anticommunist groups to
raid bookstores and burn books perceived as leftist was blasted
by experts and activists, who labeled it as "a practice of
communism itself".
Sociologist Paulus Wirutomo said nowadays people had lost
suitable models to demonstrate their disagreement and simply
resorted to anarchical actions to attract public attention.
He pointed out that by their intimidation, members of the
anticommunist groups were even demonstrating the practices of the
now-banned Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) followers.
"From what we hear, their actions are similar to the communist
practices as they can't accept differences and coerce others into
accepting their beliefs," he said, adding the Indonesian
Communist Party (PKI) once sponsored the anti-western drives in
the 1960s during which they burned any books and recordings of
western taste.
Gunung Agung and Karisma bookstores in Jakarta have followed
Gramedia in removing the leftist books from the shelves in the
face of threats of a massive anticommunist rally at major
bookstores on May 20 to mark the National Awakening Day.
Paulus said the threats were symptoms of the growing loss of
public trust in law enforcers. "The people regard themselves as
moral police as law enforcers are often seen as having lost their
morality."
Paulus said that as the communist movement here was often
referred to as the PKI, then it was understandable if there were
groups of people who continued to vent their anger against the
ideology.
"What the PKI did in the past to our people was too traumatic
for the family of the victims," he said.
He was referring to the 1948 mass slaughter in the town of
Madiun in East Java and the 1965 killings of army generals.
Bandung-based Padjajaran University's expert in political
communication Jalalludin Rakhmat even suspected that the threats
launched by the anticommunist groups signified the awakening of
the New Order power.
He recalled that the order under former president Soeharto
leadership emerged on the political stage after crushing the
communism in the country prevalent during the administration of
first president Sukarno.
"Now they want to revive their power but need to focus on one
common enemy, that is the communist issue," he said in Bandung,
the capital of West Java.
Meanwhile activist and stage actress Ratna Sarumpaet believed
that the people in the anticommunist group did not read the books
thoroughly and therefore had shallow knowledge of the ideology.
Ratna also criticized the largest publisher and bookstore
Gramedia for "surrendering to the unsubstantiated intimidations",
saying the decision would only justify the anarchical actions of
the anticommunist group.
"I very am sad that Gramedia, an established company, should
heed to such demands (to withdraw books)."
Gramedia decided to withdraw the "leftist" books from shelves
even beginning last week after a group of Islamic youths staged a
protest in Jakarta and burned a book on Karl Marx which was
written by political thinker Franz Magnis Suseno.
The books include those written by renowned author Pramoedya
Ananta Toer, a Nobel prize nominee, political analyst Hermawan
Sulistyo and political thinker Franz Magnis Suseno.
Gramedia owns a total of 42 bookstores across the country, 16
of them located in greater Jakarta.
The move was followed by other bookstores here like Gunung
Agung and Karisma.
In Gunung Agung on Jl. Kwitang in Central Jakarta, a store
keeper Nenden said several books were temporarily not displayed
but she did not know which titles.
Karisma book store's central office did not make any official
decision but several stores decided not to display any books with
communist or Marxist titles on the shelves.
Some of the shelves were even left vacant.
"We are only concealing the books and will still sell them if
individuals come to us and ask about the books," Anita Cahyani, a
storekeeper at Karisma in Cijantung, East Jakarta. (25/emf)