Artists issue statement of concern
Artists issue statement of concern
JAKARTA (JP): A group of Indonesian artists and intellectuals expressed concern yesterday at the political control of artistic expression and other aspects of life.
They read out their statement during a press briefing at a canteen in the Taman Ismail Marzuki art center. The statement was issued as part of a gathering to mark the anniversary of the decision by the government of president Sukarno on May 8, 1964, to undertake a purge of writers and artists whose views did not conform with those in power at the time.
Writers and artists signed the Cultural Manifesto in August 1963, criticizing the restrictions against their works imposed by the Sukarno government, which was influenced by the Indonesian Communist Party. Following the decision, the signatories of the manifesto were harassed and their works banned. Many of them also lost their jobs.
Yesterday, two of the survivors of the manifesto aftermath -- Arief Budiman and Goenawan Mohamad -- along with Emha Ainun Nadjib and W.S. Rendra initiated the issuance of the "May Statement" to express their concern at the current political conditions.
"This is an appeal to everyone that we should learn from the event that occurred more than 30 years ago -- something which we do not want repeated," the May Statement says.
By last night, the document had collected many more signatures than those of the five initiators. One of the signatures was that of noted literary critic H.B. Jassin, who also signed the 1963 manifesto. Signatories also included A.A. Navis, Ariel Heryanto, Arifin C. Noer, Garin Nugroho, Leila Ch. Budiman, Mahbub Junaedi, Nirwan Dewanto, Ratna Sarumpet, Satyagraha Hoerip and Subagyo Sastrowardojo.
The intellectuals and artists said they rejected the principle of "politics as the commandant" that was applied in the 1960s to justify sweeping aside anyone who did not conform with the views of those in power.
"History shows that this principle obstructs and eliminates the artistic and intellectual sources that should develop in a nation. In the Soviet Union, when the Communist Party was in power, artists, intellectuals and journalists were silenced, or forced to abide by principles that went against the conscience."
The 1964 decision to outlaw the manifesto signified the nation's loss of tolerance towards differences of views, the statement says.
"We have come a long way since then," Goenawan Mohamad, a prolific writer and founding editor of the outlawed Tempo magazine, said at the press conference. "But we still have the same attitude of intolerance."
The statement also said: "Court decisions too often became subservient to the interests of those in power; economic policies still serve the interests of those in the bureaucracy; cultural life is scrutinized; literary works of some of Indonesia's leading authors are banned; and worse still is the condition of the Indonesian press."
A discussion to mark the 31st anniversary of the banning of the Cultural Manifesto was held later in the evening at the H.B. Jassin Documentation Building at Taman Ismail Marzuki.
Emha said the event, organized by the Gorong-gorong Budaya group, was born out of concern over recent developments which he said "have gone too far".
He cited the government's plan to prosecute soothsayer Permadi Satrio Wiwoho and legislator Sri Bintang Pamungkas as two examples.
"They are dangerous precedents," he added. (anr/emb)