Clarification of institute's aims

We refer to the feature article Artists use their brush for social criticism written by Ahmad Solikhan (The Jakarta Post, Sept 9, 1999). As there are some disturbing mistakes in the article, we, the management of the Lembaga Budaya Kerakyatan TARING PADI (People's Cultural Institute of TARING PADI) would like to clarify as follows;

1. The Institute was not established in cooperation or under the coordination of the People's Democratic Party (PRD), but both have a similar organizational basis which supports each other.

2. The Chairman of the People's Cultural Institute of TARING PADI, Yustoni Volunteero, has never been registered as an activist of PRD. This is in compliance with the requirements for membership of the institute to the effect that members of TARING PADI must not be members of any political party, political organization or the armed forces.

3. The institute was set up on Dec. 21, 1999, on the premises of the office of the Legal Aid Institute in Yogyakarta.

4. It should be emphasized that the People's Cultural Institute of TARING PADI is not an extension of the People's Cultural Institute (LEKRA) and has nothing whatsoever to do with it.

5. One of the strategic objectives of TARING PADI is to fight against cultural evils.

SYAMSUL BARRY

Chairman

Lembaga Budaya Kerakyatan TARING PADI

Yogyakarta