'Communism only grows when injustice prevails'

After almost 40 years without political rights, former members of the banned Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) and their families will be able to vote and run in the coming legislative elections. The Jakarta Post talked to some people about their views on the issue and whether they saw communism as a threat to the country.

Hendri Suhenda, 33, is a financial consultant with a private company in Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta. He lives with his wife and a baby girl in Serpong, Tangerang:

It's great. I support the policy to reinstate the rights of former PKI members. Not all of them have done wrong. Many were even sentenced to prison without trial. They deserve to get their rights back.

I am not worried that this will encourage the growth of communism here. Communism will only grow if injustice prevails in a society. When the gap between the rich and the poor widens, it becomes a hotbed for these ideologies. Otherwise, it is an obsolete ideology, and will be regarded as such.

Farida, 30, works as a secretary with a private firm in Ciracas, East Jakarta. She lives in Cawang, East Jakarta:

I think PKI members and their families deserve the right to join the upcoming elections just like other Indonesian citizens. I support the decision to allow them to vote although I don't know the reason behind the decision.

Besides, we don't know what really happened back then. The facts are quite confusing and many people have their own versions on the tragedy. It is possible that the government's version is not true.

The PKI members, who are still alive, were not prominent figures in the party, so why should we take away their political rights?

-- The Jakarta Post