Durable law

Durable law

Amid the students' demands for total reforms -- political,
economic, legal and moral -- Minister of Justice Muladi drew more
attention with his statement that the government intends to
revoke the Law No.11/PNPS1963, commonly known as the Subversion
Law. He deserves praises from us all.

This law has a unique history. Established by the Old Order
government, it is designed to overcome any disturbances to the
(independence) revolution. Many prodemocracy figures and
government critics fell victims and were jailed, with or without
due process. This law was employed to silence the "enemies of
revolution".

During the transition period from the Old Order to the New
Order and years later in the early days of the New Order
government, this law was strongly condemned. The extraordinary
General Session of the People's Consultative Assembly in 1967,
which removed then President Sukarno, recommended that this
elastic law be revoked soon.

I don't know why, but the New Order pledged to genuinely and
consistently implement the Constitution and Pancasila, even
preserving and maintaining it until the present day. So it's not
strange if many pro-democracy and students activists fell victim,
too, and were sent to prison under the same law.

It is ironic that the Old Order who established the law in
1963 could only employ it for three years, while the New Order
who initially condemned the law have employed it for more than 30
years.

DJON W PRANOTO

Sukabumi, West Java