Forgive Pramoedya, say intellectuals
<p>Forgive Pramoedya, say intellectuals</p><p> JAKARTA (JP): Intellectuals are pursuing "cultural
reconciliation" among literary figures and seeking official
forgiveness for the banned "leftist" author, Pramoedya Ananta
Toer.</p><p>Amid the renewed call for national reconciliation between
political foes, senior journalist Goenawan Mohamad and cultural
observer F.X. Mudji Sutrisno have suggested that a similar
gesture be made in literary circles.</p><p>Writers and other figures who, due to ideological differences,
have been filled with feelings of enmity for decades should now
forget their past conflict and forgive each other, the leading
intellectuals say.</p><p>"I am very disappointed because a number of leading figures in
the literary circle, people of whom we are very proud, have set
us (bad) examples," Mudji said. "I will be even more disappointed
if we cannot start healing the historical wounds."</p><p>"I just don't understand why (some literary leaders) are so
vengeful about Pramoedya's being selected as the winner of this
years' Ramon Magsaysay award," Goenawan said.</p><p>"I believe that now is the right time for the literary figures
to hold another debate with Pramoedya, because there's no longer
any reason to be afraid," Goenawan said. "There are no longer
apocalyptic predictions (of the rise of communism) hanging over
us if we hold debates with Pramoedya."</p><p>The two observers were commenting on the recent campaign by 26
leading literary figures, including senior writer Mochtar Lubis
and poet Taufiq Ismail, to urge the U.S.-funded Magsaysay
Foundation reexamine its decision to grant the Asia's most
prestigious literary award to Pramoedya.</p><p>Mochtar has threatened to return his own prize -- which he
received in 1958 -- in protest if the Manila-based foundation
does not reverse its decision. He says he is reluctant to share
similar prizes with Pramoedya, who was once accused of conducting
a "witch hunt" against writers.</p><p>During the heyday of the Indonesian communist movement in the
1960s Pramoedya and the pro-communist Lekra (People's Cultural
Institute) group played important roles in the suppression of
freedom of expression, Mochtar said.</p><p>"He was the man behind Lekra's decision to burn my books,"
Mochtar said recently.</p><p>The foundation, named after a famous Philippines president,
has acknowledged the enmities between Indonesian writers at that
time. "The attacks and counter-attacks of the times were harsh
and we are indeed aware that some writers suffered badly," the
foundation stated last week.</p><p>However, current attacks on Pramoedya "bear little moral
weight in light of the penalties already imposed upon him as well
as a change in world attitudes toward communism accompanying the
end of the Cold War," the foundation said.</p><p>The foundation also rejected the calls of Mochtar and his
colleagues. As for Pramoedya himself, it is still unclear whether
he would be able to make the trip to receive the award in Manila,
given the travel ban still imposed on him. Pramoedya spent more
than 10 years in a hard labor camp on Buru Island following the
bloody coup attempt by the now-outlawed Indonesian Communist
Party (PKI).</p><p>It was during this period that he wrote several of his books,
most of which are now banned by the authorities because they
reportedly contain elements of communist teachings.</p><p>Goenawan refused to join his colleagues in taking a harsh
stance against Pramoedya. "Because Pram is not a free man, the
way Mochtar and Taufiq are free," Goenawan said.</p><p>"The situation is different now, there's no longer apocalypse
(of communism) hanging over our heads. Free Pramoedya first, then
hold debates (regarding his leftist stance in his writings),"
Goenawan said.</p><p>Mudji said the discord resulted from what he called Indonesian
society's preoccupation with power, affecting almost everyone and
every profession. "Ulemas, church leaders, conglomerates...they
are affected by the same thing. Literary figures are like that,
too...because they have power now, they exert it (at the expense
of the powerless)," he said.</p><p>He cited the literary leaders' display of enmity toward
Pramoedya as an example of that preoccupation with power. "The
air is saturated with this drive for power," he said.</p><p>"There's this big question we have to answer: who's a fellow
citizen? Are they brothers, or are they enemies to be avenged?"
Mudji asked. (swe)</p>
reconciliation" among literary figures and seeking official
forgiveness for the banned "leftist" author, Pramoedya Ananta
Toer.</p><p>Amid the renewed call for national reconciliation between
political foes, senior journalist Goenawan Mohamad and cultural
observer F.X. Mudji Sutrisno have suggested that a similar
gesture be made in literary circles.</p><p>Writers and other figures who, due to ideological differences,
have been filled with feelings of enmity for decades should now
forget their past conflict and forgive each other, the leading
intellectuals say.</p><p>"I am very disappointed because a number of leading figures in
the literary circle, people of whom we are very proud, have set
us (bad) examples," Mudji said. "I will be even more disappointed
if we cannot start healing the historical wounds."</p><p>"I just don't understand why (some literary leaders) are so
vengeful about Pramoedya's being selected as the winner of this
years' Ramon Magsaysay award," Goenawan said.</p><p>"I believe that now is the right time for the literary figures
to hold another debate with Pramoedya, because there's no longer
any reason to be afraid," Goenawan said. "There are no longer
apocalyptic predictions (of the rise of communism) hanging over
us if we hold debates with Pramoedya."</p><p>The two observers were commenting on the recent campaign by 26
leading literary figures, including senior writer Mochtar Lubis
and poet Taufiq Ismail, to urge the U.S.-funded Magsaysay
Foundation reexamine its decision to grant the Asia's most
prestigious literary award to Pramoedya.</p><p>Mochtar has threatened to return his own prize -- which he
received in 1958 -- in protest if the Manila-based foundation
does not reverse its decision. He says he is reluctant to share
similar prizes with Pramoedya, who was once accused of conducting
a "witch hunt" against writers.</p><p>During the heyday of the Indonesian communist movement in the
1960s Pramoedya and the pro-communist Lekra (People's Cultural
Institute) group played important roles in the suppression of
freedom of expression, Mochtar said.</p><p>"He was the man behind Lekra's decision to burn my books,"
Mochtar said recently.</p><p>The foundation, named after a famous Philippines president,
has acknowledged the enmities between Indonesian writers at that
time. "The attacks and counter-attacks of the times were harsh
and we are indeed aware that some writers suffered badly," the
foundation stated last week.</p><p>However, current attacks on Pramoedya "bear little moral
weight in light of the penalties already imposed upon him as well
as a change in world attitudes toward communism accompanying the
end of the Cold War," the foundation said.</p><p>The foundation also rejected the calls of Mochtar and his
colleagues. As for Pramoedya himself, it is still unclear whether
he would be able to make the trip to receive the award in Manila,
given the travel ban still imposed on him. Pramoedya spent more
than 10 years in a hard labor camp on Buru Island following the
bloody coup attempt by the now-outlawed Indonesian Communist
Party (PKI).</p><p>It was during this period that he wrote several of his books,
most of which are now banned by the authorities because they
reportedly contain elements of communist teachings.</p><p>Goenawan refused to join his colleagues in taking a harsh
stance against Pramoedya. "Because Pram is not a free man, the
way Mochtar and Taufiq are free," Goenawan said.</p><p>"The situation is different now, there's no longer apocalypse
(of communism) hanging over our heads. Free Pramoedya first, then
hold debates (regarding his leftist stance in his writings),"
Goenawan said.</p><p>Mudji said the discord resulted from what he called Indonesian
society's preoccupation with power, affecting almost everyone and
every profession. "Ulemas, church leaders, conglomerates...they
are affected by the same thing. Literary figures are like that,
too...because they have power now, they exert it (at the expense
of the powerless)," he said.</p><p>He cited the literary leaders' display of enmity toward
Pramoedya as an example of that preoccupation with power. "The
air is saturated with this drive for power," he said.</p><p>"There's this big question we have to answer: who's a fellow
citizen? Are they brothers, or are they enemies to be avenged?"
Mudji asked. (swe)</p>