'Leftist' books secure in 'preemptive sweep'
'Leftist' books secure in 'preemptive sweep'
YOGYAKARTA (JP): Yogyakarta police have conducted a
"preemptive sweep" of "leftist" books in the Sultanate,
contending that the actions are an attempt to save the literature
from being destroyed by anticommunist groups.
Yogyakarta Police Chief Brig. Gen. Saleh Saaf confirmed on
Thursday that police had impounded 49 books, comprising 19
different titles, from 11 bookstores and street vendors due to
the threat of raids by anticommunist groups.
"We were not confiscating the books. We only asked the book
owners to entrust police with keeping them in a safe place. We'll
return them when the situation has returned to normal," he said.
Saleh did not explain, however, why police were limiting the
legal distribution of these books instead of protecting
bookstores and preventing unlawful attacks.
He in fact called on any residents in Yogyakarta who may
possess "leftist" books to hand them over to police.
"It will be safer for them to put the books here in the
police's hands.
"We're afraid of possible conflict between owners of the books
and the anticommunist groups if they conduct the sweeping," he
said.
The country's largest bookstore chains began removing
"leftist" books from their shelves last week, following threats
from the Islamic Youth Movement (GPI) that it would conduct a
sweeping of such books on May 20.
GPI is part of the 33-member Anti-Communist Coalition.
Saleh later told the Post that the books were "now safely kept
in the police warehouse".
"They are now safe from the hands of anticommunist groups.
"This way, anticommunist groups will not be dealing with the
bookstores ... they will be dealing directly with the police.
Police will guarantee the protection of the people of Yogyakarta
in whichever way we can," Saleh said.
The police's move to confiscate "leftist" books leaves open to
question the government's true intentions regarding the
protection of such basic freedoms, despite an abundance of
rhetoric.
Yogyakarta Governor Sultan Hamengkubuwono X defended the
police's measure, saying it would avoid unnecessary anxiety.
One roadside bookseller said he was relieved that police took
such action.
"We're lucky that it was the police who took the books. We
just don't want anticommunist groups to seize our property and
vandalize our merchandise," Yulianto, who sells books on Jl.
Kahar Muzakar, told the Post on Thursday.
But in Jakarta, Minister of Justice and Human Rights
Baharuddin Lopa claimed that the government would stop raids
launched on bookstores in an attempt to eradicate "leftist" and
communist literature from distribution.
"Cabinet has decided that the sweeps will not be allowed,"
Lopa said after a Cabinet meeting on Thursday, without
elaborating on what steps would be taken.
The books' writers and the arts community have formed one of
the most vocal groups condemning the planned sweeps, joining
together in the Alliance for the Freedom of Thought and Freedom
of Speech.
More condemnation was voiced on Thursday as renowned poet
Taufiq Ismail denounced attempts to destroy "the fruit of
intellectual work and thinking".
"If we don't agree to a book's content, we must write and
publish another book to criticize it," he said at the Yogyakarta
State University on Thursday.
"If we don't want communism to grow in Indonesia, what we
should do is fight poverty, because it (Communism) usually grows
well among the poor," he said.
Strong criticism was also voiced in Makassar, South Sulawesi,
where the Association of the Makassar Student Press described
acts to destroy books as "an interdiction of scientific study".
"Reading a book does not make someone a communist," a
representative of the association, Ridwan, insisted.
"Such tactics are equivalent to restraining the right to
literary freedom," he added. (02/23/27/44/byg)