Lifting ban on communism to promote democracy

By Kamaluddin Pane

JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid's (Gus Dur) proposal to revoke the Provisional People's Consultative Assembly (MPRS) Decree No. 25/1966 banning communism has triggered mass demonstrations by Muslim political groups for the last two months.

Given the importance of the issue, Gus Dur has clarified on many occasions why he has proposed revocation of the decree.

The cons argue that Marxism and Leninism are contrary to religion and that the now defunct Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) has betrayed the Indonesian nation.

One dilemma of the nation is that during the New Order rule (1966-1998) there was no democracy. For the New Order, democracy was the truth defined by the state. There was never a chance for an objective discussion of history.

Wider latitude to talk about taboo subjects came with the New Order's collapse in May 1998 -- but not all people can accept this.

What are the most important issues in the revocation of the said decree?

First, it has led to violation of human rights through the discrimination of people accused of having links to the PKI, including their children and grandchildren.

Such people were not free to obtain jobs. For decades, they were treated unfairly. Their identity cards, for example, were marked. They experienced difficulties in their dealings with the government on all matters.

Second, the revocation of the decree means the start of a new phase in the life of the Indonesian community, that is the disclosure of history whose previous formulation was monopolized by the New Order government.

The Sept. 30, 1965 coup d'etat, allegedly sponsored by the PKI through the killing of a number of high ranking Military officers, resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Indonesians. Thousands more were imprisoned or exiled without any judicial process.

Accusations that the PKI committed the coup attempt should have then been open to debate but there seemed to be no space for that.

While the initiator of the 1965 coup attempt remained a mystery, the New Order government was born and developed into a dictatorship using the Military to maintain power.

For decades the term "communist" was used to justify the eradication of political opponents by the government. Even the student movement opposing the New Order government was not exempted from the accusation.

Third, the revocation of the MPRS decree will mean appreciation for ideas and thoughts.

Marxism is not an untouchable doctrine. Karl Marx, as an ordinary man, had ideas on how to surmount the problems of injustice, the exploitation of man by man.

The reason for the birth of Christian teachings (voiced by Jesus) and Islam (brought by Prophet Muhammad) was to save man, to avoid suppression and enslavement.

It is interesting that Gus Dur once said that if people want to reject the teachings of Marxism and Leninism, it should be done through education, not the law. It is the citizen's right to decide to accept or to reject such ideas.

To build a new civilization that is tolerant, democratic and scientific for the Indonesian community is an essential need. We cannot build democracy while stifling certain groups.

The disclosure of historical truths is a significant right of a democratic people. The time has come to uncover the mysteries that were hidden during decades of New Order rule.

The 1998 suspension of the annual broadcast of the film on the Sept. 30, 1965 movement, shown during 30 years of Soeharto's rule, was a move in the right direction because the film only incites resentment.

Through democracy the problems of a nation can be settled peacefully. We do not need new forms of hatred in the community.

Will we continue to be part of a group that kills ideas and thoughts? If so, we should not expect that this nation will be able to bring progress to its people.

Indeed, when a group of people no longer holds scientific and democratic principles, it will always be prejudiced against something it considers wrong. It will not search for and find new visions. And it will not be important to such a group whether its action leads to productive attitudes for the development of the community, or instead will bring the community back to the middle ages which was anti-science and truth.

Social frictions related to ethnicity, religion, race and intergroup relations have led to thousands of victims and huge material losses in past years due to the absence of a culture of democracy and pluralism.

Are problems solved when violence speaks? Reality shows this has led to the creation of new hatred and resentment in the community.

Thus, curbs on thoughts and ideas are unacceptable, especially if institutionalized through the law. Such curbs will never educate the community to progress, to civility, and a love for a scientific and democratic culture.

The writer is a graduate of the State Islamic Institute in North Sumatra and lives in Jakarta.