Local T-shirts dress up with political statements

JAKARTA (JP): For some, T-shirts are more than a casual outfit. They can be a means of communication. They can also be used to voice political statements.

Reformation Yes, is one example of what is written on T-shirts currently on demand not only among activists but also "ordinary people" who are in favor of political reform in the country.

Say it With T-shirts was a discussion held last week at Teater Utan Kayu, East Jakarta. It featured the National Institute of Sciences' senior researcher, Hermawan Sulistyo, and T-shirt design consultant Malela Mahargasarie.

Political T-shirts -- dubbed PoliTshirts by the organizer -- are not a new idea here.

Malela said that such T-shirts first gained popularity in 1978, with succession as the main theme.

It all started back then when University of Indonesia (UI) students and the Bandung Institute of Technology president wanted a new president. They wore T-shirts which stated (former Jakarta governor) Ali Sadikin, Why Not The Best, and Dicari President Baru (Looking for a New President).

It was during that time that UI activists created the logo We Are The Yellow Jackets to unite students.

Such T-shirts became more popular, and more designs were created. Malela remembered one: "A quote of (poet) Rendra's that I'll never forget, goes, 'Sangkar Besi Tidak Bisa Merubah Burung Garuda Jadi Burung Nuri' (A Cage Of Steel Will Not Change An Eagle Into A Parrot)."

As the idea developed, not only students but journalists and nongovernment activists also used T-shirts to express their political sentiments.

When the government banned three weeklies -- Tempo, Editor and DeTik -- in 1994, for example, Editor journalists created T- shirts stating: Jangan Takut Bicara Politik (Don't Be Afraid of Talking Politics).

The T-shirts, however, were not widely circulated.

More political T-shirts were printed during the election campaign last year.

According to Malela, most of the political T-shirts were not artistically interesting.

"Not much attention was paid to designs. What was important for them was that the T-shirts carried messages," Malela said.

Hermawan, a former student activist at the University of Indonesia, stressed that political T-shirts would be more effective if they were symbolic.

"Different colors, different designs, different inscriptions... however strong and meaningful the inscription, will only serve as political masturbation for the individual," Hermawan said.

"Making a statement was something like in the days of Corazon Aquino. A single yellow color, a simple design with her face on it was worn by thousands. The yellow itself stood for a symbol: Aquino."

He said that if Indonesian activists today wanted to make a statement with T-shirts, they have to come up with a single symbol, something which would be a definitive aim or goal.

"It could be a T-shirt with a neck below, sort of like hanging, or a T-shirt with one sleeve," he said laughingly.

Dialog organizer Tri Agus Siswowihardjo auctioned seven T- shirts at the talk. They fetched prices of between Rp 55,000 and Rp 115,000. The proceeds will partially go to activists who are in jail for their political expressions.

The T-shirts were part of 700 cream, gray and white T-shirts for sale at Teater Utan Kayu, for Rp 35,000 to Rp 40,000. Tri said that as of last weekend almost 300 had been sold.

Slogans screaming out from the T-shirts include: Ham Bukan Burger, Burger Ham 100% Haram (Ham -- the Indonesian acronym for human rights -- is not a burger, ham-burger is 100% forbidden); Burning Borneo, The Real Black Forest; Aku Cinta Rupiah, $umpah (I Love The Rupiah, I $wear); and Jangan Tanyakan Apa Yang Negara Berikan Padamu, Settt, Bertanya itu Subversif (Don't Ask What Your Country Can Do For You ... Questioning Is Subversive). (ylt/msa)