Marhaen group protest against discrimination

Marhaen group protest against discrimination

JAKARTA (JP): Leaders of a mass organization, based on the
teachings of the late president Sukarno, protested yesterday the
government's discriminatory treatment of it.

Led by Sukmawati, Sukarno's third daughter, members of the
central executive board of the Marhaen People's Movement came to
lodge their protest with the House of Representatives.

No legislator was available to meet them as the house is
currently holding internal, closed, commission sessions.

Sukmawati, chairman Soenardi and other activists later tried
to file their protest with the National Commission on Human
Rights. But they also failed to meet with any official.

The leaders said their "activities have been hampered because
of the Minister of Home Affairs' failure in registering the
Marhaen People's Movement".

The organization was recently denied police permits, to hold a
gathering in North Sumatra, because it was considered illegal.

The activists said the group has not been included in the list
of 738 mass organizations that have been approved by the
government.

Sukmawati said her organization has met every condition
required of an organization, including a stipulation of Pancasila
as its sole ideology.

Sukarno established marhaenism, an ideology derived from the
principles of socio-nationalism and democracy, and later applied
it as the basis for his Indonesian Nationalist Party.

The party later merged with several Christian-based parties
and became the Indonesian Democratic Party, which is currently
chaired by Megawati, another of Sukarno's daughters.

Marhaen was the name of a poor farmer whom Sukarno met.

"If people say Marhaen does not recognize Pancasila, it's not
true," Sukmawati said. "Not only do we recognize Pancasila, we
also implement its principles, and defend it, and the 1945
Constitution." (swe)