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)