Sept. 30 tragedy

Sept. 30 tragedy

From Suara Karya

On Sept. 30 the local military district office and I were the
few that still hoisted the national flag at half-mast in
conjunction with the commemoration of Sept. 30 tragedy (the
abortive communist coup attempt).

Even the provincial legislative assembly building and the
secretariats of two major parties did not hoist the national flag
at half-mast.

This tragedy has been increasingly forgotten, deliberately or
otherwise. On the other hand, in one television dialog a short
while ago, a speaker raised the issue of this tragedy, a move
presumably to ensure we did not forget.

The historical fact is that on that fateful day, two groups
were in conflict and this conflict led to bloodshed. One group
became the winner and the other, the loser.

Later the winning group, the New Order, dramatized the event
and edited its scenario. This is quite natural because history is
subjective.

The point to remember is that the Sept. 30 Movement in 1965
was not a fantasy. Even the Madiun Affair in 1948 was a
historical fact and must not be removed from our history. Of
course, you should not exaggerate when talking about a particular
historical event, whether you are for or against it.

IMAM NAWAWI
Serang, Banten