The true face of communism
I would like to comment on the ongoing discussion concerning President Abdurrahman Wahid's call to revoke the ban on communism in Indonesia. Of course, in a democratic country the people must be given freedom of thought. If someone sympathizes with Karl Marx's communist ideology, he or she should be free to do so. However, it would be quite a different matter if Indonesian communists were allowed to organize themselves in a political party again, as the activities of such a party would almost certainly endanger the upholding of the constitution and eventually of Pancasila.
The ideology of Karl Marx, who was the founder of modern communism, has attracted and continues to attract intellectuals and even more poor all over the world. The idea of creating a "classless society" and distributing the wealth equally by taking it from the rich bourgeoisie and giving it to the poor, must sound particularly tempting for all those who are, or feel, disadvantaged or neglected by society.
It can be foreseen that this idea would find fruitful soil in Indonesia again, where the communist party (PKI) had about 20 million members in 1965. It is very likely that many would join a communist party nowadays as well, keeping in mind the serious problems, which Indonesia presently faces -- millions of jobless people because of the ongoing economic crisis, millions of poorly educated people who have never had a chance for political participation, and millions of people who continue to suffer from social injustice and widespread corruption.
Past events have shown that many of these people tend to be guided by strong emotions rather than by rational thinking when articulating their demands. Giving a green light to communist teaching in such a situation would be playing with fire, because it would certainly threaten the development of democracy, which is just starting to take roots in Indonesia. President Abdurrahman Wahid, whom I highly respect, should know that as well.
Today there are only four communist countries left in the world: China, North Korea, Vietnam and Cuba. The fact that all the other communist regimes have vanished speaks a clear message. They (communist countries) had no chance to survive because people were fed up with the so called "dictatorship of the proletariat" that brought nothing but misery and poverty to the people since the first communist state was established in Russia in 1917.
Wherever communism gained power, the countries virtually turned into jails. No communist country has ever experienced a free and democratic election, nor has any communist country ever allowed freedom of the press, freedom of opinion or expression, freedom of teaching or science, let alone freedom of religion. Every individual's movements are controlled by the government and the communist party; human rights and justice are trampled upon.
Cynically, communist rulers usually call their states a "paradise of the working class".
Hundreds of brave people were shot like mad dogs when they tried to escape one of those "paradises" -- the former communist ruled "Peoples Republic of Germany". When people in East Germany (1953), Hungary (1956) and Czechoslovakia (1968) took to the streets to struggle for their freedom, Russian tanks crushed their demands brutally.
And one should not forget the mass murderers Stalin, Caucescu and Pol Pot -- each responsible for the deaths of millions of innocent people for the victory of communism. History has proven communism to be synonymous with evil. Therefore it should be sent to the place where it belongs - to hell.
HILDE MAY
Jakarta