For
more than 30 years subsequent to 1965 G30S abortive coup, the government
had discriminated PKI members and
their descendants from others. All ex-PKI members had their identity cards
labeled with ‘ET’ (ex-political prisoners) code which made them almost
impossible to get a formal job or enroll in higher education.
Furthermore, as every citizen should get a ‘G30S free’ record from the police
office, PKI descendants face similar obstacles. Worst come worst, most people still
stigmatized them as reprobates and just about segregated them from the rest of society.
Nobody, however,
blamed such a harsh policy. How could it be? People at that time were extremely traumatic
about what PKI did beforehand. Since 1960 PKI raised political tension by provoking
their adversaries using slogans ‘seven city-devils’ and ‘seven village-devils’.
Almost every day they provoked and created conflicting incidents and polarity
among citizens. And it reached a climax when they murdered top-level generals
at the night of 30 September 1965 using Tjakrabirawa hands.
And all the sudden the
hell broke loose. By then PKI movement was totally losing its morality ground.
People saw that it was PKI who the real monster and was eligible to be scrapped
from the earth. People were still traumatic from PKI brutality in 1948 where
PKI slaughtered many of its adversaries. People ran amok and for many, it was a
matter of to be or not to be. The bloodshed was spread out but now the victims
were PKI members. The anger towards PKI deed was so widespread that eventually, the government banned PKI followed by MPR’s decree banning the communist
ideology throughout the country for good.
Now 50 years later,
there are always people who take lightly PKI latent danger. There are even some
who are still doubtful about the role of PKI behind the incident and allege the
movement was TNI internal conflict. There is a growing demand especially from PKI
descendants for justice and the government’s apology for ‘1965 genocide’ against
PKI members. The movement was supported and facilitated by the National Human
Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) demanding
for national reconciliation. One of the proponents was Nursyahbani
Katjasungkana, a noted lawyer, who went further by submitting the issue to International Tribunal Court in Den
Haag last year in order to attract international attention.
Lt. Gen. (ret.)
Agus Widjojo Sutoyo, on the other side, had an idealistic move by broadening the
scope establishing the so-called Brotherhood Forum for Nation
Descendant Generation in 2003 aimed to reconcile both
opposite sides who felt victims of either in G30S, DII / TII or PRRI
rebellions. However, when he organized a symposium a few months ago, most
attendants were PKI descendants and sympathizers. Ironically, this even caused
him being accused as PKI proponent albeit his father General Sutoyo was one of
PKI victims fiercely dumped into the crocodile pit.
Having done that, instead
of gaining sympathy from the grand public, the reaction towards the movement of
PKI descendants were furious. They made the sleeping hard-liner factions mainly
from Islamic factions wide awake.
Here are a few of the
examples:
At Islamic Student
Association of Indonesia (PII) Grand Reunion in Denpasar, last year, Director
of CICS, Arukat DJ stated that PKI latent danger has bounced back
metamorphosing anywhere. The new shape of the communist organization has undergone many
changes. They started to openly voice their interests, not in a humble gathering
but holding instead meetings in luxurious hotels. Historically, PKI revolts in
1948 and 1965 caused a lot of casualties and, therefore, any demand asking for
the government’s apology must be rejected. People in East Java will be the first
to oppose it, he concluded.
The Front of Islamic
People (FUI) released their harsh reaction voicing their seven demands, among
others:
- PKI movements and casualties resulted from them must be regarded not only starting from 1965 but also from 1946.
- Defense Minister should introduce Ideology Resilience as a curriculum, particularly putting stress on the danger of communist ideology.
- Involve Islamic scholars and students of Islamic Dormitory School for State Defense Program.
- End the discourse of government apology to PKI.
- Halt the search for mass graves and declare PKI as the perpetrator of crimes against humanity.
- The government should instruct TVRI to re-broadcast the G30S/PKI movement movie annually as before.
Indonesia
University historian, Abdurakhman, reminds those historical events are part of the learning
process and the G30S/PKI tragedy was no exception. The important thing is not relating
to the commemoration of the event but on how the learning process can be drawn from
it. People should comprehend the values of Pancasila not just merely knowing them.
Meanwhile Minister
of Defense Ryamizard Ryacudu strongly reminds that PKI has a harmful insidious
ideology and its school of thoughts and associated symbols must be eradicated.
The history demonstrates that the existence of PKI always caused political upheaval
and bloodshed spread everywhere. No PKI resurgence could be tolerated and for
good.
Lesson learned. The
G30S tragedy and the PKI fate should be closed in the sense that it becomes a
historical part of the nation building. The reconciliation should be considered
as being done. Nobody now discriminates PKI members or their descendants, no
further card identity labeling and no further free-G30S record needed. Everybody
should understand the universal order of cause and effect. The victims
were not only from PKI sides but also from its adversaries. To demand the
government’s apology will only create a political uproar. Socially, but not
historically, everybody should forget tragedies that now become the past and
look forward to a better future.
