'More like a demonstration than an election campaign'
By Edward Johnstone and Karen Fredericks
SOLO — The centre of the city of Solo in Central Java is a burnt-out shell, ravaged by anti-Chinese riots orchestrated by the military in its desperate efforts to deflect the population's anger in May 1998. On May 31, 1999, a rather more constructive force wound its way through these streets — a "long march" of People's Democratic Party (PRD) members on their final official campaign day.
At 10am a lively group of some 250 students, workers and urban poor assembled on the street outside the central Solo office of the PRD.
Led by their fearless and highly respected organiser, Ulin, they solemnly pledged themselves to the PRD's struggle for "people's socialism" and warmed up for the chants and songs they would keep up throughout the day: "End the dual function of the military" and "If you want a revolution, clap your hands" (to the tune of if you're happy and you know it ...) as well as the moving "Hymn of Blood".
PRD flags, banners, T-shirts and bandanas, many of them homemade, demanded freedom for East Timor, Aceh and West Papua, repeal of the dual function of the military and the release of all political prisoners. Amongst the marchers were a large number of high school and even junior school students and a young woman organiser of workers aged only 17. PRD leaflets pasted all over the city proclaimed the presence of this energetic crew wherever one looked.
On the megaphone was chant leader and agitator Faizin, a student activist, who had that morning received his second letter from the police requiring his attendance at the police station to answer charges of organising an illegal demonstration against armed forces chief General Wiranto on May 16.
He and four other student leaders participated in a demonstration of 500 people, largely students, against the military's campaign of terror in the province of Aceh. The crowd blockaded the street along which the general's motorcade was scheduled to pass, causing grave embarrassment to the authorities.
"The mass media are reporting that military operations have ceased in Aceh and have repeated ABRI's [the military's] claim that they are only staying there to 'protect the people'. This is a lie", he told us.
"The killings continue. Aceh is a killing field because the military is committed to protecting the interests of the mining and forestry corporations which steal the oil, gas and timber which should belong to the Acehnese. We demonstrated to expose the hypocrisy of Wiranto and to call for an end to the military's role in politics."
The summons states that Faizin will be charged with an offence against Political Regulation no. 9, which provides that a permit must be obtained from ABRI three days in advance before a demonstration can take place.
Faizin told us that he and the other three would ignore the summons because they do not recognise Political Regulation 9. "It is a stupid law", he said. "We will have a demonstration when we like."
This absolute disdain for the military and the government was also evident in the "election campaign" rally.
First stop was a military hospital, where Faizin and others denounced ABRI as "rapists and murderers" and emphasised the political and social role of the military as the key block to democracy in Indonesia.
On several street corners "freelance intel agents" surreptitiously photographed the activists. The government apparently pays around Rp50,000 (10 times the minimum daily wage) for each such photograph.
During one stop, a man who identified himself as a police officer demanded to see our passports. Ulin told him to leave us alone and he complied meekly.
Onlookers were leafleted with propaganda outlining the PRD's emergency program, a call either to join the students and the people in boycotting the election or to vote for the PRD, and a copy of a "memorandum" which the rally intended to serve on the Solo office of the attorney general.
The PRD is the only party in these first multi-party elections in Indonesia for more than 40 years to produce and distribute an action program. Other parties rail against corruption and the status quo and proclaim a new beginning, but none will put their program into writing for the masses to assess. Only the PRD has done this.
After four hours the "long march" reached the regional office of the Attorney General's Department. Here Ulin presented the district representative of the department with the memorandum containing a list of demands, including for the release of all political prisoners and for Suharto to be put on trial for his crimes against the people during his 32-year reign.
The braided and be-medalled bureaucrat, flanked by his juniors and a smattering of plain-clothes intel officers (one with a video camera), spoke limply in reply of the importance of "ethics". The crowd snorted and howled in derision.
Ulin introduced us to the official, who politely asked us our nationality and shook our hands. An immigration official was not so pleased, however, when we delivered greetings from the Democratic Socialist Party and congratulated the PRD for its leadership role in the overthrow of Suharto.
"According to regulations, tourists cannot speak", he told us sternly. "Do not campaign!"
"That is a stupid law!", said Ulin, urging us to continue our greetings, which we did. The officials stood by helplessly.
Humiliated by the attitude of the PRD members, the officials spoke instead to the attendant media. The following day the Jateng Pos quoted ministry officials as stating that the PRD should be excluded from the elections for its "illegal" involving of foreigners in its campaign. "This is more like a demonstration than a campaign", they complained.
After giving greetings, we were hustled away by PRD security, safely ensconced in the middle of the crowd, then bundled into a taxi. We waved goodbye to the comrades and sped off to the train station. Fifteen minutes later, we were startled by the "beep beep" of a motorcycle horn beside the taxi. It was a PRD escort making sure we were safely out of the clutches of Imigrasi.