>From: "Alan Bradley" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Status: > >This is an article printed in the latest copy of Green Left Weekly. >http://www.greenleft.org.au > > >Popularising Marxism in Indonesia > >Since the coming to power of Indonesia's brutal New Order regime in 1965, >discussion and dissemination of Marxist ideas has been banned in Indonesia. >However, on November 20, 200 students and activists gathered at the Bandung >Institute of Technology campus for a seminar on the ideas of Karl Marx and >their relevance in Indonesia. Green Left Weekly's EDI RUSLAN spoke with >SUDIARTO, a student activist from the Bandung-based Indonesian Student >Movement for Change (GMIP) and an organiser of the seminar. > >�The academic study of Marxist ideas is now legal in Indonesia�, explained >Sudiarto. �However, in practice, a genuine study of Marxism has not been >possible.� > >For the last 32 years, the people of Indonesia have faced a barrage of >propaganda from the regime warning against �the danger of latent >communism�. Marxism is always identified with the communism of the >Indonesian Communist Party (PKI), which was smashed under General Suharto's >government (around 1 million PKI members and sympathisers were killed) and >subsequently banned. > >�Every opposition power towards the New Order regime�, Sudiarto explained, >�is oppressed by being labelled extreme right, reactionary Islamic, or >extreme left, communist.� > >This tactic was used by the Suharto regime in its efforts to justify the >banning of the People's Democratic Party (PRD) in 1996. Several PRD members >were tried for subversion and jailed. > >The PRD was accused of being the mastermind behind riots that occurred on >July 27, 1996. �The accusation that the PRD adheres to communist ideology >was propagated by the regime to kill the strength of the pro-democracy >movement in Indonesia�, stated Sudiarto. > >Student movement > >With the fall of Suharto, accompanied by a political liberalisation, the >discussion of left-wing ideas has greatly increased, although the >continuing grip of the Indonesian armed forces on political life still >intimidates activists. Sudiarto explained that, at their actions, student >organisations almost always proclaim a left-wing program and �can be heard >to yell `revolusi' with their left fist raised�. > >The November 20 seminar on Marxism featured speakers Franz Magnis-Suseno, a >senior lecturer at the Driyarkara Senior School of Philosophy, and Haris >Rusli Moti, national chairperson of the PRD. Magnis is the author of The >Ideas Of Karl Marx: from Utopian Socialism to the Dispute about >Revisionism, the first book about Marxism published in the era of the New >Order. > >The event was organised by the Political Economy and History Study Club at >the Bandung Institute of Technology, the Social Movement and Analysis Group >at the Senior School of Technology, and the National Technology Institute >Student Association in Bandung. These three study clubs were initiated by >student movement committees in Bandung which are affiliated to the National >Students League for Democracy. Sudiarto explained, �The study clubs see >their role as `legal organisations', able to operate with greater freedom >and access to facilities on the campuses, for propagating democratic >socialist ideas�. > >The seminar was attended by 200 people, including students from campuses >other than the three where there are study clubs. �Student enthusiasm was >very high�, Sudiarto told Green Left Weekly. �However, from the discussion >it was evident that comprehension about Marxism amongst students in still >confused. Marxism is still misinterpreted as the practice of Marxism in the >former Soviet Union, which was distorted by Stalin.� This form of socialism >�was characterised by repression of political freedom and the dominance of >state bureaucracy�, Sudiarto pointed out. > >Sudiarto explained, �In the student bodies themselves there are many that >still have a false understanding of Marxism. Many students question the >relevance of the theories of Karl Marx to the modern era, arguing that >ideas about class struggle put forward by Marx have not come true.� The >ideas of European social democracy, as expressed in Anthony Giddens' book >The Third Way, have gained influence with many students. > >Religion > >Other students, coming from an Islamic perspective, sought to discredit >Marxism by claiming that it �is just `rhetoric' because Marx never intended >to analyse religion�, said Sudiarto. However, Marx's statement that >`religion is the opiate of the masses' must be understood in relation to >Marx's commentary about the ideas of Feuerbach about the evolution of >religion. > >�Islam, if seen from an historical perspective, represented opposition >towards the economic system of slavery in the Arabic peninsula. Yet, in the >course of history, Islam developed into many variations and was finally >coopted by feudal-monarchic power.� > >Sudiarto said that, while the Islamic religion has a strong hold on student >consciousness (and the consciousness of people in general in Indonesia), >�there are many examples of Muslim activists who have chosen a leftist >course in struggling against class oppression�. He cited the example of >Haris, who was formerly a leading activist in the Islamic Students >Association in Yogyakarta (a right-wing student organisation). > >Sudiarto argued that it is essential for left-wing students to begin >campaigning for support for Marxist ideas. �From the position of the >student movement, Marxism is a real alternative ... because history >indicates that it is left-wing/Marxist movements that are most consistent >in fighting the oppression of the people, such as the workers' and farmers' >movement organised by Red Sarekat Islam (SI-Merah) and the PKI. > >�The student movement, without joining with the masses, will only produce >change at the level of the political elite, without changing the political >and economic structure on the scale that is needed. > >�The new government of Gus Dur has promised democratisation. Unless we can >awaken in the people a determination to reopen the gates to a democratic >revolution, talk of democratisation will remain hollow rhetoric. >Popularising Marxist ideas, which still remain taboo, is an important step >in this direction.� > > __________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki - Finland +358-40-7177941, fax +358-9-7591081 e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.kominf.pp.fi ___________________________________ [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe/unsubscribe messages to [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___________________________________
