Jakarta – Islamic organisations from the National Anti-Communist Alliance (Anak NKRI) protesting the Draft Law on Pancasila Ideology Guidance (RUU HIP) set fire to a hammer-and-sickle flag – with is identified with communism – during protest in front of the House of Representatives (DPR) complex in Jakarta on Wednesday June 24.
The flag burning was a symbol of their opposition to the revival of communist ideology that they claim is being accommodated in the RUU HIP which was drafted by the DPR.
The flag burnt by the demonstrators had a red background with a picture of a hammer-and-sickle in the middle. The symbol is identified with the banned Indonesian Communist Party (PKI).
The burning of the PKI flag was accompanied by shouts of overthrow Indonesian President Joko Widodo who they believe has contributed to the revival of the PKI which has been included in the DPR’s deliberations of the draft law.
The demonstrators suspect that the draft law accommodates the revival of the PKI because People’s Consultative Assembly Decree (TAP MPRS) Number XXV/1965 on the on the dissolution of the PKI and prohibitions on Marxist, Leninist and communist teachings is not included in the consideration section of the law.
They also object to the concept of Pancasila being high-jacked and turned into Trisila (three principles) and Ekasila (mutual cooperation) as embodied in Article 7 of the law.
In a speech, action coordinator Edy Mulyadi said that Trisila represents a manifestation of the concept of Nationalism, Religion and Communism (nasakom) which was taken up by Indonesia’s founding president Sukarno. While Ekasila represents a manifestation of neo-communism.
Mulyadi also demanded that the political parties which designed the RUU HIP be disbanded and that the police immediately arrest the initiator of the draft law.
The RUU HIP is an initiative of the DPR which is fully supported by seven political party factions in the parliament. The Islamic based Justice and Prosperity Party (PKS) meanwhile supports it with certain provisos and the Democrat Party has withdrawn from the deliberations on the law.
A number of political parties have asked that the RUU HIP include the TAP MPRS on the dissolution of the PKI and prohibitions on communist teachings in the considerations section. The factions in the DPR have also asked that the concept of Trisila and Ekasila be removed. (thr/bmw/ugo)
[Translated by James Balowski. The National Anti-Communist Alliance group was cited in a separate CNN article on the same day about many participants at the action not being aware of what the protest was about. The original title of the article was “Massa Tolak RUU HIP Bakar Bendera Palu Arit di Depan DPR”.]
