Jakarta – Participants at Sunday’s “Crush Communism Rally” in Jakarta from organisations such as the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI), the 212 Alumni Brotherhood (PA 212) and the National Movement to Safeguard the Indonesian Ulema Council’s Fatwa (GNPF-MUI), read out an anti-communist charter.
There were three points in the charter. One of these related to Trisila (three principles) and Ekasila (mutual cooperation) as embodied in the Draft Law on Pancasila Ideology Guidelines (RUU HIP) which is currently being deliberated by the House of Representatives (DPR).
The points read out by the Anti-Communist Militia Alliance include, that we will be the defenders of religion, the nation and the country, that we stand ready and shall prepare a holy battalion (jihad qital) to defend the basic tenants of Islam (aqidah Islam) and fight communist groups under the command of the ulama (Islamic leaders), that we stand ready and are prepared to safeguard the ulama from attacks by communist groups.
Then, that we stand ready and are prepared to confront Trisila and Ekasila which are intended to replace the state ideology of Pancasila and that we stand ready and are prepared to confront attacks from pro-communist black intelligence operations.
PA 212 General Chairperson Slamet Maarif said that the rally was a follow up from earlier efforts demanding the withdrawal of the RUU HIP from the DPR’s National Legislation Program (Prolegnas). The birth of this draft law, according to Maarif, will create disunity in the Indonesian nation.
“Our demand is for it to be withdrawn from the Prolegnas. We will continue to protest until the RUU [HIP] is withdrawn. We don’t want it postponed or the title changed. We will prepare even bigger actions”, said Maarif at the Ahmad Yani Square in Kebayoran Lama on Sunday July 5.
The RUU HIP has become the subject of a polemic and has been opposed by several parties, including Islamic ormas (social or mass organisation). Even the country’s peak religious body the Indonesia Ulama Council (MUI) issued a decree on Friday June 12 opposing the RUU HIP because they believe it degrades Pancasila through the concept of Trisila and Ekasila.
In response to this opposition, retired TNI (Indonesian military) and Polri (Indonesian police) officers led by Indonesia’s forth vice president, Try Sutrisno, have also called for the RUU HIP (Rancangan Undang-Undang Haluan Ideologi Pancasila) to be renamed the RUU Pembinaan Ideologi Pancasila (RUU PIP).
Sutrisno said that the retired military and police officers disagreed with the use of the term “haluan” (direction, course, orientation, guidelines) in the draft law’s name because it creates the impression that it regulates Pancasila under a law.
The ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) has also said that it agrees with the criticism by various social elements – including a proposal by the MUI – to abolish the articles which change the principle basis of Pancasila into Trisila and Ekasila.
PDI-P Secretary General Hasto Kristiyanto said that they have taken this position because the party has listened to all of the public’s wishes related to the polemic over the draft law.
“Thus with regard to the material contents found under Article 7 of the RUU HIP related to the basic principles of Pancasila as Trisila which is crystallised under Ekasila, the PDI-P agrees that it should be removed”, said Kristiyanto on July 14. (ryn/ugo)
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was “Peserta Apel Baca Ikrar Antikomunisme dan Singgung Trisila”.]
