M. Rizal Maslan, Jakarta – Scores of people from the East Java Alliance to Combat New Style Communism (SPKGB) protested at the offices of the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) on Tuesday April 29.

In addition to demanding that the Komnas HAM 1965-1966 Ad Hoc Investigation Team be disbanded, they also set fire to red flags with pictures of the hammer and sickle and the words PKI – the banned Indonesian Communist Party.

The protest began at 10.20am with a 500 meter march to the Komnas HAM offices on Jl. Latuharhary in the Menteng area of Central Java. Upon arriving at the offices, the 50 or so people immediately began giving speeches.

They also brought banners and posters with messages such as “Disband…!!! The ‘65 PKI-Komnas HAM Conspiracy Ad Hoc Team”, “Forbidden!!! Communists and their Defenders, Long Live Pancasila”, “Komnas HAM is not the PKI’s Political Vehicle”, “The Years 1948-1965 = Murderers and Rebels, the people and the TNI-Polri [Indonesian military-National police] are ready to exterminate them”.

During the action, protesters also trampled on red-coloured flags with pictures of the hammer and sickle and the words “PKI” in written in yellow. They then set fire to PKI flags while singing the patriotic song “Indonesia Raya”.

SPKGB coordinator Imanan said that this is the forth time that they have protested at the Komnas HAM offices asking for clarification about disbanding the ad hoc team. The reason being he said, was because they believe Komnas HAM prefers to side with the interests of those victims who are ipso facto former members of, or people involved in the PKI.

“What about the victims of the PKI’s brutality at the time, the governor and regional police chief in East Java at the time were killed, kiai [Islamic teachers] were also murdered, where was Komnas HAM [then]”, he screamed.

After holding negotiations with police, representatives of the protesters were received by Komnas HAM’s deputy chair for internal affairs M. Ridha Saleh in the public complaints office. Speaking emotionally, they used the opportunity to convey to Saleh their disillusionment with Komnas HAM and explain their position and experiences of the PKI’s brutality.

Unable to receive a satisfactory response from Saleh, immediately after the dialoged finished they closed the front gate and sealed it off with lengths of wood and posters reading “The Komnas HAM offices have been sealed off by the anti-communist community because Komnas HAM has violated human rights”. Before leaving, they covered the Komnas HAM office fence with the banners and poster condemning the PKI. (zal/ana)

[Abridged translation by James Balowski from two articles in Detik.com dated April 29.]