Hari Tri Wasono, Blitar – Thousands of members of the Islamic mass organisation Nahdlatul Ulama’s (NU) paramilitary youth wing Barisan Ansor Serbaguna (Banser) demonstrated in front of the Blitar regent’s office in East Java on Wednesday September 30 to commemorate the bloody September 30, 1965 affair
Screaming “slaughter the PKI” (Indonesian Communist Party), the protesters wearing stripped camouflage fatigues pledged to utterly destroy any reemergence of communist ideas, which are often referred to as the New Style Communists (KGB).
“Slaughter the PKI’s down to its roots”, said protest coordinator Nurmuchlisin during a speech.
The atmosphere became tense when Banser members began shouting “Allahu Akbar” (God is Great). The repeated recitations were followed by reverberations of the patriotic songs Gugur Bunga (Autumn Flowers) and Maju Tak Gentar (Onward Without Fear), which were played through a megaphone.
The chairperson of NU’s Blitar chapter of the Anshor Youth Movement (GP Anshor), Imron Rosadi, believes that a number of organisations and government institutions have been infiltrated by communist ideas.
This is because after metamorphosing into the KGB, he said, the PKI movement is no longer visibly agitating its ideas in society. “If the government remains silent, a civil war will erupt like in 1965” said Rosadi.
There are also indications of the rise of communism through workers from China who are thronging to Indonesia [looking for work]. This is because the Chinese Communist Party once held the reins of power and shifted the economic system from one of capitalism to socialism.
The communist movement in China has similarities with Indonesia, namely recruiting peasants as a basis of struggle. “Chinese workers must leave Indonesia”, said Rosadi.
Rosadi also slammed President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo plan to apologise to family members of the PKI who were victims of the 1965 affair. According to Rosadi, it would be inappropriate for PKI family members to receive an apology because they betrayed the nation.
During the action the Banser also set fire to flags with pictures of the hammer-and-sickle in the middle of the road.
Notes
Islamic mass organisations such as Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah played a significant part in the military led purge of alleged communists in the 1965-66 mass killings with many NU kiai (clerics) playing central roles in overseeing and directing the killings in coordination with military officers.
[Translated by James Balowski for the Indoleft News Service. The original title of the report was Pekik ‘Sembelih PKI’ Cekam Unjuk Rasa Banser di Blitar.]
