Jakarta Gubernatorial candidate Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama occupied his weekend watching the film Let the Words Rest (Istirahatlah Kata-Kata). Ahok said that the film about poet Wiji Thukul is an important part of the history of Suharto’s New Order regime.

“This film is about the past authoritarian historical period and we can learn from his kindred”, said Ahok after watching the film at the Block M Square in South Jakarta on Sunday January 22.

Ahok related how although Wiji Thukul has been declared missing, to this day his wife still believes that he will return home.

“I think this is the voice of the struggle of a person who was sincere. I think this is a very good film to watch so we can know about history before the fall of the New Order. We can see how Wiji Thukul’s story fits in here”, said Ahok.

Wiji Thukul was an activist who was disappeared in 1998. The film Let the Words Rest relates the story of the fugitive poet who fled to Pontianak, West Kalimantan, when he was being hunted down by the New Order, up until he was declared missing.

Notes

Street performer and poet, People’s Democratic Party (PRD) member Wiji Thukul disappeared in February 1998. It is suspected he was a victim of the military abductions along with other activists which disappeared in Solo (Central Java). The bodies of Thukul and three other PRD activists have never been found and they are presumed dead. Prior to his election, in June 2014 President Joko Widodo said that cases of missing persons should be solved immediately so that the country can look to a better future, adding that he knew Thukul well and he has to be found in whatever condition. Since being elected, his administration has made no attempt to fulfill this pledge.

[Translated by James Balowski for the Indoleft News Service. The original title of the report was Ahok soal Wiji Thukul: Ini Perjuangan Orang yang Punya Hati.]

Source: https://kumparan.com/muhamad-iqbal/ahok-soal-wiji-thukul-ini-perjuangan-orang-yang-punya-hati