Tsarina Maharani, Jakarta – Tommy Suharto’s Working Party (Partai Berkarya) has spoken out about communism – which is banned in Indonesia – in relation to the seizure of books deemed to contain communist ideas in Padang on January 8. The party says that groups who are against former President Suharto are pro-communist.
“We have learnt from history, taken what is good, and we will press on with the ideals of our nation’s leader. We are a group whose focus is a reflection of the thoughts of Pak [Mr] Harto who was anti-communist. There are also groups who are against Pak Harto, meaning that it can be concluded that they are pro-communist. We have a country and national laws. If a state has mengharamkan [to proscribe something under Islamic law] communist ideas, then we are obliged to defend that decision”, Working Party central leadership board (DPP) chairperson Andi Badarudin Picunang told journalists on Thursday January 10.
According to Picunang, all citizens are obliged to mengharamkan communist ideas because they are proscribed in Provisional People’s Consultative Assembly Decree (TAP MPRS) Number XXV/1966 on the Dissolution of the Indonesian Communist Party and Prohibitions on Marxist, Leninist and Communist Teachings
Picunang however is unwilling for the Working Party to be linked to the revival of the New Order (Orba) regime. He says that many Working Party members are activists and reformists.
“For the Working Party, as a parpol [political party] whose ideology is based on Pak Harto’s ideas, of course we don’t feel we’re in the firing line as a group which wants a return of the Orba regime”, he said.
“It’s not the regime that we want to bring back, but the spirit of development, a discourse on the development trilogy (stability, growth and even distribution) which now and in the future is needed by our nation. But of course with highly skilled SDM [human resources] in their fields and in accordance with the demands of the period”, continued Picunang. (tsa/tor)
Notes
Founded and led Tommy Suharto – the youngest son of Indonesia’s former dictator Suharto – the Working Party is one of the coalition of parties backing former General Prabowo Subianto’s presidential bid. In 2002. Tommy was was sentenced to 15 years in prison – although he served only four years – for ordering the murder of Supreme Court judge Syafiuddin Kartasasmita who had convicted him on corruption charges.
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was “Berkarya: Yang Anti-Pak Harto Bisa Disimpulkan Prokomunis”.]
Source: https://news.detik.com/berita/4379525/berkarya-yang-anti-pak-harto-bisa-disimpulkan-prokomunis
