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Poet's disappearance 16 years ago poses uncomfortable questions
Jakarta Globe - April 1, 2014
Those voices can't be
imprisoned
There lies freedom
If you force silence
I will prepare for you:
Rebellion
These two verses, part of a poem called "Sajak Suara" ("Voice Poetry"), were written by Wiji Thukul in 1986, more than a decade before he went missing, allegedly kidnapped by the authorities in 1998.
Wiji was among the more prominent voices in the mass protests that eventually led to the downfall of the strongman Suharto and his New Order regime, but had for years before that historic incident been speaking out against the violent methods employed by the state to silence its critics and stifle freedom of expression.
His poem "Peringatan" ("Warning") ended with the call "Hanya ada satu kata: Lawan!" ("There is only one word: Resist!"), which became the rallying cry of the student protesters who in May 1998 forced Suharto's resignation.
Wiji was part of those tumultuous times, but wasn't around to witness the outcome. He remains missing to this day, having last been seen at a demonstration in Tangerang in April 1998, 16 years ago this month. But despite his great influence as a poet and activist, few Indonesians know of him, and there have been few calls pushing for an investigation into his disappearance.
If anything, the reform-era authorities seem to be trying to erase Wiji's legacy from history, human rights activists and experts argue. But now, voices seeking the truth have emerged.
"His poems are being read again in many places across the country, while his causes and services to the country have been highlighted again," says Ikrar Nusa Bhakti, a senior researcher at the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI).
The Asean Literary Festival in Jakarta last month took one of Wiji's poems as its theme and dedicated a whole session to discuss his works and life story. The festival also honored him with the Asean Literary Award.
Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa, in his opening speech at the festival, praised Wiji as a man who fought against injustice. "It is therefore fitting and proper that on this opening night, the Asean Literary Award is presented to the family of the late Wiji Thukul, a poet, musician and man of the theater who brought to the consciousness of his readers and his audiences not only an appreciation of the splendor of art, but also of their inalienable right to social justice," he said.
It marked the first time any official, let alone a minister, had ever mentioned or acknowledged Wiji's contribution to the country in an official speech in front of a national and international audience.
Ikrar said the award showed that Wiji had finally won his due recognition not just in Indonesia but also in the region. Wiji, the son of a pedicab driver, was born on Aug. 24, 1963, in Solo. He grew up in a poor area in Central Java with a limited education. He worked as a day laborer, and his companions were factory workers and street hawkers.
Yet his struggle on behalf of the working class allowed him to produce honest poems. His work reflected the lives of many and became critical observations of life during the New Order era.
Wiji spent a good deal of his life campaigning against poverty and oppression. During the New Order era, he was known as an outspoken pro-democracy poet and activist, best known for the closing line in the poem "Peringatan."
Through his poems, he defended the oppressed and shared their struggle. In December 1995, he almost lost an eye after security forces beat him while he was protesting with textile workers in Solo.
He was also a member of Jaringan Kerja Kesenian Rakyat, or the Working People's Art Network, affiliated with the left-wing People's Democratic Party, or PRD. Then on July 27, 1996, tragedy struck. The truth behind the incident remains unclear even today, but it started with Wiji being accused of being involved in a riot. He went into hiding, remaining in contact with friends until 1998, when he re-emerged again to join the anti-Suharto protests.
Many have expressed hope that the renewed interest in Wiji's life and works will prompt an official investigation into his fate and those of other prominent rights activists such as Munir Said Thalib, who was poisoned in 2004, and Fuad Muhammad Syafruddin, known as Udin, a journalist known for his sharp criticism of Suharto and the military, who was beaten to death in 1996.
The country is also haunted by a string of unresolved rights abuse cases, such as the 1965-66 purge of suspected communist sympathizers, the Talangsari and Lampung massacres of civilians in 1989, and the Tanjung Priok shootings in North Jakarta in 1984, as well as the shootings of student protesters in Jakarta in 1998 – all allegedly carried out by the military.
There was also the policy of extra-judicial killings, called Petrus, in the 1980s, which saw thousands of criminals and alleged criminals executed and left on the streets, in rivers or in gutters.
"We should push for investigations into those cases and shed light on what happened and who was responsible. As a nation, we should no longer tolerate impunity," said Hendardi, a rights activist.
As the country prepares to elect a new president on July 9, Ikrar said all candidates must come clean on these issues. He said Prabowo Subianto, the candidate from the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra), who was discharged from the Army for his unit's role in kidnapping protesters, must publicly address the accusations against him. "We never know anything because nobody explains it," Ikrar said. "Who's going to be trusted?"
Source: http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/poets-disappearance-16-years-ago-poses-uncomfortable-questions/.
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