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Government must provide security for 1965 public discussions: NGOs
Jakarta Post - October 26, 2015
Wahyudi Djafar, a researcher at the Institute for Policy Research and Advocacy (ELSAM) said that President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's administration had not been firm in taking the initiative to settle issues relating to the communist purge that took place in 1965 to 1966.
He said that this contradicted Jokowi's promise of fair and dignified closure to the incident, as stated in his administration's Nawa Cita (nine programs).
"The President must use all state instruments to provide security to citizens who are taking the initiative in their own way to start giving closure of the 1965-1966 tragedy through actions including film screenings, discussions, reviews, grassroots reconciliation and meetings between victims and the younger generations that could be the core foundation of formal settlement from the State," Wahyudi told thejakartapost.com on Monday.
The initiatives, he said, showed the public spirit to understand and acknowledge the truth of Indonesia's dark past.
ELSAM is one of the 50 civilians and victims organizations under the Coalition for Justice and Disclosure of the Truth (KKPK) that has urged Jokowi to settle human rights violations that occurred during the communist purge in the mid sixties.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the massacre that is believed to have killed up to 1 million civilians. Elsam has recorded at least 27 events related to the 1965 communist repression that have faced restrictions and bans in the last year.
The events include 17 film screenings and discussions, four cases of forced dismissal of meetings of victims, three cases of intimidation; three cases of deportation and forceful arrest and one magazine recall.
Student magazine Lentera of the Satya Wacana Christian University's (UKSW) School of Social and Communication Sciences was last week withdrawn from circulation for publishing an issue that focused on the 1965 massacre.
The latest censorship took aim at the organizers of the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival, which canceled a session dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the 1965 tragedy after receiving pressure from local authorities.
Authorities have also banned Joshua Oppenheimer's two films, The Act of Killing and The Look of Silence from being screened publicly.
The restrictions mainly came from state agencies, especially the police and military, according to ELSAM's data.
"This shows that there are systematic and centralized orders [to censor 1965-related events]. There are certain parties reluctant to settle the 1965 case and worried about the rise of public initiatives," Wahyudi said.
He said that 17 years after the reform era began, there has not been any formal effort from the government to give closure to the human rights violations.
"The victims remain prone to discrimination and stigma, causing them not to have the same freedom as other citizens. With no formal and comprehensive closure to the case, it is difficult for social reintegration," he said.
US senator Tom Udall introduced a resolution to the US Senate urging Jokowi to create a truth and reconciliation commission to address the tragedy, which he called "the worst mass atrocities in Indonesia history". Udall's resolution also called on the US government to establish an interagency working group and to release relevant classified documents. (rin)
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