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Our Tasks – The People's Struggle Weekly
Weekly newsletter of the People’s Democratic Party – Edition Number 1, January 2003
By Roy Septa Abimanyu
Before the people, Indonesia has become a country where unrest has become the language of the people, an increasingly choking suffering, and uncertainty for change in a better direction. Year after year passes, leaders come and are replaced, but at no point has any government which has come to power since the fall of former President Suharto has been able to overcome the crisis.
President Megawati Sukarnoputri and Vice-President Hamzah Haz have been in power for more than a year, but it has only become an added burden to the people’s suffering. From the beginning, the administration swore an oath that it was ready to accept the policies of neoliberalism, which for the people means increases in the prices of basic goods, a reduction in their incomes, and an increasingly high cost of living, subsidies for the rich are increased and the people’s assets are sold off at bargain prices to pay for a debt inherited from the corrupt government.
With the full support of the People’s Representative Assembly/People’s Consultative Assembly (DPR/MPR) and the military, the government prepared the machine called the “Letter of Intent” to crush the people, condemning the poor, the majority of people to poverty. Behind the words about a delay in the implementation or reforms to the constitution, the laws on the Establishment of Protection for Labour and the Resolution of Industrial Disputes, increases in the price of fuel, electricity and telephone rates, the Broadcasting Law, the Anti-Terrorist Legislation and so on, nothing is said about paying attention to the conditions of the people, as if each protest by the people is just a problem of misunderstanding. It was already clear in 2002 and even more so at the beginning of 2003, that the people are sick of the political elite, both the executive and those in the national and regional parliaments. The authorities do not care about the people, only later will they need them in the lead-up to the election, such is the theater of democracy at the moment.
The Megawati-Hamzah regime is also moving closer to the reactionary groups in the leadership of the armed forces (TNI) and the police. And the international situation is very supportive of this. The War against Terrorism, [is being waged] without any proof as to who is the real terrorist is. All the different wings of the military and police came together in a paraded broadcast on television to show which of them already had an anti-terrorist unit. The militarists also – civil and military – have not been left behind in pushing for an anti-terrorist regulation, and certainly they have not forgotten the business prospects from the purchase of security equipment for the military and civilians who are already glowing at the prospect of more profits. On the other hand, the cultivators of the reactionary groups, that is the US who in past intelligence operations cultivated terrorist groups who now operate under the flag of religion, behave as if they don’t know anything about it and are now enemies with the forces they themselves created under the guise of saving human society. Without taking any heed, they arrest those figures who in the past were their intimate friends.
We cannot deny that the political chessboard in 2002 was a part of preparations by the Indonesian political and economic elite to confront the two most important issues for them: The ASIAN Free Trade Area 2003 and the 2004 general elections. In both these important events a fruit of terror awaits us. A situation complicated by the internationalisation of capital power, the destruction of the national productive forces and the race to obtain political access and funds in preparation for the 2004 elections. A three part combination which will plunder the interests and the assets of the people, a power which will cast the people into greater poverty and suffering. It is clear that this will not bring Indonesia out of the crisis, but instead push Indonesia in to a deeper crisis.
The economic conditions indicate a dead-end, as a result of the failure of the Indonesian political and economic elite to formulate a solution to the crisis which can provide hope for a better way. Certainly the government has tried to convince the people that the economic conditions are improving, while in reality the small improvements which have occurred (such as the increase in the price of oil, the slight strengthening in the value of the rupiah) are a result of external factors which are not related to government policy and could easily be reversed. Aside from this, no fundamental evidence has been found to indicate that Indonesia and recovered from the crisis. In fact the data indicates that this dead-end will only be dashed against a new crisis, most of which will be as a result of the neoliberal polices of the government itself.
Before us, the inability of the entire political and economic elite and the military to bring Indonesia out of this crisis is obvious to see. Maintaining them, means sacrificing the interests of the people for sake the ambition to achieve an economic relationship which is integrated with the power of capital which will plunder this nation. What is the task of the democratic movement in showing how to build a new and better government.
A rickshaw driver, or a factory worker who has just been sacked, will obviously ask, how can a new and better government be created. Perhaps another question people might ask is who is capable of bringing the people out of this crisis. Many people try to answer this by championing house speaker Amien Rais, or maintain that Mega-Haz be given another chance, even perhaps idealising the military as the saviors of the nation. Wrong! Don’t swallow the cheap tricks of the civilian and political elite who hypnotize the people and arrogantly pretend to be close to the people.
They are all the same, there are no significant differences, they only compete with each other to insult each other as a political investment to win the presidency in the 2004 elections. Winning the presidency is extremely important for them because aside from the high wages the office provides an opportunity to plunder the assets and wealth more openly. But will they bring Indonesia out of the crisis, just look at the birth of anti-people policies which cannot be separated from their roles, go ahead and examine who they are exactly. All of them racing to become domestic agents of foreign investors to obtain tip-bits of capital for their businesses and themselves. Or just look at the absolute lack of shame by Amien Rais and Akbar Tanjug who criticise the price increases to fuel, electricity and telephone charges when they are the leaders of a parliament which implemented these polices. If Megawati had not increase prices, the majority of DPR/MPR members would have criticised her on the grounds that she had not carried out the MPR mandate. Hey?
The people must begin to ask, if the political elite are incapable, then who is capable? The way out of the difficulties which surrond the people at the moment is a political authority which is truly controlled directly by the people. A popular political authority which has the courage to take decisions which side with the people, that is: refusing to pay the foreign debt, retaking the nation’s assets which have been sold off arbitrarily, imprisoning the corrupters and seizing their assets and wealth, provide quality employment for the people, increase the wages of workers, civil servants and low-ranking military officers by 100 per cent, provide affordable capital and technology to farmers and fisherpeople, and provide free health care and education.
It will only be possible to achieve these hopes if a new government, from, by and for the poor can be established which will act upon the pressing desires of the people.
Price rises and privatisation trigger the people’s resistance
The data below was obtained from news reports from a number of national newspapers and reports from People’s Democratic Party (PRD) barnacles.
Their rights dismantled, workers strike: Surabaya, January 2 – Around 2,800 workers from the PT PAL (shipyard) trade union, held a strike on Thursday January 2, after the general director of PT PAL withdrew transportation facilities for the employees beginning on January 1. As a result the construction and repair workers, and companies located in the Armada RI complex in the eastern region were paralyzed.
Sacked arbitrarily, workers resist: Yogyakarta, January 2 – Around 300 employees of the Cambric Factory of the Indonesian Cooperative Batik Association protested dismissals by the company last December by gathering at the Yogyakarta governor’s office. In the meeting between the employees representatives and the provincial government, which was represented by the local secretary Bambang SP, the chairperson of the All Indonesia Trade Union, Syamsudi Mulyo stated that the sackings could be avoided. “The management can transfer the workers from the spinning unit to other areas while we wait for the unit to be repaired. The dismissals must be avoided by management because this decision will create social problems”, said Syamsudi. Moreover the sackings were done without prior notice.
In answer to the demands to reduce prices all elements have demanded the resignation of the Mega-Haz government. The government has responded by arresting and shooting at activist. However there are still those who hope that the government will be generous, or tend towards pragmatic demands to resolve the increases with gradual increases – for this people this means the burden of live will be even more pressing:
Purwokerto, January 2-3 – On Thursday, thousands of mini-buss operators who service the routes between regencies in the south of East Java such as Purwokerto-Cilacap, Purbalingga, Wonosobo, Banjarnegara, and Kebumen, went on strike. They were protesting the price increasing to fuel and called on the regional government of Banyumas and the Organisation of Land Transportation Owners (Organda) to make an adjustment to tariffs. The mini-bus operators threatened to continue the strike if tariffs are not increased. After a difficult debate, the regional government agreed with the mini-bus operators’ proposal and Organda increased inter-city bus fares by around 20 per cent. The fares will come into effect today after the Jateng Governor fixes the new fares.
Semarang, January 2 – Scores of workers from the Indonesian National Front for Labour Struggle (FNPBI) came out into the streets to reject the Jateng Provincial Government’s decree increasing the city/regency minimum wage for 2003 by only 12.6 per cent. The wage increases are not considered enough to fulfill daily needs, more so with the jump in the price of fuel, electricity and telephone charges, and the price of water from the Local Drinking Water Company (PDAM). They demanded that the Jateng Provincial government increase wages by 100 per cent. The demonstrators held a demonstration on the sidewalk in front of the Baiturrahman Mosque, Simpanglima, then went to the Jateng regional parliament.
Yogyakarta, January 2 – On Thursday, around a thousand street traders and sex workers went to the office of the Yogyakarta governor. They were protesting the Municipal Government’s policy of taking over the management of the Abubakar Ali parking lot on January 1. The coordinator of the action, Arie Ariyanto, who is also the chairperson of the Yogyakarta PRD, said that the community of street traders and sex workers from the Kembang market joined the demonstration in solidarity with parking inspectors who livelihoods will be threatened after the Abubakar Ali parking lot is managed by the government. “Street traders have already been evicted from the parking lot. Because of this it is time for the little people to join together in protesting policies which hurt them”, explained Arie. They also demanded the cancellation of price increases to fuel, electricity and telephone charges.
Yogyakarta, January 3 – On Friday, scores of students who joined with the Forum of Concerned Housewives (FIP), arrived at the Yogyakarta central post office to send letters of protest to President Megawati Sukarnoputri. In their letters, FIP opposed the price increases to electricity, fuel and phone charges which they considered to be ant-people.
Makkasar, January 6-7 – Around 2000 students from a number of schools of higher education joined with activists from various groups to demonstrate against the price increases. They demanded that President Megawati and Vice-president Hamzah Haz resign from office because they had failed to run a government of reform or side with the little people. They accused the Mega-Hamzah government of making the people suffer though the policies of increasing prices to fuel, electricity and telephone charges. While demonstrators from the PRD and the Poor People’s Defense Front were in the middle of presenting speeches at the local parliament building, the demonstrations were involved in a clash with police. As a result, two demonstrators, Erni from the Indonesian Front for Labour Struggle (FNPBI) and Ferdin from the Makassar National Student League for Democracy (LMND) were arrested and taken to the Makassar police headquarters. The two activists were charged with Article 134 of the Criminal Code on insulting the head of state.
Bandung, January 6 – Thousands of demonstrators from a number of schools of higher education and mass organisations including the Indonesian Muslim Students Action Front (KAMMI), the Islamic Students Association, the United Development Party-Reform, Persis Youth, the Bandung United Youth Movement and other groups also held a demonstration against on same issues. In the area around the West Java parliament they demanded that the government immediately cancel the price increases which came into effect on January 2. In Jambi, on the same day, around 500 students from a number of schools of higher education also demonstrated against the price increase to basic goods which followed the price increases to fuel, electricity and telephone charges.
Denpasar, January 6 – On Monday, around 400 new arrivals, under the banner of the Small People’s Committee of Struggle, arrived at the Denpasar city council to protest the cost of obtaining identity cards for new arrivals in Bali. They also protested the attitude of the arrogant and harsh government officials during the examination of their identities. They gathered at the Udayana University campus which is about two kilometres from the city council offices. On arrival in front of the Denpasar city council offices, the majority of whom were new arrivals as well as students and activists from the Denpasar PRD branch, they blocked of parts of the road. As well as demonstrating against the cost of obtaining identity cards, they also rejected the price increases to fuel, electricity and phone charges.
Yogyakarta, January 7 – Two activists, Yoyok (23), a member of the Street Musicians Union and Mahendra (24), chairperson of LMND Yogyakarta, were arrested on Tuesday by police in connection with a demonstration against the fuel price increases at the Gadjah Mada University Boulevard. Both were arrested because they were accused of insulting the president and vice-president by burning posters of Megawati Sukarnoputri and Hamzah Haz during a demonstration.
Malang, January 6 – Around 200 student in Malang from KAMMI and LMND demonstrated demanding a reduction in prices and that Megawati and Hamzah resign. They also went to the Malang State Electricity Company in Kayutangan carrying one of the companies civil servants on a long march to the regional parliament.
Palembang, January 9 – Around two thousand people from a number of schools of higher education, non-government organisations (NGOs) and political parties, came out into the streets of Pelembang on Thursday, to reject the price increases to fuel, electricity and telephone charges. Although there were no clashes, thousands of demonstrators sealed off the South Sumatra regional parliament and forced the government radio station to broadcast their demands. The demonstration involved students from the Palembang Muhammadiyah University, the Pelembang University Teachers Association (PGRI), the Bina Darman University, the Sriwijaya University and the Sumsel Association of Muhammadiya Students. They were also joined by local NGOs and the Bung Karno Nationalist Party. They carried their university flags, banners and posters which criticised the Mega-Hamzah government which no longer sides with the people. They demanded that Mega-Hamzah resign and that the corrupters be tried.
Jakarta, January 9 – Thousands of students from the Moestopod and Bina Musantara Universities demonstrated rejecting the price increases to fuel, electricity and telephone charges, in the streets in front of their campuses. They set fire to tyres, however the action was followed by a clash between students and police. The clash was triggered by a police officer who tried to arrest a number of students. Meanwhile on the same day, thousands of people from a number of trade unions including FNPBI, the All Indonesia Workers Union (SPSI), the Indonesian Prosperity Trade Union (SBSI) and Indonesian Port Transportation Labor Union, students from LMND, the Student Front of Reform and Democracy, the National University, the Islamic Students Association (HMI) and others along with a group of business people blockaded the presidential palace making the same demands. Some of the groups also demanded that Mega-Hamzah resign from office. The action continued until late afternoon. As a result of a demonstrator being hit by a police officer, a brief clash broke out but it was able to be halted and the protesters continued with the demonstration.
Karawang, January 9 – A mass action making the same demands which was held by the HMI Karawang branch at the office of the Karawang Regent ended in repression. The demonstrators were shot at and beaten by police, with two demonstrators sustaining gun shot wounds and five other suffering serious wounds after being beaten.
Solo, January 9 – Thousands of workers and business people demonstrated at the Surakarta parliament protesting against the same issues.
Surabaya, January 9 – Thousands of people from a number of groups including the Indonesian Youth Alliance, students from the Adibuana University PGRI and Sakera Youth demonstrated demanding a reduction in prices and that the government of Mega-Haz resign. Actions were held at the East Java parliament, the Surabaya parliament and the State Grahadi building.
Palu, January 9 – Around one thousand people from the Central Sulawesi Poor People’s Front for Struggle and students from the Tadulako University demonstrated demanding a reduction in prices and that Maga-Hamzah resign from office. They occupied the state radio station and demanded that their demands be broadcast. The demand was quickly agreed to.
Medan, January 9 – Around 5000 people from a number of groups including the Medan chapter of HMI, the Sumut Pemuda Pancasila, students from the North Sumatra University, the North Sumatra Islamic Uiversity, the Medan State University and SBSI demonstrated demanding a reduction in prices and made statements demanding that Mega-Hamzah resign from office. They marched from a number of points towards the North Sumatra parliament.
Yogyakarta, January 9 – Around 1000 people from HMI Yogyakarta held an action which sealed off the PT Telkom office on Jl. Yos Sudarso, Kotabaru, in Yogyakarta. They were demanding a reduction in the price of fuel, electricity and telephone charges.
Makkasar, January 9 – Around 1000 people gathered to demonstrate at the parliament building – and the number kept increasing. They rejected the price increases of fuel, electricity and telephone charges and demanded that the Mega-Haz government resign. They were made up of a number of groups including students from STMIK Dipanegara, 100 students from the Science Institute, FNPBI and students from IAIN Alaudin Makassar who also held a similar action, except rather than going to the South Sulawesi parliament they demonstrated in front of their campus on Jl Sultan Alaudin Makassar.
The people’s assets sold off, workers resist: Surabaya, January 6 – Thousands of employees from the Jatim Regional Division of Indosat demonstrated at the Jatim parliament. The demonstrators asked the members of parliament to pass on their demands to the central government in order to end the sale of Indosat shares to foreign interests. Before arriving at the Jatim parliament, the employees who carried banners and posters rejecting the sale of Indosat, prayed at the Indosat offices on Jl Kayun, Surabaya. “Essentially we ask the government to stop the indiscriminate sale of state assets. The sale of state owned industries cannot be carried out before legislation on state owned industries has been promulgated”, said Ibnu Mintarsyah, the chairperson of the East Regional Division Indosat trade union.
Cancel don’t delay price increases, don’t ask, seize
By Yusuf Lakaseng
The continuous strike launched by workers, protests by transport drivers and “hijacking” actions of fuel trucks by students, as well as complains by mothers over the price increases of basic goods over the last few days represent an accumulation of the crisis of trust by the people which has exploded against the government of president Megawati Sukarnoputri and Vice-president Hamzah Haz. The mass resistance which is spreading, and will continue to spread, must become a conviction that the mass wave of resistance against the lackey imperialist regime has provided the objective conditions for a time when there is an even bigger explosion of mass resistance, especially if the government continues to stubbornly maintain its anti-people policies.
The crisis of trust in the political elite is not only against the executive but also against other state institutions – the People’s Representative Assembly (DPR), regional parliaments, the cabinet and local governments – who in the eyes of the people just rubber stamp the anti-people policies and breed corruption. The experience of struggle by the people has shown that they will not be deceived again by political groups who occasionally try to distinguish themselves from Mega-Haz by opposing government policy (while they actually agreed to these policies) such as shown by house speaker Amin Rais who is just that kind of species – tricking the people, political bargaining, investing in the 2004 elections and so on. This means that the people are that mush closer to a consciousness that there is no road to change except to change the social order (economic and political) totally in order to serve the people’s interests.
Of course this development is not some awakening which will suddenly emerge. The experience of overthrowing former Presidents Suharto, Habibie and the political conflict during the fall of President Abdurrahman Wahid, include the experience of political bribery, theatrics and the tying up of the direction of the struggle by the fake reformists which has already provided an important lessen to the people: The momentum against the price increases to fuel, electricity and telephone charges and the sale of Indosat, only represents a trigger which set off the accumulating unrest of the people.
But how can we, the poor, win this battle and establish a government from, by and for the poor? History failed to completely overthrow the New Order regime and this provides several lessons. Firstly, that the people’s victory cannot be measured just against the quality of its leadership. Secondly, the struggle cannot be carried out separately and depend on one sector of society only – such as the historical failure to build a movement when students prevented the people from entering the national parliament in May 1998 – instead of acting in mutual solidarity and immediately building a firm union with other oppressed classes/groups/forces in society. Thirdly, to be capable of supporting and broadening the mass movement, we need a coalition and more organisation. Without strong and tested organisations, we will not be able to carry out this work, let alone win a battle against a repressive regime, this is the mentality of a ticket scalper and robber. Aside from this, these people’s organisations are a place of training for the people, a place to temper and strengthen the muscles of struggle.
The unity of the struggle which has already emerged – in as much as they are not professional – is a tool of simultaneous struggle, in the conditions of the political and organisational growth, they must become a future/embryonic state or a future government of the poor. This is the most important measure of the success of change in a better direction. Fourthly, in the framework of the direction of struggle as explained above, the people and their own organisations must increase the continuous and systematic attacks against the authorities in order to force them to: fulfill the people’s demands or not!! If they stubbornly refused to do so it means that the people must overthrow them. The overthrow of Suharto should provide a lesson to Mega-Haz: it is not possible to deceive and frighten the people forever.
Mothers groups must go out into the street carrying pots, jerry cans of oil; fisherpeople who are unemployed because of the cost of diesel fuel; drivers who’s incomes have declined and all oppressed sectors of society must crowd into government buildings, the presidential palace, the national and regional parliaments, the offices of the political parties who are in power and demand: “We are hungry, we need work, our wages are not enough, our farm produce has no value, and we do not want to be oppressed any more because of these demands of ours”. And what will the government’s answer be? “We cannot reduce prices, for you the gift of an increase in wages of 10 per cent and teacher’s allowances of 40 per cent is enough. If you are not satisfied our police and army is ready to stop your advance”. An that is what will happen, wherever people’s protests are not fulfilled they will be forcibly dispersed, their activists imprisoned and shot at.
Therefore the people’s demands above are no longer sufficient, and there is only one way to answer: “Our demand is not to delay prices increases but to reduce prices right now! If you are not able to do this, don’t try to prevent us from forming a new government and system!”. In a clear and piercing voice let us shout: Reduce prices, overthrow Mega, arrest and size the wealth of the corrupters, a new government from, by and for the poor!
Our Tasks (Tugas Kita – Mingguan Perjuangan Rakyat) is published weekly by the Central Leadership Committee of the People’s Democratic Party (KPP-PRD).
Editorial Board:
Haris Rusli Moti, Natalia Scholastika, Roysepta Abimanyu, Lukman Hakim, Yusuf Lakaseng, Wibowo Arief, Jakfar, Vivi Widyawati, Aswan Jaya, Kelik Ismunanto, Kamaludin Pade.
Translated by James Balowski
Bank account details: BCA KCP Urip Sumoharjo 4560567044