09/19/2017, 17.01
INDONESIA
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Anti-Communist protests are designed to create problems for the president

by Mathias Hariyadi

"Spreading rumours and falsehoods on social media about the rebirth of the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) is nonsense, a fantasy," said historian Asvi Marwan Adam of the Indonesian Science Institute (LIPI). The goal is to make Jokowi less popular and crate frictions with religious leaders, especially those of the Nahdlatul Ulama.

Jakarta (AsiaNews) – There is a desire to create difficulties for the current Indonesian administration of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo in order to make him less popular and cause frictions with religious leaders, especially those of the Nahdlatul Ulama, this according to Asvi Marwan Adam, a historian at the Indonesian Science Institute (LIPI).

Yesterday protests broke out against an event promoted by the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI). At first the large crowd gathered peacefully, but then violence suddenly broke out.

According to Adam, the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) became a hot topic and three potential groups are behind it, namely bad politicians, bad business people and radical religious groups.

A major rally was held late Sunday afternoon against the YLBHI (pictured), following rumors spread through social media that it was promoting a public debate on the PKI and communism, triggering the "counterattack".

Around the world communism is historically dead and former communist states have become more democratic nations. In Indonesia, communism and the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) are also dead, but their ghosts are still "kept alive" and haunt the country, driving the security services to react to anything that smacks of communism and PKI.

On 30 September 1965, seven Army Generals were killed by the secret service of President Sukarno for unknown reasons. This September, once again the "hot issue" of the PKI and communism has come back to create problems for the current Indonesian administration.

During the massive campaign to capture PKI followers launched by President Suharto and his New Order regime, thousands of members of the PKI – leaders, officials and sympathisers – died, disappeared or were exiled to some island without due process.

When President Jokowi came to power in October 2014, some radical changes were implemented in Indonesia, breaking away from bad economy practices.  Good planning and infrastructural development were promoted.

"Spreading rumours and falsehoods on social media about the rebirth of the Indonesian Communist Party is nonsense, a fantasy," Adam said. This political game is orchestrated by someone who wants to create divisions in the country’s political life.

Sukmawati Soekarnoputri, daughter of President Sukarno and head of the Indonesian National Party-Marhaenism, said the campaign against President Jokowi is meant to undermine his re-election in 2019.

The president’s plans to boost trade with China have nothing to do with political ideology. Other nations have good trade relations with Beijing, so there is no need to worry.

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