Yuli Tri Suwarni, Bandung – A youth organization, with backing from the police, raided a bookstore in Bandung on Thursday night that was hosting a discussion on Marxism.
About 20 members of a group calling itself the Anti-Communist Society (Permak) took part in the raid on Ultimus bookstore. They had the full support of the police, who arrested nine people in the store, including the person who organized the discussion, Sadikin, and a speaker at the event, Supratman Marhaen, who is also known as Haryanto Darmawan.
All nine are being held by the Bandung Police. They are accused of violating Article 107 of the Criminal Code, on spreading Marxism, Leninism and communism. If found guilty of the charge they could be sentenced to between five and 12 years in jail.
Communism has been banned in Indonesia since the coup attempt on Sept. 30, 1965, which was blamed on the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI). An attempt to lift the ban in 2003 by the People's Consultative Assembly met with strong opposition from the political establishment and was eventually dropped.
Sadikin said Friday the discussion was underway when a Permak member, Adang Supriyadi, entered the store and announced the meeting was over.
Adang, who with about 20 other people arrived at the store in a pickup truck with the name of the Panca Marga Youth organization written on its side, said his father was a victim of the PKI and he did not want communism to take root in Bandung.
"This raid is bad for democracy because it prevents us from being critical of communism and Marxism, which we consider a failure," said Sadikin. He accused members of the Anti-Communist Society of assaulting him before he was bundled into a waiting police truck.
Both Sadikin and Supratman refused to sign a police dossier after being questioned for six hours. They said they were not guilty of spreading Marxism. "Our discussion was to criticize (communism and Marxism), so why are we accused of spreading the ideology?" Sadikin asked.
This is the second such raid in Bandung targeting discussions on Marxism and communism. In May this year, a group calling itself the Regional Anti-Disruption Association, which is made up of members of the Panca Marga Youth organization, dispersed a similar meeting.
Police detained several members of the organizing committee and participants, but released them the next day.
Gatot Riyanto, the director of the Bandung Legal Aid Institute, which is representing Sadikin and Supratman, said the police should offer some evidence the discussion was attempting to spread communism. "Their legal position should be cleared up with evidence, whether the accusation is correct," Gatot said.
Bandung City Police chief Sr. Comr. Edmon Ilyas said Friday none of the nine people detained Thursday had been officially named as suspects. However, he said police had 11 witnesses and evidence, including a camera, stickers and a book on Marxism. He added that organizers had not secured a permit for the discussion.
Sadikin denied the discussion was held without a permit, saying the organizing committee had applied for and received a permit a week prior to the event. "We have written permission from the police," he said.
Officer Edmon praised the citizens who took part in the raid, calling them "good and responsive Bandung residents".