On Saturday, July 3, at 11.20pm, the People's Democratic Party (PRD) offices in Yogyakarta was raided by unrecognised group armed with knives, sticks and molotov cocktails. The gangsters raided the office while shouting "Allah Akbar" (God is Great!!!). They attacked those PRD cadres living there. Endiq Pratama, a student of Philosophy of Gadjah Mada University, one of those living there was cut on the hand and back. He is now in a critical condition. The other eight PRD cadres living there were forced to escape and are safe. The armed gangsters also broke all the office equipment and damaged documents.

This kinds of intimidation and terror is not new for the PRD. Many PRD cadres in many branches have experienced the same thing, namely terror, intimidation and attacks. This usually happens when PRD intensifies its campaigns. Now that the PRD is campaigning for the disqualification of the Golkar Party and condemning the police and military brutality by demanding the repeal of the Dual Function of ABRI, the perpetrators of the midnight raid in Yogyakarta is no one else but them.

If we look at past incidents, this kind of terror and intimidation is a standard pattern used to stop the criticism of the people, the resistance and the fight of people for change and a better life. But the result is the opposite, the people become more courageous, radicalised and convinced that they have to fight.

Regarding this incident, we the PRD call for your support to organise petitions, protests, mobilisations to pressure the Indonesian government to stop intimidating the people.

Amsterdam, July 3 1999 Mugiyanto, European Representative