To all of the Indonesian people who are patriots and continue to struggle from the Central Leadership Committee of the People's Democratic Party (PRD) – February 20, 1998.

The national situation

The Suharto regime, which represents the capitalist interests of the Suharto family and relatives, is the cause of the destruction of the people's economy. Since taking power, Suharto has succeeded in exploiting the wealth of the people for the interests of his family and relatives. The destruction of the Indonesian economy has also been caused by the contradictions of the economic and political interests of imperialism in Indonesia.

The Suharto government which is corrupt and ridden with manipulation, has given birth to a capitalist system which is decayed and inefficient. The private debt (owed by the Suharto family) can no longer be tolerated by the interests of international capitalism (imperialism), which in this instance is represented by the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. The solution offered by the IMF and the World Bank is in the interests of imperialism (the US and Europe). While the Currency Board System, CBS, (1) represents the interests of the Suharto family, relatives and domestic capitalists.

Both of these solutions are far from the economic interests of the people, who will certainly suffer more from the destruction of their economy. International capitalism (imperialism), represented by the IMF and the World Bank, certainly want economic and political change in Indonesia. Imperialism want's a new regime which can guarantee the efficient running of international capitalism in Indonesia and which can fully control the Indonesian economy. Thus the wishes of imperialism, in this case the IMF and the World Bank, are inconsistent, because there is no opposition which is truly able to replace Suharto and safeguard imperialism's interests in Indonesia.

A CBS which is regulated by the state/government, and which is still being considered by the Suharto regime, is in the interests of restoring the economic power of Suharto's family and relatives. It is clear that Suharto's family and relatives want to be able to rebuild [their economic power] through overseas loans. But the [payment of] the debt will left to the people, in this case the state, and is the [same kind of] greed which has been going on for more than 30 years and which has milked the people and the country. The People's Consultative Assembly, MPR (2), has already been set up to again choose Suharto as president and Habibie as vice-president. The MPR is a puppet of Suharto, paid to ensure that he stays in power. The MPR is a grave dug by Suharto himself and for himself and the political system of the New Order which he created, because the people will continue to rise up to resist the dictatorship until the final bloody moment.

The worsening economic and political situation will result in total bankruptcy. Indonesia is not a safe place to invest capital as long as Suharto is in power. There is no other choice for the international community other than supporting the people's struggle to overthrow Suharto and helping the people to build a more democratic economic and political system.

Opposition figure such as Megawati Sukarnoputri, Amien Rais, Emil Salim, Sri Bintang Pamungkas and Budiman Sudjatmiko, have become more self-confident because there is an increasingly strong peoples movement to overthrow Suharto. However, these opposition figures will only get the support of the people if they are consistent and ready [to fight alongside] the people's struggle for the people's sovereignty, have the courage to face the risks, to unite and be together with the people in overthrowing the Suharto dictatorship.

In the course of the emerging mass-people's struggle, the people have paid little attention to the opposition figures which have emerged. Although there are many opposition figures, there are also many who are not ready [to do this] because they are afraid of Suharto's threats. Meanwhile the people's suffering worsens. They are getting hungrier, prices are rising and human rights are being trampled upon. The people do not only want to replace the Suharto dictatorship, but they also want to reorganise the economic and political system and replace it with a system which is pro-people and is better able to guarantee the people's sovereignty, social justice and democracy.

The people now believe that the only solution for the Indonesian nation is to overthrow the Suharto dictatorship. If a constitutional path cannot be followed because it has been corrupted and become anti-people, the people will move with the law of revolution. That is a people's uprising to replace the Suharto dictatorship, the government and all of the institutions which are vile and decayed, with a sovereign people's government which is just and democratic. Only in this way can political and economic democracy be built by the people.

The puppet MPR/DPR (3) which has been bribed by Suharto must be replaced by the people. An independent and sovereign People's Council (Dewan Rakyat) must be established to replace the function of the puppet DPR/MPR. It must be establish at all levels: the hamlet, village, sub-district, city, regency, province and nationally. People's councils must also be established on campuses, schools, factories and offices.

What must be done - the pressing tasks of the people

1. Establish an Independent People's Council (DRM) in all regions, places of work and study.

All of those people struggling for democracy must build the DRM. Those who will sit on the council should be all of the local representatives and representatives of the functional groups, representatives of all of the [economic] sectors and professions, [political] parties and independent mass organisations which wish to struggle with the people for democracy. This council will be the highest instrument of the people's struggle, because it will be established on the people's initiative. The first task of the council is to select the leaders of the people which are virtuous, courageous and ready [to struggle for the people].

2. Continue to take the people's demands to those in power!

Use all means to struggle to carry the central demands [of the people] on the government. The central demands of the people are:

Reject the results of the 1997 general election and abolish the puppet DPR/MPR;

Reject the 1998 session of the MPR and the appointment of Suharto as president;

Reduce prices;

Arrest and try Suharto, his family and relatives as the cause of the people's suffering;

Withdraw the five repressive political laws (4);

Nationalise all of the economic asses of Suharto and his family and relatives;

Establish an independent people's council.

3. Launch protests and strikes!

The people must continue to resist with strikes everywhere: on campus, in factories, offices and schools. To seize, occupy and control all of these places. End all productive work, transportation and education which is anti-people. Launch general strikes at the city, provisional and national level, and in all [economic] sectors. The demands of all sectors, professions and regions must be taken up together with the central demands of the people.

4. End conflicts between the people and unite to overthrow Suharto!

End conflicts and hatred between religious groups, ethnic groups and non-Chinese and Chinese. These conflicts are politically engineered by the Suharto regime to play one side off against the other. The aim of this manipulation is to cover up the fact that Suharto is the cause of the problems and the suffering of the people, and to save Suharto himself [from being the target]. The people must unite to resist Suharto because he is the cause of all of the people's suffering. The people must understand that Suharto's wealth is as much as $US 40 billion. Suharto is the third richest person [in the world] after Bill Gates (US) and the Sultan of Brunei. All of this wealth is owned by the people and must be returned to the hungry people.

Instructions to all PRD cadre

To all PRD cadre throughout the country. Our task at the moment is to:

Help the people to build a genuine people's council at all regional levels and places of work and study;

Help the people in demanding their rights to fulfill their economic needs (stomachs), that is in retaking the productive sectors with the benefits of production to be used by the people in a just manner;

Help the people to launch a mass struggle though strikes, protest actions and so on as the tool of the people's struggle.

Continue to be firm and ready to join with the people's struggle until the people win and are fully in power. All that we have suffered, the deaths, jailings, abuse and insults, are not as great as the suffering the people. Our blood and tears will increase and broaden the flames of the people's struggle to bring down the Suharto dictatorship and establish a genuine democracy.

[In the name of the Central Leadership of the PRD (KPP-PRD), Mirah Mahardhika]

Translator's notes:

In January/February, the government proposed setting up a currency board to peg the Rupiah at 5,000 to the US dollar. The plan has been widely criticised by the IMF. the World Bank and the US.

MPR: Mejalis Permusyawaratan Rakyat, People's Consultative Assembly. The highest legislative body in the country with 1,000 members, 425 of whom are elected with the remainder being appointed by the president. It meets once every five years (usually around a year after the general elections) to hear an outgoing report from the president, enact the Broad Outlines of State Policy (Garis Besar Haluan Negara, GBHN) and to vote on nominations for the president and vice-president.

DPR: Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat, Peoples Representative Assembly (Parliament). Consisting of 500 members, 425 elected from the three officially recognised political parties during the general elections: Golkar (the state party), the United Development Party and the Indonesian Democratic Party. The remaining 75 members are appointed by the president from the military (who are not allowed to vote).

The five repressive political laws were passed in 1985. They allow only three recognised political parties; ban party activity from villages and small towns; allow for the government appointment of 575 non-elected members (75 representing the military) to the MPR; impose a single state-defined ideology on all social, political and cultural organisations; and gives the state the right to intervene in the internal affairs of organisations.

[Translated by James Balowski]