Blontank Poer, Surakarta – Radical groups in Central Java have forced a prominent filmmaker to stop shooting a feature on a past tragedy that claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, accusing the work of campaigning for communist ideology.
Director Eros Djarot halted production of his film following threats from a number of groups and residents in Klaten, Karanganyar and Surakarta in Central Java.
The protesters, acting on a self-proclaimed Islamic basis, accused Eros of promoting communism in the film Lastri.
At a press conference Monday, Surakarta Police chief Sr. Comr. Taufik Ansorie said the protests were raised in response to the prickly issue of the 1965 Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) uprising.
"The issue is still sensitive for the people of Surakarta, so they protested. The police have no right to stop the filming, but we are responsible for maintaining security," Ansorie told reporters.
Asked whether the police had read the screenplay of the film that tells of the events following the communist purge on Sept. 30, 1965, Ansorie declined to comment.
"Some people are still traumatized by the 1965 incident, that's why we don't want any untoward incidents happening (if filming continues)," he said.
Hundreds of thousands of people, mostly PKI supporters, were killed following an alleged failed coup blamed on the party. Other reports put the number of dead at almost one million.
The events marked the change of power from left-leaning first president Sukarno to West-leaning Soeharto, a military general.
Eros told The Jakarta Post the police had manipulated the issue to interrupt the film's production.
"The police should not police a work of art. The accusation that Lastri bears communist values is very misleading. I'm afraid the police, including the Surakarta Police chief, don't understand the true meaning of communism itself. As a nationalist, I'm also against communism," he said. "Our film doesn't teach communism, but is a love story set during that political era."
A film crew member said certain groups, claiming to act on behalf of Muslims, had intimidated those on set since the end of October in Wedi district, Klaten.
Lastri has been accused of condoning communism and thus "hurting the feelings of Muslims", Klaten residents say. A number of groups also staged a protest at a filming location in Colomadu district, Karanganyar. The latest protest occurred on Nov. 15, when members of hard-line groups Laskar Hisbullah and the Surakarta Muslim Youth Front rallied at the filming location.
A dialogue, facilitated by the Colomadu district head, the local police force and military command, ended in a stalemate, much to the chagrin of Eros and his colleagues.
Filming was halted on Nov. 16, but then moved to Yogyakarta after Eros received the support of Governor Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X.