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Declaration of the Indonesian People's Front

Source
Indonesian People's Front - November 17, 1997

[The following is an abridged translation of a statement sent to ASIET (Action in Solidarity with Indonesia and East Timor) by the National Committee for Democratic Struggle (Kelompok Nasional Perjuangan Demokrasi). The original statement included a number of press reports on the action and arrests – only one of these, a Bandung Pos report dated November 19, has been translated - ASIET]

Bandung – The political and economic situation [in Indonesia] is experiencing an extended crisis which has implications for the apprehension and unrest of the people which is unable to be resolved by the state apparatus. More than this, after more than 31 years, the authoritarianism of the New Order regime has made the Indonesian people live under economic pressures and experience a process of depoliticisation. By legitimisation and other means of the New Order, the authorities have entered all sectors of the peoples' lives.

The people live under extreme and unusual levels of control so that they are afraid to put forward their aspirations and demands, because in the history of the power of the New Order none of the peoples' demands have been given a channel; in fact it has been dammed by all kinds of repressive acts.

The Non-government organisations, which it was hoped were capable of channeling the aspirations and demands of the people, have been accused of being communists, rebels and scapegoated in order to contain the peoples' resistance. As a result, the underlying unrest has emerged and accumulated in the form of social explosions and riots. This indicates to us that the desires of the people must be [given a] channel. The institutions legitimised by the government such as the political parties (1), the DPR (2) and the National Human Rights Commission are just not enough. Most importantly, because these institutions have been coopted by a system which is not on the side of the people.

Departing from a number of problems faced by this nation, the Indonesian People's Front (Front Rakyat Indonesia, FRI) was born. Although in the recent political situation this is not permitted [by the regime] because of the increase in political repression facing independent political activists, we believe that the struggle to liberate the people from oppression and exploitation requires an extended process and not a few casualties. With strong resolve, the FRI is trying to provide a contribution to the building of an economic and political life in Indonesia which is qualitatively more mature and advanced.

As the first step, the FRI calls on the people to resist the arbitrary [use of power] and condemns the regime's violent acts against the pro-democratic activists which were repressed on October 28, 1997, in three cities: Jakarta, Bandung and Semerang. The FRI also supports and promotes all pro-democratic groups in resisting the oppression and exploitation because only by the peoples' resistance can the "Pandora's box" of the peoples' liberation be opened.

Chronology of the FRI action: Justice for the people and reject the sole nomination of Suharto

Bandung (West Java), Tuesday, November 17, 1997

09.30: Hundreds of troops, the mobile brigade, local and regional police were already on guard around the Sate Building and had closed off roads leading past it.

10.20: The action started, attended by students and local people (around 200) and watched by hundreds of troops. Red banners with "Justice for the People" written on them were unfurled. There were also posters reading "Reduce prices and increase wages" and "Reject the sole nomination of the Indonesian president". The marshal, Binbin (a Stikom student) began a speech.

10.40: The Peoples' Declaration was read along with singing the song "Bloody Struggle" by a FRI leader named Dewi (a STSI student). Security forces responded by forming a blockade. Anti-riot troops encircled the action. One of the other FRI leaders named Eka (an IAIN student) tried to negotiate [with the authorities] who wanted to break up the action.

10.50: The action continued and a small fight occurred with troops. When Eka tried to read the FRI statement, it was snatched away and he was hit. The authorities tried to forced them to put away the banner and posters. On the initiative of the marshal, the masses broke through the cordon and moved off towards the local parliament.

10.50: The action was continued at the grounds of the parliament. Parliamentarians asked to meet with and speak to FRI activists. The masses rejected this because they no longer trusted them. Too often they make high sounding promises while democracy is shackled and the people are left to suffer. Parliamentarians are only the tools of the authorities.

11.10: Songs of struggle were sung followed by reading the FRI statement which had been prevented from being read before. The FRI condemned the repressive acts against their comrades in Jakarta, Lampung, Bandung and Semerang on October 28. The FRI statement also rejected the sole nomination of Suharto as president.

11.25: After the statement was read the marshal was suddenly attacked and beaten by intelligence agents and mobile brigade troops. The marshal, who had already fallen to the ground, was stepped on and then dragged 30 metres, put into a truck and taken to police headquarters. This was immediately followed by the arrest of other activists.

11.26: All of those arrested were put in a truck and taken to police headquarters. They were beaten and mistreated (3) like other pro-democracy activists who have challenge the oppression and exploitation of the New Order.

11.45: All of the 12 who were arrested, were interrogated about the relationship between FRI and the People's Democratic Party (PRD), because of the red banners and posters, head bands and words of resistance which have become a call to action by the people.

17.00: After the interrogation, Pius, an Aldera (4) activists who has become a "public secret", who often trades with the military and there is a strong indication that he is an intelligence agent, approached Ipung, a Bandung activists not known by FRI – and suspected/accused of being a PRD cadre – asking about FRI's relationship with the PRD. Pius then persuaded an FRI activist to work together with him to exchange information and leave the FRI because it is suspected by the military of being affiliated to the PRD. Pius said that the FRI activists that were arrested would be released the next morning. This was proved to be true when the 12, accompanied by Saut from the Bandung Legal Aid Institute, were released at 6am on Tuesday. The FRI pleaded with all the groups to watch out for Pius and not be taken in by Pius's persuasion.

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