RI tries to win hearts of its exiles in Russia

Diplomatic relations between Indonesia and Russia, now entering their 60th year, have had their ups and downs.

Jakarta and Moscow saw flourishing relations during the leadership of Sukarno before they soured in the aftermath of the Indonesian 1965 coup blamed on the communist party.

During the chaotic aftermath of the coup, the governments ceased bilateral relations, and the people living in the two countries were forced to end communications.

As a result, Indonesian students studying in Moscow could not return to their hometowns because their Indonesian passports were no longer recognized.

Even now, after relations were restored in the 1990s, suspicion and prejudice is said to still remain among Indonesians who became Russian citizens after the 1965 political shake-up.

Berlian Napitupulu, minister counselor for the Indonesian Embassy in Moscow, said the embassy had undertaken many efforts to reestablish communications with Indonesians in exile in Russia.

“We build communication with them and especially with their children because we think they can actually act as a bridge to reach out to the Russian community,” said Berlian during a seminar to mark the 60th anniversary of Indonesian and Russian relations at the Foreign Ministry on Wednesday.

“We have classes teaching Indonesian to the descendants of the political migrants, many of whom cannot speak Indonesian.”

An exile, Soekirno Martosoekarjo, 72, who is now a Russian citizen, said there were around 14 people of Indonesian exile who still lived in Russia, while some others had also migrated to the Netherlands.

Kirno, as he is popularly known as, said they had no choice but to continue to live in Russia and remarry locals and raise families.

“There is a bittersweet relation between them,” said minister Berlian. “They loved the country and idolized Sukarno so much that they refused to recognize Soeharto as the new leader.

“Now that the Soeharto presidency has ended, they fought a great deal to come back but only to visit. They have lives in Russia now.”

Kirno did not want to return for good but only to see his family in Yogyakarta for the first time since he left in 1962.

After about 48 years of staying in Russia, Kirno retained the Indonesian language, still with his Javanese accent. He said he kept up to date with many things about Jakarta and Indonesia through the media.

Hamid Awaludin, Indonesian ambassador to Russia, said it took him 18 months to convince Kirno to pay a visit to Indonesia because of his fear of not being able to return back to Russia.

Since the fall of the Soviet Union and the ousting of Soeharto, Jakarta and Moscow have developed stronger relations although the prejudice of Moscow as a communist country still persists among the older generation.

Moscow and Jakarta signed a friendly partnership, covering comprehensive areas in 2003 when Megawati, daughter of Sukarno, was president. That is the first partnership Jakarta has signed with any foreign countries.

“We cannot proceed without a legal framework and we have been following it up with MoUs signed during the visit of President Yudhoyono to Moscow in 2006 and the reciprocal visit by president Putin to Jakarta in 2007,” said Alexander Ivanov, Russian Ambassador to Indonesia.

Under the partnership, Jakarta and Moscow have now cooperated closely in eight areas covering economy, counterterrorism, education, tourism and the military.

Cristiana Victoria Marta, a lecturer of Padjajaran University in Bandung, said Indonesia and
Russia could develop closer relations with intense exchange of a cultural mission and dialogue, which would also help erase prejudice of each other.

“The lack of knowledge has resulted in inaccurate perceptions,” said Cristiana.