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s the crackdown on activities and symbols related to communism continues almost two decades after the beginning of the reform era, a senior minister has urged the authorities not to be paranoid or overly repressive in responding to academic discussions and the circulation of books on leftist movements as well as communist symbols.

Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Luhut Pandjaitan asserted on Friday that discussions and books should be allowed as long as they were not aimed at spreading leftist ideologies.

“Do not be excessive. If it is aimed at serving academic purposes, it is allowed,” Luhut said, adding that the country also needed to produce experts on communism to help anticipate any potential leftist movement in the future.

“Do not be too paranoid,” he went on saying.

Luhut’s statements come after similar concerns raised recently by Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung, who deemed the confiscation of Marxist and communist books an overreaction.

Pramono said earlier this week that President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo had warned authorities not to carry out excessive measures, since everyone needed to respect the freedom of expression and academic freedom as essential elements of democracy.

Yet, the police crackdown continued on Friday, with the latest incidents occurring in Yogyakarta and Riau in what appears to reflect the country’s failure to move on from the anticommunist stigma of the 1965-1966 events sparked by a failed coup blamed on the now-defunct Indonesian Communist Party (PKI).

In Yogyakarta, police prohibited a university screening of a documentary on political prisoners, Pulau Buru Tanah Air Beta (Buru Island, My Homeland) at Universitas Proklamasi 45 on Friday, following pressure from the Communication Forum of Indonesian Veterans’ Children (FKPPI), an association of families of military and police veterans, and another mass organization, the Indonesian Anticommunist Front (FAKI).

It was the third day of incidents regarding the movie in Yogyakarta.

“The ban violates the freedom of expression, since the movie aims to enrich the students’ knowledge,” said Edward Bot, who represents the student executive body at the university.

Sleman Police spokesman Comr. Heru Muslimin acknowledged that “such movie screenings are allowed in Yogyakarta” but added that the police action aimed at preventing conflicts between the students and those opposing the screening.

The FKPPI leadership could not be reached for comment.

Luhut also opposed the arrest of people just for wearing attire depicting communist symbols. “It is wrong to immediately suspect a person of spreading communism just because they wear such clothes. If there are signs of a massive [movement], then it should be investigated. Police must act in line with the law,” Luhut said. “Don’t be overly repressive”.

In Riau, meanwhile, an unemployed young man named Iwan Sastra was caught reportedly wearing a T-shirt featuring a hammer and sickle picture resembling that of the PKI at a port in Indragiri Hilir regency on Wednesday while on his way to Tanjung Balai Karimun regency in search of work.

He was interrogated by a local police officer, who had spotted him wearing the T-shirt under a long-sleeved shirt. Maintaining his innocence, Iwan told Indragiri Hilir police he did not know that the symbol on the red T-shirt he had taken from his brother Askal to match the color of his shoes was banned.

The police on Thursday brought Askal in for questioning, during which Askal said he had bought the T-shirt at a street market in 2012. Despite Iwan’s claims, the police on Friday continued “to dig deeper into possibility of Iwan’s involvement in promoting communism and Marxism”, based on a 1999 law, said Indragiri Hilir Police chief Hadi Wicaksono.

National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Boy Rafli Amar said he agreed with Luhut’s statement and would take action against mass organizations or individuals taking the law against communism into their own hands. “We will take legal action against anyone resorting to vigilante actions. I believe the President has made it clear that anything related to the spread of communism should be tackled in a legal process.”

He admitted that some mass organizations were recalcitrant to police orders to leave communism matters to them. “We need to guide them to understand our laws, and that takes time, because as long as social communities exist, there will be some people who try to act in their own capacity,” Boy said.

Dianto Bachriadi from the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) said such bans were a setback for democracy. Komnas HAM has recorded 30 banned activities since 2015, including discussions, art performances, cultural festivals and poetry readings.

A 2010 Constitutional Court ruling annulled the 1963 law on printed materials, which was initially used by the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) as the basis for book bans. The ruling also states that the banning of books should follow due process and not be based solely on the AGO’s assessment. (wnd)
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