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Anggun shares reason behind her article on communism
In one section of the article, the “Snow on the Sahara” singer shared her first experience of being introduced to communism through the Pengkhianatan G30S/PKI (Treachery of the G30SPKI) film that she had to watch during her time in elementary school, to which she described as a horror experience.
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Indonesian pop star Anggun performed with David Foster at The Hitman: David Foster and Friends concert series at De Tjolomadoe, Central Java, March 24. (JP/Ganug Nugroho Adi)
Indonesian-born singer Anggun C. Sasmi recently wrote an opinion piece on communism for DW Indonesia.
As reported by Antara, Anggun shared her views on communism as a black chapter in the history of Indonesia in a long article titled “Komunisme dan Emosi yang Bertautan di Indonesia” (Communism and the Related Emotion in Indonesia).
In one section of the article, the “Snow on the Sahara” singer shared her first experience of being introduced to communism through the Pengkhianatan G30S/PKI (Treachery of the G30SPKI) film that she had to watch during her time in elementary school, to which she described as a horror experience.
“It was the first horror film that I ever saw! There were plenty of torture and murder scenes that are absolutely not appropriate for children to watch. I don’t know why the censoring agency in Indonesia, which was tasked to provide ratings like PG [parental guidance suggested], 17 years old and above and adult, gave a special exemption for this film,” wrote Anggun.
The article later received many responses from netizens. Anggun’s social media account was soon flooded with comments regarding the opinion.
Read also: ‘G30S/PKI’ film not suitable for children: Education minister
Anggun opted to reply to some of the comments, including one that questions her motivation for writing on such a topic that is deemed sensitive to some Indonesians.
“Anytime I’m intrigued with something, I always want to write about it. I’ve written articles on the LGBT community, mistaken feminine solidarity, as well as diversity that is currently a vulnerable issue in Indonesia,” replied Anggun on Instagram.
“I’ve actually been wanting to write about communism for a long time, however writing needs time, which sometimes I just don’t have enough of.”
In another reply, she also explained, “The point of this article is not about communism itself, but about how we react as Indonesians about the dark chapter of our own history. Perhaps if I didn’t make the effort to find out what communism really is, I would be scared [of it] my whole life.” (kes)
