Urgent solidarity needed for Indonesian activists
Right now, January 19, the National Liberation Party of Unity (Papernas) conference in Indonesia is facing a concerted threat from right wing, anti-communist groups, with the help of the police. (click read more for more information)
The Indonesian organisers are facing this threat directly, at the conference site, and they are asking for SMS messages, and letters of support. They are also requesting that protest letters to be sent on to Indonesian embassies.
If you can, please SMS Katarina on +6281584368, and/or email her at katarina_fnpbi@yahoo.com. Send letters of protest to the consulate at cons@kjri-sydney.org.
Two weeks before the conference, The Preparatory Committee of The National Liberation Party of Unity (KP-PAPERNAS) submitted a proposal to the appropriate police authorities about our plan to hold the founding congress of PAPERNAS. According to existing law, we are not required to obtain a permit for holding the conference or for inviting foreign delegates. There was no complaint from either the national or local police in response to the proposal nor was the proposal rejected. But shortly before the congress is about to open formally they try to make a problem and stop the congress from proceeding. We believe that the reason for the police’s action is political. On January 17, 2007 the National police suddenly demand that there must be a permit for this conference and they do not want to issue the permit although the local police has sent the recommendation letter to give a permit to hold the congress. On the same day, at around 4 pm 100 people who called themselves the Indonesia Forum of Anti-Communist Group (FAKI) staged a protest in front of the venue and threatened that they would forcibly disperse the congress if we insist on running the congress as planned. On January 18 the Police stated that they will not issue any permit due to the following reasons : They raised an objection to our slogan " Three banners of National Unity – repudiation of foreign debt, nationalization of the mining industry and a National industrialization program. So, we conclude that the police are saying that because we are trying to present solutions to our country’s problems in the form a of a program this is crime. Restricting international participants from attending the congress. In fact, we can not find any law that restricts international guests from participating in the congress. In fact the ruling party of Golkar regularly invites international delegates in their congress. Local police continue to say that if we run the congress, they will not responsible for any attack on us by FAKI or any other hostile forces. Since January 18 we continue to negotiate with the police and at the same time we keep running the congress as we defend our political right as citizen of this country. As we prepare the self defense unit both from committee and the participants the congress was delayed for hours. On 19 January in the morning polices state that they will not give any permission due to the pressure of Anti-communist forum. And they add the information that 500 people will come to attack the meeting. This chronology was made in the situation when the group is on the way to the venue and will reach the congress area with in an hour. And now while this mail send to you, 300 men of FAKI have reach the congress area. We need your solidarity. Please fax your letter to Indonesian embassy in your country Email: kp_papernas_pusat@yahoo.com National police + 62-21 7938181, Regional police + 62 274 885530 Below are two articles on the Papernas Congress from Detik.com on the situation:
Bagus Kurniawan, Yogyakarta - Threats and intimidation still find fertile ground in Indonesia. The organisation of the National Liberation Party of Unity (Papernas) has been threatened by a group of people calling themselves the Indonesian Anti-Communist Front (FAKI). Police are also guarding the congress. The Papernas Congress is to be held at the Wisma Sejahtera building in Kaliurang in the Sleman sub-district of Yogyakarta, Central Java, on Thursday January 18. According to the schedule, the congress that is to be attended by some 300 people from throughout Indonesia would end on Sunday January 21. Speaking with Detik.com at the Wisma Sejahtera, the head of the Papernas organising committee, Lalu Hilman Afriandi recounted the threat. On Wednesday afternoon, dozens of FAKI members arrived at the site. They did not however meet with members of the Papernas Congress committee and the other participants had not yet arrived. In the end, they ran into the owner of Wisma Sejahtera who they asked if it was true that the Wisma Sejahtera would be used for the Papernas Congress. They also asked about the permit to organise the congress. "The building owner confirmed that the building had been rented out. But, on the permit, the building owner suggested the group ask the [congress] committee", said Lalu, who was previously known as an activist from the Yogyakarta National Student League for Democracy (LMND). Confronted by the group, the building owner was worried because they said they planed to break up the event. Lalu explained that the Papernas Congress was a follow up from a meeting of the Papernas Preparatory Committee that is mandated to form a political party. And the congress in Kaliurang was to be the first congress and at the same time would launch the party. By 11.50am around 200 participants had already arrived at the building. Meanwhile scores of Sleman district police and Yogyakarta regional police officers were on alert around the Wisma Sejahtera. A red-and-white banner with the word "FAKI" written in red had also been put up at the congress site. A number of well known figures are to attend the congress including former People's Consultative Assembly speaker Amien Rais, political observer Revrisond Baswir and labour activist Dita Indah Sari who is now the general chairperson of the Peoples Democratic Party (PRD). It its not yet known however if they will now attend or not. Lalu was not too worried about FAKI's threat to break up the congress. "The congress will go ahead. I don't think the FAKI group will come to the congress", he said. Up until now, there was no sign of the FAKI in the area of the congress site. [Translated by James Balowski.]
Bagus Kurniawan, Yogyakarta - Confronted by the threat of being broken up by the Anti-Communist Front (FAKI), the Congress of the National Liberation Party of Unity (Papernas) is truly in a jam. The problem however is not the FAKI but the police. As of 2.30pm on Thursday January 18, the congress has yet to start because National Police Headquarters has yet to issue the permit. The FAKI group that earlier threatened to break up the congress has also not shown its face near the congress site, which is to be held at the Wisma Sejahtera Building in Kaliurang in the Sleman sub-district of Yogyakarta, Central Java. Police meanwhile are still on alert and guarding the site. The chairperson of the Papernas Congress organising committee, Lalu Hilman Afriandi, admitted that the congress had not yet been able to go ahead because National Police Headquarters had not yet issued the permit. Moreover on account of the congress, Lalu was summoned by the Yogyakarta regional police to explain about the meeting. Lalu took the opportunity to ask the Yogyakarta police to issue the permit because the congress is an ordinary one and the same as other political party congresses. "But, the regional police were not prepared to issue a permit, because that is the authority of the National Police Headquarters", said Lalu after leaving the Yogyakarta police headquarters. Lalu claimed that the committee had in fact already sent a request for a permit to the National Police Headquarters three weeks ago. Up until now however, the police have not responded. "Currently, there is a friend who is taking care of it at the National Police Headquarters", he said. Lalu hopes that the police will be able to issue a permit today. "Hopefully this afternoon the National Police Headquarters permit will be issued, so that the congress can begin this evening", he said. At this time all of the participants have already arrived at the Wisma Sejahtera. But because the opening session of the congress has yet to start, they are sitting around and chatting near the building. The meeting hall also appeared to be empty. [Translated by James Balowski.]
The Chronology of I KP PAPERNAS Congress
Kaliurang, Yogyakarta, 18 – 21 January 2006
Two weeks before the conference, The Preparatory Committee of The National Liberation Party of Unity (KP-PAPERNAS) submitted a proposal to the appropriate police authorities about our plan to hold the founding congress of PAPERNAS. According to existing law, we are not required to obtain a permit for holding the conference or for inviting foreign delegates. There was no complaint from either the national or local police in response to the proposal nor was the proposal rejected. But shortly before the congress is about to open formally they try to make a problem and stop the congress from proceeding. We believe that the reason for the police’s action is political. On January 17, 2007 the National police suddenly demand that there must be a permit for this conference and they do not want to issue the permit although the local police has sent the recommendation letter to give a permit to hold the congress. On the same day, at around 4 pm 100 people who called themselves the Indonesia Forum of Anti-Communist Group (FAKI) staged a protest in front of the venue and threatened that they would forcibly disperse the congress if we insist on running the congress as planned. On January 18 the Police stated that they will not issue any permit due to the following reasons : They raised an objection to our slogan " Three banners of National Unity – repudiation of foreign debt, nationalization of the mining industry and a National industrialization program. So, we conclude that the police are saying that because we are trying to present solutions to our country’s problems in the form a of a program this is crime. Restricting international participants from attending the congress. In fact, we can not find any law that restricts international guests from participating in the congress. In fact the ruling party of Golkar regularly invites international delegates in their congress. Local police continue to say that if we run the congress, they will not responsible for any attack on us by FAKI or any other hostile forces. Since January 18 we continue to negotiate with the police and at the same time we keep running the congress as we defend our political right as citizen of this country. As we prepare the self defense unit both from committee and the participants the congress was delayed for hours. On 19 January in the morning polices state that they will not give any permission due to the pressure of Anti-communist forum. And they add the information that 500 people will come to attack the meeting. This chronology was made in the situation when the group is on the way to the venue and will reach the congress area with in an hour. And now while this mail send to you, 300 men of FAKI have reach the congress area. We need your solidarity. Please fax your letter to Indonesian embassy in your country Email: kp_papernas_pusat@yahoo.com National police + 62-21 7938181, Regional police + 62 274 885530 Below are two articles on the Papernas Congress from Detik.com on the situation:
Anti-Communist Front threatens to break up Papernas Congress
Detik.com - January 18, 2007
Bagus Kurniawan, Yogyakarta - Threats and intimidation still find fertile ground in Indonesia. The organisation of the National Liberation Party of Unity (Papernas) has been threatened by a group of people calling themselves the Indonesian Anti-Communist Front (FAKI). Police are also guarding the congress. The Papernas Congress is to be held at the Wisma Sejahtera building in Kaliurang in the Sleman sub-district of Yogyakarta, Central Java, on Thursday January 18. According to the schedule, the congress that is to be attended by some 300 people from throughout Indonesia would end on Sunday January 21. Speaking with Detik.com at the Wisma Sejahtera, the head of the Papernas organising committee, Lalu Hilman Afriandi recounted the threat. On Wednesday afternoon, dozens of FAKI members arrived at the site. They did not however meet with members of the Papernas Congress committee and the other participants had not yet arrived. In the end, they ran into the owner of Wisma Sejahtera who they asked if it was true that the Wisma Sejahtera would be used for the Papernas Congress. They also asked about the permit to organise the congress. "The building owner confirmed that the building had been rented out. But, on the permit, the building owner suggested the group ask the [congress] committee", said Lalu, who was previously known as an activist from the Yogyakarta National Student League for Democracy (LMND). Confronted by the group, the building owner was worried because they said they planed to break up the event. Lalu explained that the Papernas Congress was a follow up from a meeting of the Papernas Preparatory Committee that is mandated to form a political party. And the congress in Kaliurang was to be the first congress and at the same time would launch the party. By 11.50am around 200 participants had already arrived at the building. Meanwhile scores of Sleman district police and Yogyakarta regional police officers were on alert around the Wisma Sejahtera. A red-and-white banner with the word "FAKI" written in red had also been put up at the congress site. A number of well known figures are to attend the congress including former People's Consultative Assembly speaker Amien Rais, political observer Revrisond Baswir and labour activist Dita Indah Sari who is now the general chairperson of the Peoples Democratic Party (PRD). It its not yet known however if they will now attend or not. Lalu was not too worried about FAKI's threat to break up the congress. "The congress will go ahead. I don't think the FAKI group will come to the congress", he said. Up until now, there was no sign of the FAKI in the area of the congress site. [Translated by James Balowski.]
Police yet to issue permit for Papernas Congress
Detik.com - January 18, 2007
Bagus Kurniawan, Yogyakarta - Confronted by the threat of being broken up by the Anti-Communist Front (FAKI), the Congress of the National Liberation Party of Unity (Papernas) is truly in a jam. The problem however is not the FAKI but the police. As of 2.30pm on Thursday January 18, the congress has yet to start because National Police Headquarters has yet to issue the permit. The FAKI group that earlier threatened to break up the congress has also not shown its face near the congress site, which is to be held at the Wisma Sejahtera Building in Kaliurang in the Sleman sub-district of Yogyakarta, Central Java. Police meanwhile are still on alert and guarding the site. The chairperson of the Papernas Congress organising committee, Lalu Hilman Afriandi, admitted that the congress had not yet been able to go ahead because National Police Headquarters had not yet issued the permit. Moreover on account of the congress, Lalu was summoned by the Yogyakarta regional police to explain about the meeting. Lalu took the opportunity to ask the Yogyakarta police to issue the permit because the congress is an ordinary one and the same as other political party congresses. "But, the regional police were not prepared to issue a permit, because that is the authority of the National Police Headquarters", said Lalu after leaving the Yogyakarta police headquarters. Lalu claimed that the committee had in fact already sent a request for a permit to the National Police Headquarters three weeks ago. Up until now however, the police have not responded. "Currently, there is a friend who is taking care of it at the National Police Headquarters", he said. Lalu hopes that the police will be able to issue a permit today. "Hopefully this afternoon the National Police Headquarters permit will be issued, so that the congress can begin this evening", he said. At this time all of the participants have already arrived at the Wisma Sejahtera. But because the opening session of the congress has yet to start, they are sitting around and chatting near the building. The meeting hall also appeared to be empty. [Translated by James Balowski.]
