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* Note:

On this May Day the other wing of the PRD (referred to these days as PRD/PAPERNAS) did not participate in May Day. I am not sure why. They did, through their FNPBI, however, organize a pre May Day seminar. They invited as keynote speaker, the regime’s Minister of Labour The Below is a translation of the stated aims of the seminar:

“Energy Resilience, National Industry Situation and the Trade Union Response.

Aims:

1. to explore what common issues exist among trade unions in relation to the commemoration of May Day and which orient to the national interest and workers welfare

2. To find the points of common interest between unions and national entrepreneurs as basis for a common struggle against the globalization current which is damaging the national interest

3. To create a synergy between workers and national entrepreneurs in the context of supporting a strong, independent national economy and for advancing the welfare of workers.”

I understand that PAPERNAS is now a member of another front, together with REPDEM (Volunteers for Democracy), led by another former PRD leader, Budiman Sujatmiko, and other groups. REPDEM was recently formally integrated into the PDIP, the party of Megawati Sukarnoputri. Meanwhile, electorally, they appear to be pursuing a policy of stopping doing any major politically activity through PAPERNAS (using student, urban poor and other fronts for a few actions), in preparation for standing candidates and supporting candidates under the banner of the Star Reformation Party (PBR), a mixed bag of Islamic fundamentalists, pro-regime and other opportunists and adventurers.

Additional Comment re formation of FPN

Other organisations listed as part of FPN are:

PRAXIS,

a Jakarta activist center coordinating various grass-roots campaign projects in different parts of the country, mainly peasants. Also publishes research on grass-roots considtions and campaigns - a few major books.

IKOHI,

the union of tehfamilies of the disappeared from the Suharto period. headed by Mugiyanto, an active leader of the PRD in the nineties - he left as part of group, around 2000. Some of that group are now in PRP, which is also now in the FPN.

PERGERAKAN,

a network of mainly activist oriented left intellectuals, also spread around the country,; some with lkinks to grAss roots groups

PAWANG, FBTN, KPA, LBH FAS, JGM, - not sure exactly which groups these are.

There is still further potential for this kind of collaboration to spread. Several other left networks are working with many of these groups in the Hands Off Venezuela committee, which has also set up a joint working group to study how “socialism in the 21^st century’ mighyt be applied in Indonesia. There are literally hundreds - maybe more - left networks and action committees that have sprung up around the country (4^th most populous in the world). The extreme fragmentation of the rest is a direct reflection of a very big spontaneous formation of small groups in the absence of any large formation to appear at the end of the 33 year dictatorship and in the absence - virtual total absence - of any continuity of tradition with earlier left ideologies. [1]. It appears that there is now a steady accumulation of new ideological discussion around socialism that may, bit by bit, provide the glue to help some, maybe many, of these fragmentys achieve greater collaboration.

The roles of KPRM-PRD, the SMI-FPBJ current and the PRP (see earlier post) will be very important in propelling this.

There is a lot to study, Many of these groups are only 4-5 years old, or where there are older links, they are very new combinations. They often don’t know much about each other either. This especially the case in the provincial cities, where such groups have started sepaarate from any Jakarta-based initiative.

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