On Thursday 29 March 2007 at 11 am hundreds member of the Islamic defenders front (FPI), the Betawi Brotherhood Forum (FBR) and other similar group made an attack on Papernas mass action in General Sudirman street while they were convoying towards hotel Shangri-la and to Tugu Proklamasi the area people’s gathering to demand the nationalization of the mining industry that is currently in the hands of foreign companies. At the site of the mass rally these same groups waited in order to disrupt the mass rally – in case the Papernas masses arrived at their destination.

The plan to hold the mass rally was postponed especially after the police stated that they were not able to guarantee the safety of the Papernas members as they marched to their destination or at the proclamation monument itself.

Several weeks before, PAPERNAS regional conference in Batu East Java East Java – which had already fulfilled all the legal requirements - experienced same kind of action by reactionary groups and as well as police ignorance . prior to this in September 2006 the declaration of the preparatory committee of PAPERNAS are threaten and repressed . . There was also an attack on the founding congress of the PAPERNAS on 18-20 Januari 2007 in Kaliurang, Jogjakarta.

At the same time, similar kinds of incidents occurred at seminars and discussion forums of several NGOs and other people’s organizations. The instigators of these reactionary actions have been from the same kinds of organizations including FAKI (Indonesian anti communist front), FPI Islamic defenders front and the Pancamarga Youth group.

We declare that these are a series of thugs actions did not occur spontaneously and in no way reflect the aspirations of ordinary people. In the past the New Order state systematically made various regulations as well as instruments of violence to impede and kill off the people’s political aspirations and movements. The issue of communism is the main weapon and scapegoat that is chosen to (disperse), repress and ban an organization. It is also used to frighten the people that until now have received miss information in relation to communism and Indonesian political history that was established by the New Order.

In the recent past this has been proven again, when the Attorney general Intelligence unit issued an instruction to withdraw school history books that were produced for the year 2004 school curriculum, giving the reason that the section on the historical tragedy of 1965 did not identify the PKI as the agents of the 30 September movement. Despite the fact that the results of various foreign and Indonesian scientific research conducted by various reliable historical research institutes state that there is no evidence that proves that the agents of the tragedy of 1965 were the PKI. There is in fact more historical evidence that indicates the involvement of Suharto as the primary agent in the tragedy of 1965.

Scientific research indicates that there was a mutually beneficial relationship between the politics of the New Order government and the emergence of the gangster organizations that attacked PAPERNAS. This is expressed in the results of the research of Ian Douglas Wilson, PhD, Asia Research Centre, Murdoch University, Australia, tahun 2005 in his book “Reformasi: The Struggle for Power in Post-Soeharto Indonesia”, Kevin O’Rourke, tahun 2002.

They state that these groups act as the servants or assistants of the regime, using methods that have been proven to take the form of physical and psychological intimidation in carrying out their assignment to “maintain the regime” including intimidating and attacking critics of the government, organizing pro-government demonstrations and obtaining funding from “official” state criminal activities such as extortion / paid protection.

The people need to know this because up until now it turns out that the government still supports the politics of the New Order that systematically accuses organization A or B of being communists with the intention of blocking the development of people’s participation in politics.

This is also what has happened to PAPERNAS. We have been accused arbitrarily of being communists and our three banner program as smelling of communism. (Remember one of the reasons the police headquarters consistently stalled the process of providing permission for the PAPERNAS congress in Jogjakarta was because they asked us to delete the three banners from our program). Even thought it is clear that our program, in particular the three banners, has an anti-imperialist character that was born in order to provide an answer to the crisis that has descended upon Indonesia in this past time.

Consider these things that are stated below, that:

1. The government at this time of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono-Jusuf Kalla (SBY-JK) and their predecessors, together with the majority of the members of parliament serve the foreign imperialists, especially after the recent ratification of changes to the foreign investment laws along with many other pro imperialist policies.
2. PAPERNAS is the only political party that explicitly rejects the various forms of foreign imperialism. The mass rally that PAPERNAS wished to hold at the proclamation monument that also explicitly wished to go straight to the heart of the government’s policies and call on the people of Indonesia to nationalize the foreign controlled mining industry and reject the ratification of the new foreign investment laws.
3. The attack that was conscientiously carried out on PAPERNAS in order to stop the mass rally from taking place was carried out by a group of paid thugs.
4. The deliberate lack of seriousness on the part of the police in carrying out their responsibility in providing permission and security for PAPERNAS activities.

We conclude that all of these events, that have obstructed PAPERNAS’ activities both in Jakarta and in other regions, is a certain foreign imperialist scenario carried out by their agents in the puppet regime of SBY-JK. A scenario that clears the way for the imperialists in carrying out their colonization and exploitation of the Indonesian nation, including their natural resources, as well as to weaken the most advanced sections of the people’s movement that opposes imperialism. The reactionary groups that attacked us are only the extension of the hand of the puppet regime although we must continue to take action legally because the state is a constitutional state.

After concluding thus, we state that:

1. We will not surrender to intimidation and attacks that are made on us.
2. We will continue to struggle in accordance with the anti-foreign colonization perspectives that were adopted by our congress in Yogyakarta including the three banners of national unity as our primary program.

We also demand that the apparatus that must uphold the law in particular and the state in general must:

1. Take legal action against all cases of attacks that have been made against PAPERNAS, and also
2. Guarantee the full security and smooth running of all PAPERNAS events including in all branches in Indonesia in the future.

With this the entire PAPERNAS organization and their supporters wish that this will provide momentum to expand the enthusiasm for continuing the political work with the people and not as something that brings demoralization and fear. This condition proves that the program and political choice that we have taken are correct – it has been proven in producing a reaction from those parties that do not want the aspirations of freedom for the nation of Indonesia from the foreign colonialists to be realised. We must be brave!!

Jakarta, 29 March 2007

Enough of being a nation of coolies, rise up and be an independent nation!

Repudiation of foreign debt

Nationalise the mining Industry!

Build national Industry!

Jabo Priyono

Chairperson

Central committee Leadership

National Liberation Party of Unity (PAPERNAS)

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We will fight for our rights

March 29, 2007 is a day to reaffirm the struggle of the National liberation Party (PAPERNAS). At least 2000 members in Jakarta [gathered] to take sovereignty back to the people.

Along this month, central leadership committees and the mass based in Jakarta work together to prepare the rally and People gathering. Discussion in the poor and labor neighboorhood, daily dues for mobilization and meal, publishing and circulating leaflet, campaign about Nationalization on mining industry have been conducted for the past three months.

We will rally to the National Education ministry and labor ministry to contest their anti-poor people policy. In addition, we will rally to hotel Shangri-La Jakarta, where the regional high level consultation that is organized by Indonesian and Norwegian government regarding UN wide coherence system (particularly evaluate the MDG’s Program) will be held.

Above of all, we will end the action with a mass gathering on the Nationalization of mining industries at Tugu Proklamasi, Jakarta. The meeting itself will be attended by popular economist, public figure and Indonesian artist who believe that Nationalization of mining industry is a necessary action to rescue the people from crisis.

The true face of Indonesian democracy

People’s political and economic rights are guaranteed under constitution 1945, however its implementation is very far from expectation.

In accordance to the regulation, Papernas submit a formal letter to inform the police of the mas gathering. Normally, the police should issue the receipt of the incoming letters. Papernas faces so many political obstacle that hide behind bureaucratic obstacle.

First, we submited it to the police resort that recommended us to submit it directly to the national police. On contrary, national police requested us to bring the recommendation letter from Jakarta to the Regional police station.

On March 26, we finally met the regional police. The heads of security intelligent division stated that security is their main reason. They identified that various organization — FBR (Betawi forum) FPI (Islamic Defender Front), communication forum of 1966, GERAK (Anti communist movement) — will mobilize thousand people to stop PAPERNA gathering.

They were hoping there will not be any horizontal conflict, they said. This make them re-think about the decision to issue the receit.

We argued that this is our political rights to run this activity. We urge the police as state apparatus to ensure our rights. However, they keep saying that they are in the dilemma situation: they cannot do anything with the [threatening] group.

It is exactly the same problem as what happened in Jogjakarta and Surabaya, where police did not catch the militia who intended to disperse the congress and conference although their clearly equipped with sharp weapon.

On March 29, 2007 the staff of the National Police contacted me and ask me to submit additional requirement: Legalization of the Party, the permission from the venue and the design of activity (which we had faxed earlier, except for the legalization of the Party). In the very last minutes, police asked us to sign the statement that we will disperse our mobilization if the situation is turning to be insecure. We absolutely refused their idea. They are supposed to disperse the violent group, they should not disperse us who organize the peace-gathering.

It is only in the afternoon that the National police called and promised to give the letters. After three hours, the receit was able to be collected.

Both national and regional police will not take any action to stop them. In the other side, they [tried to] convinced us to response “wisely” to any development of the situation that might lead to the threat or violence.

The threat and police ignorance not only indicate an effort to stop Papernas to strife, but also an action to stop democracy to flourish, to stop the people to win their rights. Despite this repression, PAPERNAS will continue all this struggle to win the people’s rights.

Katarina Pujiastuti

Heads of International Relation

The National Liberation Party of Unity (PAPERNAS)

Jl Tebet Dalam 2 G no 1

Jakarta – Indonesia

Phone : +6221 8354513, +62 815843 68608 (mobile)