By Arun Pradhan
MELBOURNE — A highlight of the Resistance conference earlier this month was Didit T, a student activist from Indonesia. Her eyewitness reports gave a rare insight into conditions there. Didit became politically active when she entered university at the age of 16. Two years on, she is still involved in the struggle for democracy and justice.
"Many Australians just know Indonesia as beautiful islands with nice people and cheap holiday spots. They don't know about the oppression we face or the growing opposition to it", Didit told Green Left Weekly.
She explained that 80% of Indonesia's people live in poverty, with huge disparities between the rich and poor. This is enforced by the government's attempts to depoliticise the population.
Indonesia once had the largest Communist Party in Asia. In 1965 it was banned along with many left-wing, women's and student organisations. Hundreds of thousands of people were killed.
Since then Indonesia's experience has been severe austerity measures and military crackdowns.
There is resistance. Despite lack of media coverage, Didit points to 200 strikes in Jakarta alone last year. There have already been more than 100 strikes this year.
Much of this opposition stems from youth, in particular the students. There are many protests on campuses, especially against the large amount of corruption and increasing education fees.
Didit described a recent protest in which the director of a university called in the military. "They came with tear gas and rifles. Many students escaped but they caught about 50 people. They were put into one truck, all of them squashed onto the floor of the truck with the guards standing on top of them. Some
were knocked unconscious, many were injured with broken bones and suffered shock."
Military detachments are placed in every locality and are used to suppress and disperse demonstrations. There have been bans on some campus newspapers, armed guards in lecture theatres and continual military violence against unarmed protesters.
Didit laughed at the notion of help from the Australian government. "Australia has invested money in Jakarta and Bali; the Australian government will not criticise Suharto and the military." Instead she sees change in the hands of the people.
Students such as Didit are building and leading mass movements. "Students have the education to be able to speak out. We can organise and educate the people ... We teach people about the undemocratic capitalist system, about politics. But not just theory; we teach action — how to make an effective strike, how to get media coverage and getting the message out."
These actions have led to continual violent reactions by the military. But Didit is full of hope for the future. "We need international solidarity from groups like Resistance and from the people of Australia. Our struggle is just beginning. We have to rebuild after the mass killings when the Communist Party was banned.
"Even though we face the government, the military, with their tear gas and rifles, we will not give up. We will continue to fight."