By James Balowski
SYDNEY — On January 24, around 20 people attended an Indonesian language public meeting entitled "The democratic struggle under new conditions" which was jointly organised by Action in Solidarity with Indonesia and East Timor and the People's Democratic Party (PRD).
PRD leader Robby Hartono, who is currently visiting Australia, gave a background report on the July 27 attack on the Indonesian Democratic Party's (PDI) headquarters, the ensuing riots in Jakarta and the regime's efforts to blame the incident on the PRD. He emphasised that although the PRD is now outlawed and a number of key leaders are on trial for subversion (which carries the maximum penalty of death), the PRD has been able to re-establish itself as an underground organisation. Links with PDI militants have been re-established and the momentum and growth of the party has revived with "ad hoc" committees formed in a number of cities to campaign in support of ousted PDI leader Megawati Sukarnoputri.
Video footage which was used by the Indonesian National Human Rights Commission in its investigation of the July 27 events was also presented. The commission found that the attack was organised and carried out by the military and that they, not the PRD, were responsible for the rioting which followed. In one scene, government stooges leaving the PDI headquarters are handed money for carrying out the attack. In other scenes, bodies are rushed away and fire trucks brought in to wash away the blood. The government still claims that only five people died in the incident.
Nico Warouw, the international representative of the PRD, announced the formation of a new solidarity organisation, the Sydney Indonesian Language ASIET (SILAT). SILAT aims to build solidarity with the Indonesian democratic movement and campaign for the release of Indonesian political prisoners. The first organising meeting will be held on March 2. For more information telephone (02) 9690 1032.