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By In Defence of Marxism
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Tuesday, 23 December 2008 |
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Last week Indonesian police brutally attacked peasants defending their land rights, even using napalm bombs to destroy their homes, leading to the death of one child and leaving many injured. We issue this Solidarity Statement with the People of Suluk Bongkal Village and call on others to do the same.
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By Alan Woods
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Tuesday, 23 December 2008 |
 The Permanent Revolution by Leon Trotsky is one of the most important Marxist books of the last century. The International Marxist Tendency is producing an Indonesian edition of this book, scheduled to be published in January. We publish here the introduction written by Alan Woods.
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By Perhimpunan Rakyat Pekerja, PRP, April 2008
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Thursday, 01 May 2008 |
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A translation of a leaflet and poster being circulated by
the Working People's Association (Perhimpunan Rakyat Pekerja, PRP) in Indonesia
as part of a campaign by radical Indonesian trade unions to highlight class
issues and socialism on May Day.
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By Ted Sprague
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Wednesday, 06 February 2008 |
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On
January 27, 2008 General Soeharto, former dictator of Indonesia,
passed away. This man was responsible for the murder of hundreds of thousands
of communists in a bloody coup in 1965. Despite these monstrous
crimes and his well-documented corruption the old butcher died
in his bed, untouched by the law.
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By Wiji Thukul
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Wednesday, 12 September 2007 |
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Just One Day Comrade (Sehari Saja Kawan) is
one of many poems written by a well-known Indonesian poet Wiji Thukul about the
strength of workers’ unity. Through the power of his words, he has inspired
many youth and workers to fight against the oppressive capitalism.
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By Ted Sprague
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Friday, 08 June 2007 |
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In the midst of the hue and
cry over the non-renewal of RCTV’s license in Venezuela, freedom of speech is
being blatantly violated in other parts of the world. In Indonesia, an event to discuss
Marta Harnecker’s book ‘Understanding the
Venezuelan Revolution’ was disrupted through intimidations by the police
and hooligans.
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By Ted Sprague
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Tuesday, 03 April 2007 |
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The Indonesian ruling class thought they had destroyed Marxism forever when they brutally suppressed the Communist Party of Indonesia in 1965. However, people and organizations are born and die, come and go, but ideas cannot be killed. Just ten years after the overthrow of the Suharto regime and the promise of democracy and prosperity, not much has changed in Indonesia - except that the workers and youth are searching for ideas that can lead to a fundamental transformation of society, the ideas of Marxism.
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By Alan Woods
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Thursday, 09 March 2006 |
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In his preface to the recently published Indonesian edition of Reason in Revolt, Alan Woods points out that the intense anti-Islamic propaganda in the West is merely a “crude ideological cover for the pretensions and arrogance of imperialism and especially US imperialism, which seeks to dominate the entire world and subject it to its pitiless exploitation”. In answer to all this what is needed is that the rational, scientific outlook of Marxism should become the viewpoint of the labour movement in all countries. |
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By In Defence of Marxism
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Thursday, 09 March 2006 |
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We are proud to announce the recent publication of the Indonesian edition of Reason in Revolt. The book was launched publicly on February 20th at the Gadja Mada University. Here we provide some background information and details of how to order the book in Indonesia. |
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By Jean Duval
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Thursday, 09 January 2003 |
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Mass strikes of public transportation drivers started on Monday, January 6, in a number of
Indonesian cities. Street protests continue against the IMF sponsored cuts in subsidies
which have provoked a price hike. Although still relatively small these protests could
become more massive in the coming days. Particularly important is the call for a
nation-wide strike for Thursday January 9 (today) by a front of 23 different trade
unions which could halt industry in many parts of the country. |
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By In Defence of Marxism
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Tuesday, 15 October 2002 |
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On October 12, two bombs ripped through a packed discotheque in Bali,
killing more than 200 people and injuring
some 300. Most of those who died were young people, many of them
Australians. Marxists condemn this act of senseless killing. However,
the declarations of Bush and Blair are full of the most disgusting
hypocrisy.
They are taking cynical advantage of the grief and anger at the latest
terrorist
atrocity for the purpose of drumming up support for their plans for war. |
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By Jean Duval
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Tuesday, 15 October 2002 |
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This article deals with the background and the consequences of the recent
Bali blast from an Indonesian perspective. In a future article the author will deal with the economic situation
in Indonesia, developments in the class struggle and the perspectives for the
left. |
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By Bruce Boon
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Monday, 17 December 2001 |
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Bruce Boon analyses the political situation in Indonesia in the light of the events of September 11. |
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By In Defence of Marxism
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Friday, 14 September 2001 |
 We publish here the first edition of a new Marxist paper in
Indonesia. Cahaya, means "shining light" or "bright light" and has been
produced by a group of young Marxists active in the Indonesian workers and
student movement. It has the ambition to become the socialist voice of workers,
poor peasants and young people. We hope that the policies explained in its pages
will become the dominant ideas of the Indonesian left.A short
presentation in English is also available. |
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By Jean Duval
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Sunday, 22 July 2001 |
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"We fight the comeback of the military and the New
Order elements not by leaning on President Gus Dur, but with a policy
of class independence"
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By Bruce Boon
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Sunday, 22 July 2001 |
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Since the fall of Soeharto a lot has changed for the Indonesian
labour movement. During the New Order era one "union" monopolised the
organisation of workers, the yellow union FSPSI linked to the ruling
clique's Golkar party. Instead of raising the consciousness of
workers, the FSPSI was designed to depoliticise them.
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By Jean Duval
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Saturday, 05 May 2001 |
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The recent Global Alliance report (February 2001) on workers'
rights (mostly dealing with young girls) in 9 Nike factories in
Indonesia has once more brought to the fore the ruthless character of
the regime in the factories belonging to this American multinational. If the claim made by a so-called 'surprised and disturbed
management' is to be believed, then the conditions in the factories
reviewed would be amongst the most "progressive in the country".
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By Jean Duval
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Thursday, 30 November 2000 |
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An important political development has taken place in the left movement in
Indonesia with the split of the Democratic Socialist Faction from the PRD
(Democratic People's Party) during the first few weeks of November 2000.
Although small in numbers (some 22 national leaders and organisers based in the
capital Jakarta) the political reasons behind this split relate to fundamental
questions of revolutionary socialist strategy for Indonesia.
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By In Defence of Marxism
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Thursday, 30 November 2000 |
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Since the fall of the dictator Suharto, the Indonesian working
class has been in a constant struggle to build up its own
organisations. But they are seriously hampered in this by the
economic crisis and the resulting mass unemployment, even more than
before. On top of that comes the ongoing repression by the employers,
the government and the military.
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By Democratic Socialist Faction
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Friday, 17 November 2000 |
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Today, we the Democratic Socialist Faction, a faction inside the People's
Democratic Party, declare to split from the People's Democratic Party (PRD).
We do hope that this split will give a new way for strengthening revolutionary
movement in Indonesia, considering the fact that the internal conflict in the
PRD has lead to fundamental difference and accordingly irreconcilable.
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By Jean Duval
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Wednesday, 01 November 2000 |
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The following is an exclusive interview with an Indonesian socialist activist, who
spoke to me about the new era of turmoil which Indonesia has entered and the potential for
the Left.
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By Jean Duval
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Friday, 01 September 2000 |
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"It looks more like a capitalist hell". Jean Duval is analyzing the situation in East Timor one year after the independence referendum.
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By Jean Duval
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Tuesday, 16 May 2000 |
This article presents a summary of the economic situation of capitalism in Indonesia today
and in the future. It also looks at the implications for the struggle of the working class
and develops the broad outlines of a programmatic and socialist response to the crisis of
this system. It will serve as the introduction to the publication in book form of " Di atas mata pisau" , or "On a Knife's Edge", an analysis of the Asian
and world economy after the meltdown of 1997. The book is part of the Indonesian Socialist
Education Project.
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By Jean Duval
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Wednesday, 12 April 2000 |
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This document retraces the first period of the Indonesian Communist Party up to the
ill-prepared insurrection of 1926. It contains vital lessons for the building of a Marxist
political organisation today. The thousands of activists involved in organising workers,
peasants, urban poor and students will find in this historical analysis a more thorough
understanding of the strategy for socialism in Indonesia and of the necessary tools to
achieve this goal. We must not only learn from the great achievements of this epoch but
also from the fatal weaknesses of the PKI at that time. The new generation of young people
in Indonesia will find here some very important guidelines in building a socialist and
Marxist organisation. |
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By Jean Duval
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Wednesday, 01 March 2000 |
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"Swastanisasi" means privatisation in Bahasa Indonesia. Four
important universities in Jakarta, Yogyakarta, Bandung and Bogor are
on the menu for the voracious multinationals and the International
Monetary Fund. But the students, encouraged by the successful overthrow
of Suharto are moving into action against the imposed "otonomie
versie rektor" (the rector's version of autonomy).
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By Jean Duval
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Tuesday, 30 November 1999 |
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Abdurrahman Wahid or Gus Dur as he is popularly nicknamed,
became the third ever Indonesian president amidst great hopes for
economic, political and social change. His government is a compromise
between the so-called "reforming" bourgeoisie and the interests of
those capitalists/military layers who benefited most from the Suharto
era. Even if the opinion polls indicate a high degree of support and
confidence in the new government, very rapidly the masses will take
their fate in their own hands, because this government will be unable
to resolve the urgent questions facing the poor masses. Although the
economic situation stands first in people’s preoccupations, the
most immediate threat to the new government comes from the risk of
disintegration of the Indonesian Archipelago.
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By Pembabasan (PRD's paper in Indonesia)
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Monday, 01 November 1999 |
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The people's movements in Indonesia, pioneered by students, are
qualitatively increasing. The demands, strategy and tactics are
developing as well as the method and targets of struggle. They do not
only do demonstrations but more importantly build the mass movements
as method of struggle. This is in contrary with those method of
struggle of the bourgeoisie, namely the elitist struggle which is
based on lobby, bargaining, concession and compromise in order to get
profits for their own groups.
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By Ted Grant and Jean Duval
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Monday, 20 September 1999 |
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Early this morning, the United Nations force, Interfet, landed in
East Timor. Reports indicate that revenge killings are going on until
the last minute against pro-independence Timorese. There are reports
that in just one day, 18th September, some 150 to 200 people were
killed. The militias and the army are waging a "scorched earth"
policy in their preparations to leave the country.
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By Jean Duval
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Monday, 06 September 1999 |
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The overwhelming majority of the Timorese population voted in a UN
sponsored referendum to end the 25 year long Indonesian military
occupation. They rejected the proposal of " autonomy ". This occupation, backed by US imperialism, which started just
after the Portuguese revolution was probably one of the most brutal
in recent history.
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By Jean Duval
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Wednesday, 16 June 1999 |
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The elections of June 7th in Indonesia were seized upon by the
masses as an opportunity to express their rejection of the
Habibie-Suharto regime and to unseat it. Although some layers of the
student movement and workers activists called for a boycott of those
elections their appeal had no significant impact amongst the masses.
The massive rallies organised by the so-called "reform parties,"
especially in the capital Jakarta, attracted hundreds of thousands of
supporters.
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By Jean Duval
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Saturday, 14 November 1998 |
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"Rakyat Bersatu Tak Terkalahkan", (the people united will never be
defeated) is one of the most popular slogans shouted at the student
demonstrations in Jakarta these days. It is proof of a clear shift in
the orientation of the democratic student movement towards joining
with the workers, the urban poor and the peasants in order to defeat
the regime. The new organisations of students which sprung in
existence the three last months tend to call themselves people's
committees and not a few students are directly involved in organising
the workers and the peasants.
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By Phil Mitchinson
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Thursday, 30 July 1998 |
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On June 17th the Indonesian rupiah hit a new low of
16,800 to the dollar - a fall of 10% in one day, a collapse of 30% in
one week. Economists are now predicting that inflation will hit 100%
and the economy will contract by 20%. The rupiah has now devalued by
a staggering 66% this year and more than 80% since the economic
crisis began to unfold in mid-1997.
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By Mark Slane
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Wednesday, 01 July 1998 |
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Belgian trade union activist Mark Slane visited Indonesia in
July. These are his impressions on the development of the working
class movement after the May events.
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By In Defence of Marxism
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Wednesday, 01 July 1998 |
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In July we interviewed Muhammad Ma'ruf, chief-editor of
Pembebasan-Liberation, paper of the Indonesian PRD.
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By Alan Woods and Ted Grant
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Friday, 22 May 1998 |
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The news of Suharto's resignation hit the world like a bombshell. For thirty-two
years, this bloody tyrant ruled Indonesia with a rod of iron, having come to power over
the corpses of over a million people. Now he has been blown away like a dead leaf in the
wind. The magnificent mass movement of the students and workers has won a great victory.
To the very last minute, Suharto clung to power, threatening a bloodbath if the masses
continued to defy him. But in the moment of truth the whole edifice of repression
collapsed like a house of cards in the face of a popular uprising. This is the beginning
of a revolution. It is like 1931, when the Spanish monarchy was deposed and the Republic
proclaimed. This opened the flood-gates of revolution. Indonesia has now entered the same
road. |
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By Alan Woods
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Monday, 01 October 1990 |
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Confused reports of Officers' plots, coups and countercoups which
filtered through to the Western press a week ago were the first
indication of a major revolutionary upheaval in Indonesia. The recent events unfolded against a now familiar background of
social and economic crisis in a backward country. The regime of
Sukarno - despite the superficial appearance of stability - has been
exposed as rotten to the core.
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