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People's Democratic Party (Indonesia)
Encyclopedia
The People's Democratic Party (PRD) is a democratic socialist party in Indonesia
.
, Bali
and Lombok
established to protest against aspects of President Suharto's authoritarian New Order
regime. One of these, the Yogyakarta Students Solidarity (SMY) was led by future party leader Budiman Sudjatmiko
. The SMY was particularly active and established branches in other cities in Java and beyond. On 23 May 1994, a number of these groups and other activists declared the formation of the People's Democratic Association (also PRD), chaired by Sugeng Bahagijo. A split the following year led to Sugeng's leaving the PRD to establish the Indonesian People's Democratic Movement (PADI). The PRD was temporarily led by a presidium, headed by Budiman. It then joined with a number of students, farmers, artists and workers groups.
From 14–16 April 1996, the PRD held an extraordinary conference, at which it changed its name to the People's Democratic Party. Budimnan was elected chairman and Petrus Hariyanto the secretary general. The party established offices at the Indonesian Legal Aid Institute Foundation in Jakarta
on 22 July at a ceremony attended by Megawati Sukarnoputri
, who had been recently deposed as leader of the Indonesian Democratic Party
(PDI) in a congress organized with the support of the government and the military, East Timor
opposition leader Xanana Gusmão
and author Pramoedya Ananta Toer
.
Meanwhile protests against the ouster of Megawati as PDI leader continued with a march by 5,000 of her supporters in Jakarta on 20 June. This led to clashes with riot police. Megawati's supporters then occupied the PDI head office in central Jakarta. On 27 July they were forcibly removed after the building was attacked by security forces and hired thugs. This sparked stone-throwing and large scale clashes between crowds of demonstrators and police and soldiers and ended with the largest riots in Jakarta for 12 years, with buildings and cars being burned. The government and the military blamed the PRD for the disturbances, accusing it of being a communist organization with links to the banned Communist Party of Indonesia
(PKI) and Amnesty International
. However the report into the incident by the National Human Rights Commission made no mention of the PRD.
The Indonesian Military
made a number of statements to convince the public that PRD leader Budiman was a communist. One spokesman said that Budiman used the word "comrade" to address his associates. Another stated that the party was deliberately declared on 22 July 1996 as that was the same date as Communist Party of Indonesia chairman D.N. Aidit
issued the party manifesto on 22 April 1951. A third military spokesman claimed the PRD manifesto used PKI jargon, while the head of the Armed forces, General Faisal Tanjung said the PRD had the same organizational structure as the PKI. The PRD denied all these accusations, declaring on 30 September that "communism is dead". However, after being declared fugitives, Budiman, Peterus and other PRD officials were arrested in August and September. The 60-year-old mother of activist Garda Sembiring was arrested to force her son to give himself up. Budiman was sentenced to 13 years in jail for subversion, but was freed in December 1999 after the fall of Suharto by President Abdurrahman Wahid
.
s, with workers having a decision-making role in factories. It wants all hospitals to be run by the state, with guaranteed cheap, subsidized healthcare for all. It opposes what it calls the feudalistic exploitation of the regions by the center, and wants an end to the military's business activities. It supports the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
and calls for an end to all discriminatory legislation.
, but won only 0.07% of the vote. It has not stood in subsequent elections.
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
.
History
The party grew from student movements in the late 1980s in JavaJava
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
, Bali
Bali
Bali is an Indonesian island located in the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east...
and Lombok
Lombok
Lombok is an island in West Nusa Tenggara province, Indonesia. It forms part of the chain of the Lesser Sunda Islands, with the Lombok Strait separating it from Bali to the west and the Alas Strait between it and Sumbawa to the east...
established to protest against aspects of President Suharto's authoritarian New Order
New Order (Indonesia)
The New Order is the term coined by former Indonesian President Suharto to characterize his regime as he came to power in 1966. Suharto used this term to contrast his rule with that of his predecessor, Sukarno...
regime. One of these, the Yogyakarta Students Solidarity (SMY) was led by future party leader Budiman Sudjatmiko
Budiman Sudjatmiko
Budiman Sudjatmiko is an Indonesian activist and politician.-Biography:He is the son of Wartono and Sri Sulastri . When he was just a high school student, he began to create discussion forum on politics, which was an unpopular move during Suharto's dictatorial regime...
. The SMY was particularly active and established branches in other cities in Java and beyond. On 23 May 1994, a number of these groups and other activists declared the formation of the People's Democratic Association (also PRD), chaired by Sugeng Bahagijo. A split the following year led to Sugeng's leaving the PRD to establish the Indonesian People's Democratic Movement (PADI). The PRD was temporarily led by a presidium, headed by Budiman. It then joined with a number of students, farmers, artists and workers groups.
From 14–16 April 1996, the PRD held an extraordinary conference, at which it changed its name to the People's Democratic Party. Budimnan was elected chairman and Petrus Hariyanto the secretary general. The party established offices at the Indonesian Legal Aid Institute Foundation in Jakarta
Jakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
on 22 July at a ceremony attended by Megawati Sukarnoputri
Megawati Sukarnoputri
In this Indonesian name, the name "Sukarnoputri" is a patronymic, not a family name, and the person should be referred to by the given name "Megawati"....
, who had been recently deposed as leader of the Indonesian Democratic Party
Indonesian Democratic Party
The Indonesian Democratic Party was one of the two state-approved parties during the New Order era of the late 20th-century in Indonesia.-Origins:...
(PDI) in a congress organized with the support of the government and the military, East Timor
East Timor
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
opposition leader Xanana Gusmão
Xanana Gusmão
Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão GCL is a former militant who was the first President of East Timor, serving from May 2002 to May 2007...
and author Pramoedya Ananta Toer
Pramoedya Ananta Toer
Pramoedya Ananta Toer was an Indonesian author of novels, short stories, essays, polemic and histories of his homeland and its people...
.
Meanwhile protests against the ouster of Megawati as PDI leader continued with a march by 5,000 of her supporters in Jakarta on 20 June. This led to clashes with riot police. Megawati's supporters then occupied the PDI head office in central Jakarta. On 27 July they were forcibly removed after the building was attacked by security forces and hired thugs. This sparked stone-throwing and large scale clashes between crowds of demonstrators and police and soldiers and ended with the largest riots in Jakarta for 12 years, with buildings and cars being burned. The government and the military blamed the PRD for the disturbances, accusing it of being a communist organization with links to the banned Communist Party of Indonesia
Communist Party of Indonesia
The Communist Party of Indonesia was the largest non-ruling communist party in the world prior to being crushed in 1965 and banned the following year.-Forerunners:...
(PKI) and Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
. However the report into the incident by the National Human Rights Commission made no mention of the PRD.
The Indonesian Military
Military of Indonesia
The Indonesian National Armed Forces in 2009 comprises approximately 432,129 personnel including the Army , Navy including the Indonesian Marine Corps and the Air Force ....
made a number of statements to convince the public that PRD leader Budiman was a communist. One spokesman said that Budiman used the word "comrade" to address his associates. Another stated that the party was deliberately declared on 22 July 1996 as that was the same date as Communist Party of Indonesia chairman D.N. Aidit
Dipa Nusantara Aidit
Dipa Nusantara Aidit was a senior leader of the Communist Party of Indonesia . Born Ahmad Aidit on Bangka Island, he was nicknamed "Amat". Aidit was educated in the Dutch colonial system...
issued the party manifesto on 22 April 1951. A third military spokesman claimed the PRD manifesto used PKI jargon, while the head of the Armed forces, General Faisal Tanjung said the PRD had the same organizational structure as the PKI. The PRD denied all these accusations, declaring on 30 September that "communism is dead". However, after being declared fugitives, Budiman, Peterus and other PRD officials were arrested in August and September. The 60-year-old mother of activist Garda Sembiring was arrested to force her son to give himself up. Budiman was sentenced to 13 years in jail for subversion, but was freed in December 1999 after the fall of Suharto by President Abdurrahman Wahid
Abdurrahman Wahid
Abdurrahman Wahid, born Abdurrahman Addakhil , colloquially known as , was an Indonesian Muslim religious and political leader who served as the President of Indonesia from 1999 to 2001...
.
Political philosophy
The party has a democratic socialist platform. It opposes the capitalist system, which it believes exploits workers. It wants to see a 21st century socialism with control over natural and economic resources passing to the people through a democratic revolution. This way, the state would manage these resources, but control would be in the hands of the people through independent organizations such as trade unionTrade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
s, with workers having a decision-making role in factories. It wants all hospitals to be run by the state, with guaranteed cheap, subsidized healthcare for all. It opposes what it calls the feudalistic exploitation of the regions by the center, and wants an end to the military's business activities. It supports the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a declaration adopted by the United Nations General Assembly . The Declaration arose directly from the experience of the Second World War and represents the first global expression of rights to which all human beings are inherently entitled...
and calls for an end to all discriminatory legislation.
Electoral performance
The PRD stood in the 1999 Indonesian legislative electionIndonesian legislative election, 1999
The Indonesian legislative election, 1999, held on June 7, 1999, was the first election since the end of the New Order and the first free election in Indonesia since 1955. With the ending of restrictions on political activity following the fall of Suharto, a total of 48 parties contested the 462...
, but won only 0.07% of the vote. It has not stood in subsequent elections.