---------------------------------------------------------- Unsubscribe?, send your mail to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] with body mail: "signoff indonews" need more help?, send your mail to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] with body mail: "info refcard" ---------------------------------------------------------- `Grand Launch' of the PRD in Jakarta ==================================== Detikcom - March 21, 1999 (slightly abridged) Sigit Widodo, Jakarta -- Although being campaigned against by the New Order regime for two years, the People's Democratic Party (PRD) is determined participate in the coming June elections. This was seen at the "Grand Launch" of the PRD at the Wisma Trisula Perwari Building in Menteng, Central Jakarta on Sunday. The eight hour itinerary began at 10am and the 20x10 metre meeting room was filled with thousands of PRD cadre. A 5x3 metre banner with the party's flag was hung on the wall. On the right side there was a picture of the chairperson of the PRD, Budiman Sudjatmiko and on the left the words: "Together with the PRD toward the Multi-Party People's Elections". The Grand Launching began with a speech from the head of the Central Leadership Committee of the PRD (KPP-PRD), Faisol Riza and was followed by the reading of a speech from Budiman, who is still in Cipinang prison. In his speech, Faisol said that this year would be very important in the history of the PRD's struggle. After years of "extra- parliamentary" struggle, the PRD is now combining the two arenas of struggle: the parliamentary and extra-parliamentary. Because of this, Faisol said that PRD members must remember that with the decision to participate in the June elections it would give birth to [many] new tasks. According to Faisol however, the PRD would continue to use mass actions as their method of struggle and the PRD's parliamentary struggle would function to support continued mass actions. In Budiman's speech he explained that the PRD would continue to adhere to the principle of a People's Social Democracy. According to Budiman, the mobilisation of the masses by the PRD is not done without education. "We always include political education in the organisation [of the masses]", said Budiman. He said that the two must be combined and that without political education the masses become an object of the political activities of the elite. On the other had if political education is not followed by the broadening of the mass basis of support, the party will become no more than an association of intellectuals. PRD member, Rudi Lontoh, said that one of the tasks of the PRD's participation in the elections is to show the people that the elections are not just and fair. According to Rudi a just an fair election must be carried out by a transitional government. As well as this the other conditions which must exist are the abolition of the dual functions of the armed forces and the existence of democratic electoral laws. The PRD are apparently placing themselves as Indonesia's Socialist Party. Scores of greetings of support arrived from socialist parties and organisations around the world. Support came from the Resistance Socialist Youth Organisation of Australia, the Socialist Party of the Netherlands, the Socialis Arbeid Partei of the Netherlands, the Malaysian People's Party, the Labour Party of Pakistan, the German Democratic Socialist Party, the Philippines Socialist Party of Labour, the New Zealand Alliance and a number of other organistions. Support also came from the National Sandinista Youth Front, Nicaragua. Renato Constantino Jr., adviser to the president of the Philippines, Joseph Estrada, also attended and gave solidarity greetings. As well as Renato, a representative of the Democratic Party of Australia, Samuel King, gave greetings and called on all oppressed people to struggle against global capitalism. Those attending from Indonesia included a representative of traditional leaders in Lampung, Tuan Daud, a leader from the West Papua people's struggle, Jacob Rumba and a representative of the East Timor Socialist Party, Chris Boca. Chris said that a victory for the PRD was a victory for the Maubere people and the suffering of the PRD was the suffering of the Maubere people. The PRD clearly supports full independence from Indonesia for East Timor and reject an election being held in East Timor. According to the PRD what has to be held in East Timor is a referendum under the auspices of the United Nations. At the height of the proceedings was the symbolic inauguration of six new PRD members: Pramoedya Ananta Toer, Dr. Dede Utomo, worker representative Gimin, student representative Ismail, high-school representative Suparlan and Beni Sumarji. Two of these who attracted most attention were Pramoedya and Dede. Pramoedya is known as a former member of the People's Cultural Institute (Lekra), a mass organisation affiliated to the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI). Because of this Pramoedya was jailed without trial for many years. Dede is a gay rights activist [the original term used was "homosexual activist" - JB] and head of Gaya Nusantara and the Indonesian Gay-Lesbian Network. Both of them have had similar experiences to the PRD; they are symbols of groups which have been marginality and pushed aside by the New Order social system. [Translated by James Balowski, ASIET Publications and Information Officer.] ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Didistribusikan tgl. 22 Mar 1999 jam 04:31:17 GMT+1 oleh: Indonesia Daily News Online <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> http://www.Indo-News.com/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
