Today would’ve been the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of Indonesia (PKI). ☭

PKI was the largest non-ruling communist party in the world with 3 millions of memberships by 1965. Its base consisted of various mass organizations such as SOBSI (workers wing), BTI (peasants wing), Gerwani (women’s wing), Pemuda Rakyat (youth wing) and Lekra (artists).

At its peak, the total party membership with its mass organizations was claimed to be more than 5 millions. Quoted: A History of Modern Indonesia Since C.1200 by M.C. Ricklefs

DN Aidit on the birth of PKI (from Lahirnya PKI dan Perkembangannya, his speech on the 35th anniversary of PKI, 1955)

Together with Pres. Sukarno and his guiding principles of NASAKOM (Nationalism, Religion, Communism), PKI worked towards Indonesian Socialism with strong commitment to anti-imperialism and solidarity with the oppressed nations.

Here, Pres. Sukarno explained why it’s important for the Indonesian National Revolution to embrace PKI. He also claimed that PKI has over 20 million sympathizers (that’s 1/5th of the Indonesian population). This was from his speech for the 45th anniversary of PKI (1965).

On the 1955 election, PKI’s campaign promises include: Full workers and peasants rights, broadening the opportunity for education, equal rights for women, freedom of religious beliefs, protections for small businesses, fights corruption and fascism, and much more:

A footage from the 45th anniversary of PKI, celebrated at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium. The music is the Hymn of PKI. https://twitter.com/videosejarah/status/1117040781984849920

Of course, this powerful party and its rising influence scared the shit out of the US. In 1965, PKI was framed for the assassination of high-rank military generals, and got accused of staging a coup against the government. This is knowns as the 30th of September Movement (G30S).

This wrongful accusation was then amplified throughout the country by Gen. Suharto, and then became the pretext for him to oust Pres. Sukarno from presidency, took power, immediately banning PKI and its related mass organizations, and started a genocide of its members.

This genocide, executed for months over 1965-1966, saw the brutal death of over 1-3 million people, not only PKI members and accused communists but also atheists and Chinese Indonesians.
The US provided this purge with weapons, money, intelligence, and even lists of names.

The Suharto regime, known as the New Order, later reigning for the next 32 years, gave birth to US imperialism and neoliberalism in Indonesia, while actively suppressing any opposition movements. This regime was also notorius for its corruption and nepotistic politics.

The regime continued to propagate its own narrative of the G30S, putting it on student’s history textbooks and making it the “facts” most of Indonesians still believe until today. The regime even made its own propaganda movie (Treachery of G30S/PKI, 1984, Dir. Arifin C Noer)

...to further indoctrinate the people with their narrative. The movie reeks heavy propaganda to demonize PKI and has a lot of historical fallacies. The movie was shown annualy every September 30th, on TV, on public institutions, and even compulsory for students at schools.

Even though the display of this movie is no longer compulsory since the fall of the regime, it continues to air in some TV channels annually until today. A lot of conservative groups still loves it. I recall my islamic middle school still showing it to their students last year.

Until today, 30th of September is still commemorated as the Pancasila Sanctity Day (to describe the New Order’s notion that they have successfully crushed a communist, anti-pancasila coup). Please bear in mind that despite all of the gov’s attempts to commemorate the tragedy,

...it has always been ONLY about the night of G30S & the 6 military generals. No words or thoughts or remembrance about the death of millions in the following months of purge. They don’t even mention it on our history textbooks. Some people are even oblivious to this.

The ideology of Marxism-Leninism is still banned until today in a resolution passed by the People’s Representative Council in 1966. Communism is still very much a taboo among the regular masses, and even the display of Hammer and Sickle in public can get you to jail.

Thread on the US’ role in the genocide: https://twitter.com/americas_crimes/status/1178919330865647619

Just recently, Author Vincent Benvins wrote a book on the US’ anticommunist crusades around the world, including the one in Indonesia. Check it out: https://twitter.com/aiswinarto/status/1262759176721190929

A thread of readings on PKI and marxism-leninism, curated by friends of mine!! https://twitter.com/tasilsa/status/1178274626553597953?s=21

Important reads: Ideological roots of PKI’s defeat and lessons from the cont-rev https://www.marxist.com/the-ideological-roots-of-the-indonesian-communist-party-s-defeat-in-1965-part-one.htm // https://www.marxist.com/revolution-counter-revolution-indonesia1965.htm