THIS HISTORY WILL START FROM 1998 for the reason that two important events at that time reshaped the condition of Indonesian society and a new “normalcy” in power relations was created. The first event was the downfall of General Soeharto, who had ruled Indonesia with an iron fist for 32 years.

Anarchism in Indonesia: The Necessary Condition

A history and update of current struggles, including first-hand info on Kulon Progo

Black Light 0 zine
Melbourne, Australia

This essay is the outcome of a month-long trip in Indonesia and a subsequent workshop on Indonesian Anarchism at the Sydney Anarchist Summer School.

THIS HISTORY WILL START FROM 1998 for the reason that two important events at that time reshaped the condition of Indonesian society and a new “normalcy” in power relations was created. The first event was the downfall of General Soeharto, who had ruled Indonesia with an iron fist for 32 years. This event unearthed the highly corrupt organism of Indonesian government, which had been perfectly covered by a façade of national development and normalcy.

The second event was the Asian financial crisis that hit the country hard. Major infl ation caused the price hike of basic amenities had a huge impact on already poor Indonesians.1

These two events coincided with the rise of a new leftism, and antiauthoritarianism (anarchism) to an extent. Socialist ideas had been brutally banned since the ascension of Soeharto in 1965 and the purge of the communists in the late 1960s. In the late nineties, the people’s resistance against Soeharto’s rule, helped by the military’s somewhat reluctant support, made the Reformasi (Reformation) movement possible. The reform was applied across the board of the government, from national down to the city and village levels. Although, one could argue about its effectiveness.

This new freedom to express leftist ideas brought about a new generation of youth who associate themselves with socialism in its broadest sense, including anarchism.

Anarchism, or at least in the form of its symbols and images, rose in the early to mid 1990s through the spread of punk music.2 The anarchistic and defi ant style of punk music had a large appeal to Indonesian youth who were very accustomed to a life of obedience and normalcy. At the same time, there was also a number of intellectual anarchists but with no record (at least that can be studied) of any collectives or movements. The events in 1998 gave a reason to start collectives in order to engage with what was happening.

Local movements

Due to the internet and the relative ease in traveling around the country, there exists a strong bond between [kinship means blood-relation] anarchists in Indonesia (this is also likely due to their status as a minority).3 This situation allows for a greater sense of inter-province coordination, as evident in Mayday 2007 and 2008 protests when anarchists from around the country protested together in Jakarta. These groups share information about local struggles and movements. However, as they are spread quite far apart geographically, from Sumatera to Java (where most anarchists are concentrated) and Makassar, each collective runs their own projects, which relate to the specific context that they are in.

In the urban cities of Jakarta and Bandung, for example, there is a tendency to create projects that are directly aimed at the government, and at the development of anarchist discourse. Actions such as Food not Bombs, film screenings, discussion nights with topics such as racism and sexism, are a few examples.

On the other hand, in cities that are still populated with traditional villages and large farm areas such as Yogyakarta, the anarchists are more likely to work with local struggles that face direct confrontation against both the state and corporations. The Yogyakarta-based Alexis collective spends most, if not all, of their energy with the farmers at Kulon Progo on the coast. They do actions aimed at the building of solidarity networks locally and internationally, the creation and distribution of propaganda, and at supporting the actions carried out by the farmers themselves. Often these anarchists are the only “outsiders” who have been allowed to work with the farmers, while other groups (mostly NGOs) have been expelled for their incompetence. This is largely because of the other groups’ “moderation” which, as one of the farmers said, only brought down the fire to resist!

LESSONS LEARNED

There is often a sense of naivety, and at the same time jadedness, that is caused by the daily nature of struggle and the uncertainty of the future. Although most of these collectives in Indonesia are less than a few years old, many of anarchists involved have previously been involved with other work and long struggles. It is their association with those who are oppressed but still fighting that gives them courage to continue doing what they do.

Sometimes the anarchists get a share of the mundane life: as in the case of Alexis collective, where they are now farming vegetables and fruits to help themselves pay for their daily need. Similarly the Jakarta-based Institut A started as an infoshop to fi ll the need of a physical space in which to organise. Surprisingly, the local children love to come and play at this space. The anarchists are only happy to have them around. “With one condition” as one of them said, “they must at least learn something when they are here.”

It is hard to gauge the level of success of these actions; especially when the definition of success itself is unclear. Has the revolution come or at least has loomed its shadow? No, not yet. But have these actions brought attention to and helped to invigorate struggles faced by the anarchists and the oppressed? Yes. Perhaps if the aim is the stars, we have at least reached a definite moon. At least for the moment.

The Melbourne Anarchist Club is currently organising an action in support of the peasants struggle in Kulon Progo along with the anarchists to fi ght against the occupation and replacement of their land into an iron mine. If you would like to get involved, please email melbourneanarchistclub@gmail.com 1 During the peak of the crisis, infl ation caused Indonesian Rupiah to be priced at Rp 15,000 to USD$1 (previously until early 1998 it was Rp 2,500). This obviously affected price of food and other basic amenities, which was made worse due to price fl uctuation and the uncertainty in the market. 2 Interview by Sebastian Kalicha & Gabriel Kuhn, see Von Jakarta bis Johannesburg, Unrast Verlag 2001. 3 Von Jakarta bis Johannesburg 2001