TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Masses from several public organizations in East Java staged a protest rejecting the rise of communism in front of the Negara Grahadi Building in Surabaya on Thursday, April 28, 2016. The group also rejected the results of the National Symposium on the 1965 Tragedy, which was held in Jakarta on April 18 and April 19, 2016.

The protesters came from various organizations, including the Pancasila Front, United Madura Forum, Muhammadiyah, Indonesian Islamic Students, Indonesia Islamic Missionary Endeavor Institution, Laskar Sapu Jagat, Indonesian National Patriot Movement, Center for Indonesian Community Studies, and the Islamic Defender Front (FPI).

Based on observation, most of the protesters came from the FPI. "We are ready to stand at the frontline to fight [the National Communist Party]. We reject the rise of communism in Indonesia," said one of the protesters.

Arukat Djaswadi, Director for the Center for Indonesian Community Studies who was also present during the protest, said that the National Communist Party (PKI) was the mastermind behind the coup in 1965, not the victim. Arukat argued that the party had committed treason by dismissing the Gotong Royong (Mutual Cooperation) cabinet during President Sukarno’s government. "It is wrong if somebody said PKI as the victim," Arukat said.

Arukat also dismissed any arguments that the 1965 human rights violation was committed by the government, and refused to acknowledge PKI as the victim of the 1965 tragedy. "By admitting all of those points, they are providing the legitimacy to bring back PKI," Arukat said.

ARTIKA RACHMI FARMITA