Brief Insight on Books Accused of Spreading Communism, PKI

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The owner of a bookstore, that was previously raided for selling literature on communism, said authorities were too quick to conclude that the books contained banned materials linked to the extinct Indonesian Communist Party (PKI).

Helton, the owner of Toko Buku Abdi at Tulungrejo Village in Kediri, strongly denies that he had spread communist propaganda. He maintains that the books he sells are those published by established publishers.

“There are plenty of similar books available in Yogyakarta, Bandung, and Jakarta,” said Helton to Tempo in a telephone interview yesterday, Dec. 27.

One of the books confiscated from his store is Gerwani: Kisah Tapol Wanita dari Kamp Plantungan which is sold widely by known publisher Gramedia. The book that was written by Amuwani Dwi Lestariningsih was published on September 2011 under certification code ISBN 9789797096021.

Read: TNI, Police Confiscate a Bundle of Communism-Related Books

The book itself recalls Indonesia’s New Order era that arrested female members suspected to be linked to the Gerwani (derived from Gerakan Wanita Indonesia, or Indonesian Women's Movement). Some of Gerwani members were imprisoned in a special political inmate (tapol) camp without proper legal proceedings.

During their time at the prison, they were constantly abused physically and psychologically. Reports also suggest that these inmates were constantly raped by male guards, which became a norm since it frequently took place.

Another book that was confiscated by authorities in the Wednesday's crackdown was the book entitled Di Bawah Lentera Merah written by the well-known Soe Hok Gie that was published by Yayasan Bentang Budaya, Yogyakarta back in 1999. This book represents a crucial period in Indonesia’s history when the seeds of national ideas were seeded through organizational attempts.

Helton argues that the books have been sold for so long that it has been distributed to major cities across the country. He said that he had them in stock for almost a year and also had to display it as a non-selling product with no complaints from the public.

Moreover, prior to attending a meeting with authorities, Helton hopes that the Indonesian police and Indonesia Armed Forces (TNI) will be able to further study the books with a clear mind before accusing it as a tool to spread communism. There were 19 books confiscated from Helton’s bookstore that authorities suspect to be banned.

HAR TRI WASONO (CONTRIBUTOR)