SLLU CHARTER AIMS AND PRINCIPLES

SLURL TO OUR COFFEE SHOP: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Montserrat/48/18/22
SLURL TO THE TRIBUTE GARDEN: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Isla%20Montevideo/49/220/36

IF YOU ARE BROADLY IN AGREEMENT WITH THESE, PLEASE CONTACT SLUL REVOLUTION TO FIND OUT HOW YOU CAN BE INVOLVED!

OUR CHARTER:

The SLLU seeks creative, non violent means to foster revolutionary social dialogue. We oppose capitalism, as well as racism and sexism as a part of capitalism. Our goal is to develop socialism in order to maximise left activity and thought on SL.

SLLU originated from members of the Scottish SSP, and is now part of a world wide left unity movement in SL. We are a diverse group, united around social justice and anti-capitalism. We are a democratic collective.

AIMS & PRINCIPLES
1 Our name shall be Second Life Left Unity (SLLU)

1.1 The group offers the means of a left environment, the term Unity
does not claim anything since there is no monopoly. It is a proposition.

2 The SLLU stands for the transformation of society. To replace
capitalism with an alternative classless, stateless economic system
based on collaborative democratic ownership and control of the key
sectors of the Second Life (SL) economy. A system based on physical
freedom; artistic freedom and environmental protection rather than
private profit and promotion of Real-Life mass produced corporate
products.

3 The SLLU will provide political support and solidarity to all those
who are involved in fighting back against injustice, whether it be
trade unionists, community organisations, tenants groups, anti
nuclear protesters, animal rights campaigners, anti racist
organisations, feminists, anti-war groups, mental health advocacy
groups, LGBTI rights organisations and other campaigns and protest
movements.

4 The SLLU will oppose discrimination in any form on the basis of
race, religion, language, nationality, sex, sexual orientation, age
or disability - and on SL - species.

5 The SLLU will campaign for a an environment where each individual
user is fundamentally considered to be equal: we stand in
opposition to the divide between digital haves and have nots and seek
a balance between technocratic power and citizen power. Recognising
that in SL sovereignty resides, and ought to reside in the people,
the SL citizens, regardless of membership privileges, as opposed to
the fiefdom of the Lindens and will always seek the citizens' prior
consent to any transfer of powers outside SL.

6 The SLLU actively promotes the international solidarity of the
world community and oppressed to defeat capitalism and imperialism.
While preserving its political and constitutional autonomy the SLLU
will build the closest possible links with peace loving, left
radicals, socialists and left revolutionaries. across SL and the real
world (RL).

7 We oppose the use of violence as a group strategy within SL.
By violence we refer to the use of symbolic RL or fantasy weaponry
and/or the imposing of our will on others by forceful means. Rather,
we are committed to encouraging the empowerment of all individuals,
through education, debate, and consensus.

8 SLLU firmly stand for the bringing of international cooperation and
awareness through education and the discussion of the issues raised
by capitalist hegemony which the RL mainstream media systematically
fail to report. SLLU believe that by avoiding authoritarian teacher-
pupil models of education and based on peoples actual experiences and
continued shared investigation, every human being, no matter how
impoverished or illiterate, can develop a new awareness of self which
will free them to be more than passive objects responding to
uncotrollable change. As Freire said, and SLLU agree, each
individual wins back the right to say his or own word - to name the
world.

SLURL TO OUR COFFEE SHOP: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Montserrat/48/18/22
SLURL TO THE TRIBUTE GARDEN: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Isla%20Montevideo/49/220/36

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Scottish solutions

From Scottish SLLU member, Plot Tracer -

Comments required on sl (to Plot Tracer or here on blog):

I ask SLLU members to make an outright condemnation of the attacks in England and Scotland. People have been reticent in giving views on this.

In my opinion, it is easy. The people who did this are stupid to think the appalling act of killing holiday makers will ease the conditions in Palestine or Iraq by giving the “West” a taste of what has disgustingly happened in those countries because of a terrible and very mistaken foreign policy initiated by Bush and Blair.

Nor will it make those in power in western countries, or those in subjection in UK/US decide to push their governments to ease the situation in the Middle East.

SLLU members should condemn the attempts on the lives of ordinary shoppers/ night clubbers/ travellers. We also acknowledge the fact that these embittered people/organisations would not be attacking us if our so called leaders had not sanctioned attacks on their livelihoods/countries/families.

The solution? – Uk and US out of Iraq! Allow the people of Iraq to come to a solution without US market and political pressure.

Allow the people of the Middle East to govern themselves and allow them to sell/distribute their own oil/resources for the benefit of their own country – which will allow them freedom from the World Bank and IMF – and those organisation's stipulations - ie. what they constitute an “unfettered market”.

UK should support the formation of a Palestine state without Israeli/US/ US political or US market conditions. UK/US should as a first step, stop selling and servicing weapons to countries in the area that have been modelled in their image by their regimes. These countries, rather than imposing a solution via their hand selected emissaries, should allow the peoples to have honest and open talks.

Other SLLU comments welcome on this subject. Im me or place comments on Blog. ALL comments will be placed on the SLLU blog. - http://slleftunity.blogspot.com/

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Coffee / Cre8

SLLU are involved in a few exciting projects around Second Life - two of which are detailed here - more to follow. All of these projects are designed by our members to facilitate learning.

I'D KILL FOR A COFFEE

There are coffee shops on every high street. Places like Starbucks and Costa Coffee have become common place. SLLU have opened a coffee shop in Second Life - click on one of the images below for a slurl - if you are logged into sl, you will be tp'ed there. If you are not yet a Second Lifer, click on the image and then follow the instructions on how to set up free membership and when you have arrived in SL - look up Second Life Left Unity group!

Farmers only get around 10p of every £2.00 or more we spend on coffee – and that proportion is diminishing as free trade rules slice off more of their living standards. Even Fair Trade products are not addressing the poverty the coffee industry is creating.

The coffee trade is at the moment controlled almost entirely by four multinational companies – Kraft Foods, Nestlé, Procter & Gamble and Sara Lee. They sell coffee as a standardized retail good – sold at a relatively constant price. This masks wildly fluctuating prices on the commodity markets. And these prices have been falling since, in the past decade, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank have been deregulating the market. The IMF and WTO use Third World Debt to make countries turn more of their land over to producing cash crops such as coffee. This is the Irish Famine writ large. Entire countries forced to grow for export, while their own people starve.
The result? – Multinationals make HUGE profits from coffee while the 25 million growers are forced into poverty. Around 70 percent of coffee is grown on small farms in Africa, East Asia and Latin America.
Some non-governmental organizations are taking the coffee companies to task, but it is a drop in the ocean. The history of coffee is tied to capitalism – don’t forget that the first financial markets such as Lloyds and the London Stock Exchange where started in coffee shops. The London Stock exchange and the capitalists who used/ use it to make money have profited from the coffee trade from supplying slaves, insuring ships and supplying finance to coffee merchants. The emergence of an international market altered the balance of power in the trade in favour of importers. The New York Coffee Exchange was set up in 1882 to prevent producers from banding together.

Further reading:

http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/downloads/pdf/spilling_the_beans.pdf

http://www.globaleye.org.uk/secondary_autumn04/eyeon/coffeetrade.html

http://www.theglobalist.com/StoryId.aspx?StoryId=4703

http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?historyid=aa49

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1316/is_10_31/ai_55983395

http://www.marxist.com/Globalisation/g8-debt-relief-poverty130605.htm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/2745629.stm

CRE8!

The pictures below show some of the stunning creations you have made at the Cre8 Garden in memory and tribute to the victims of Capitalism/Capitalist Globalisation. Please click on any of the images to take you to the garden (if you are logged into SL - if not, and dont have an account, click on the images and you can create a free account, and then join in on our Second Life Left Unity work).

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Close the School of the Americas

Congress to take critical vote tomorrow!

Tell your representative: Close the School of the Americas!

In the next two days, Congress will vote on an amendment to close the notorious School of the Americas/WHINSEC. The School of the Americas, funded by our tax dollars and located at Ft. Benning Georgia, has trained -for more than 60 years- over 60,000 Latin American Soldiers in torture, psychological warfare and war against civilian populations. Many of the tactics of Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay began at the SOA to be used on civilians and those working for justice in Latin America. This school has graduated the worst human rights abusers in Latin American History. Rep. McGovern (MA) and Rep. John Lewis (GA) will introduce an amendment to the Foreign Operations appropriations bill to cut funding for the SOA/ WHINSEC and stand up against the legacy of torture as a part of US Foreign Policy!

Last year, in a similar vote, ANSWER (http://www.answercoalition.org/) activists made a decisive difference in challenging the school. We are continuing to support the work of the School of the Americas Watch (SOAW), which has carried on a long campaign to shut this institution down.

We expect a close vote and need as many people as possible flooding the offices of the House of Representatives with calls, e-mails and faxes in support of a YES vote on the amendment everyday through June 8th. This is it! You can make a difference and it's the people power of our movement that will get this amendment passed! Send an e-mail and free fax to Congress by using this link:

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Cre-8 Anti G8 Garden and Anti G8 Demo pictures

To go to the Garden and place a tribute to the victims of globalisation/ capitalism or to leave a message for the leaders of the G8 countries, click on the sign (it is a slurl)

(thanks to HiggleDpiggle Snoats for these pics)

DEMO AND MARCH

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My G8 - from Steve, a friend of SLLU

Steve is a member of the Republican Communist Network

I arrived in Rostock in the early afternoon of June 2. It was already
clear that a large demo was in progress as large numbers of people were
gathered in front of the train station. I joined a contingent of Turkey's
Platform for Rights and Freedoms (HOC), who marched in a bloc that also
included the Internationalist League of People's Struggle (mostly Turkish
Maoists) and the Marxist-Leninist Communist Party and a few other, smaller
groups from Turkey. They in turn seem to have been part of an
"anti-imperialist bloc", with some German organisations. The composition
of the demo was very mixed, especially politically. It looked like the
overwhelming majority were from Germany.

The march was long but uneventful. The police could be s een in the
distance, down side streets. I don't know how many people were in the
march - the nearest I can put it is tens of thousands.

Nothing much happened until people got to the end of the march, in a kind
of harbour area where there was a sort of raised platform. There was said
to be trouble up ahead but there was a screen of trees off to the left
which made it difficult to see well. Many of us moved forward to see what
was happening, with people shouting out to keep together and if necessary
keep arms linked. Sometimes demonstrators would throw stones, then run
like hell, and there would be a police rush.

Off to the left there was clearly some kind of clash, with stones thrown
by demonstrators and police charges. At some point I had been handed a red
flag to hold and I was waving it. Suddenly there was a police rush, they
were like a green blur and one of them grabbed my flag. I hung onto it and
he started hitting me, I think helped by another one. I fe lt hits to my
face and arm and then I was hit in the groin and fell to the ground, at
this point losing the flag. I was conscious of being hit while on the ground.

A German tried to help me up and backed off when there was some aggressive
reaction from the cops. I remember making a victory sign at nearby
demonstrators from Turkey while I was on the ground. The German or another
one tried again to help me to my feet and was successful as I was pulled
back into the crowd, and led to the back by one of my friends. I was
stopped by a German with some kind of camera and mike and asked what
happened. I explained in German to camera. I was perhaps smiling a bit,
which might not have appeared appropriate, but I was relieved at no longer
being a punching bag and being back among friends and the adrenalin
brought forth by an emergency may have kicked in as well.
A German demonstrator offered me a sip of beer and then I moved to near
the stage. One of the demonstrators I wa s with, from Hamburg, had had
pepper gas sprayed in his face and was in a worse way than me, though he
seemed to recover later on.

A German asked me if I had been hit by a stone thrown by a demonstrator or
by the police. I said the police, and he lost interest - it was a sign of
the divisions among demonstrators. If I had been hit by a stone thrower he
might have been more interested, I think. The march was divided into
militant Autonomen/the "black bloc", some of whom needed no encouragement
to mix it with the police and throw stones, and pacifists. The
"anti-imperialist bloc" were not trying to provoke the police but if
attacked would try to resist, but we were something of a stationary target
for the cops and if they couldn't catch the stone throwers they would
settle for us.

At a certain point I went with others to an anti-G8 encampment near
Rostock. There were several police helicopters over the camp and there was
an air of tension, and some speculation that the police would raid the
camp to break it up. There was discussion round a camp fire near the tent
where I was, about the need to organise to defend the camp etc.
Eventually I went to sleep in the tent. Nothing happened during the very
cold night.

The following day I went to the camp first aid centre, as my injuries were
bothering me, especially the groin one. A doctor came and said the damage
was superficial. He said the testicular bruising would go down after a
while. We discussed why the cop had targetted there, apart from it
hurting. He said it was a macho way of attacking someone else's
masculinity. I said, "Es sind Schweine, nicht wahr?" ("They are pigs,
aren't they?") He replied, "Ja, Schweine." (Further note: as of the
evening of the 7th, most of my Sheridan zone is still a disturbing indigo
colour.)

Earlier that day a German who was in Workers Power's "Revolution" youth
network said he had seen me get beaten up by the police the day befor e
and asked me if I was OK.

Later that day I went with the others I knew to Berlin. It was decided not
to stay in the camp and we were not equipped for a long stay in the
campsite anyway. At Rostock station there was a police rush against some
demonstrators but we got onto the train all right. After the evening of
June 3, all my info about the G8 came from the media. This tended to play
up demonstrator violence - it was claimed that dozens of police were
severely injured. However, the left-wing German daily Junge Welt on June 6
reported that when it contacted the police they were told that only two
police had actually been taken to hospital and one of them had been
discharged. Junge Welt said that the scale of police injuries was
exaggerated in the media to whip up hysteria and justify police
repression, as well as encourage the feeling that injured demonstrators
were getting what they deserved. There were calls from right-wing
politicians for plastic bullets a nd even live ammunition to be used
against demonstrators.

Reports in the media and on the Internet have suggested all kinds of
scenarios. One YouTube shows police suddenly attacking some demonstrators
at a time when everything looked peaceful, thus triggering clashes. I
didn't see it myself, but a police car was parked close to the
demonstration and was attacked. The question arises, why was it there? Was
it bait placed there by police who hoped it would get attacked and give
them a pretext to start charging at demonstrators? I have also mentioned
the divisions among the marchers, who were everything from militant
militants to militant pacifists. It was reported on subsequent days that
there were clashes between the Autonomen and other demonstrators. The
demonstrator who asked me if I had been hit by a rock may have been hoping
to wave me as a bloody shirt in a campaign against the Autonomen. On the
other hand, the people throwing rocks were clearly unconcerned that others
might pay the price for their actions.

I stayed in Berlin a few days, and returned to London on the evening of
the 6th. I wondered if going through passport control might cause me to be
stopped and questioned at either the Berlin or the London end, but nothing
happened. On the 7th, I posted a message on German Indymedia saying I had
been injured and asking if there was anywhere I needed to report the fact.
I have since been trying to find film of my own scuffle on the Internet,
so far without success, though I was told something of it had been
broadcast on TV.

Come to the Cre8 Garden and help create something worthwhile - a memorial to the past present and future victims of Globalisation/capitalism. And let’s put pressure on our politicians to ensure a fair world for everyone.

Click on the link - and if u have second life running it will take you there. If you donot have second life the link will take you to the free download page:

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Isla%20Montevideo/49/220/36

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Call for solidarity with Indonesian comrades

Physical attacks by right-wing groups on meetings of the Indonesian
National Liberation Party of Unity (Papernas - see
) continue to escalate (see
translated articles from Indonesian press below). Their objective seems
to be to disrupt attempts by Papernas to get registered as an electoral
party in time for the 2009 presidential elections. After the massacre of
up to a million leftists and social activists in Indonesia 1965, the
anti-communist hysteria being promoted by these right-wing groups is
deeply menacing.

The situation is quite bad now and some office bearers of
the new party have been intimidated into resigning after being
threatened with having their homes burnt down by these right-wing thugs.

If you or friends can approach human rights and civil
liberties groups or prominent democratic rights advocates to send
messages supporting the democratic right of Papernas to organise, please
send them to Katarina Pujiastuti at
.

These articles are the translated by James Balowski from the INDOLEFT
news service is produced by the Institute of Liberation, Media and
Social Studies (LPMIS) and Action in Solidarity with Asia and the
Pacific. See for more information.

Please spread this urgent appeal for solidarity to your friends and
comrades.

Solidarity greetings
Peter

* * *

Papernas conference in Sukoharjo forcibly broken up by Islamic thugs

Tempo Interactive - April 30, 2007

Imron Rosyid, Solo -- Dozens of members of Surakarta Islamic Community
Militia (LUIS) forcibly broke up a conference being held by the National
Liberation Party of Unity (Papernas) in the Central Java city of
Sukoharjo on Sunday March 29. Islamic groups in Jakarta have taken
similar actions against Papernas.

The LUIS members blockaded the entrance to the conference venue at the
Gajah House on Jl. Yos Sudarso in the Tanjung Anom area of Sukoharjo.
Members of the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) (sic) even frisked a police
intelligence officer who they accused of being a provocateur. "We have
evidence, Papernas is PKI [Indonesian Communist Party]", said LUIS
general secretary Khoirul Suparjo.

Shouting "God is great", the LUIS members who were wearing robes and
turbans arrived on motorbikes and an open pickup truck. Papernas members
who believed they already had a permit to hold the event tried to hold
them off from inside the building. However because the LUIS members
outnumbered conference participants, some of them decided to leave the
venue before the event started.

Sukoharjo Regent Bambang Riyanto, who was wearing tennis sportswear,
then facilitated a dialogue between the two groups in order to prevent
anarchic acts. The head of the Papernas conference organising committee,
Onang Tiyoso eventually gave in and agreed to halt the event but under
the condition that all FPI members must leave the location before they
disbanded. "In formal terms, Papernas does in fact actually have a
permit for the activity, but in order that the local situation remains
favorable, I have asked Papernas to cancel the event", said Riyanto.

Suparjo said that his organisation would continue to hunt down Papernas
members that want to organise similar activities saying based on the
statutes and rules of association that they have on the party, Papernas
is communist. He cited the Papernas' program of Tripanji(1), the
protection of prostitutes and so forth as evidence that they are
identical to the PKI.

Meanwhile the chairperson of Papernas' Central Java Regional Leadership
Board, Kelik Ismunanto said he regretted the LUIS' actions in forcibly
breaking up the event. According to Ismunanto, regardless of LUIS'
perceptions of Papernas they do not have the authority to prohibit or
break up their events. "Our party is registered with the Department of
Justice and Human Rights, we will be participating in the 2009 general
elections and we had already obtained a permit for the event from the
police", said Ismunanto while promising that they would take legal
action against LUIS over the incident.

Notes:

1. Tripanji - Papernas' Three Banners of National Unity: Abolishing the
foreign debt, nationalising the mining industry and build the national
industry for the welfare of the people.

* * *

Papernas declaration in Sukoharjo broken up by right-wing thugs

(Adds details on previous posting – JB.)

Radar Solo - April 30, 2007

Sukoharjo -- A tense situation developed at the declaration of the
National Liberation Party of Unity (Papernas) in Sukoharjo, Central
Java, that was to be held yesterday afternoon. Even before Papernas
members had begun the meeting, dozens of members of the Sukoharjo
Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) had occupied the Gajah Tanjung Anom
Building where the event was to be held.

Led by Ustad (Islamic teacher) Khoirul, the FPI members, who had been
arriving since 10am, began to pour into the venue where the event was to
be held. They immediately moved towards the auditorium that had been set
aside by the Papernas organising committee.

FPI's arrival caused confusion among some of the Papernas members. "We
have come here to break up this event. We are asking that Papernas be
disbanded and not be allowed to exist in Indonesia. Because Papernas is
an embryo of the PKI (Indonesian Communist Party - Ed.). Where is the
committee chairperson, I want to meet them", ordered Khoirul in a shrill
voice.

Not wanting to create a problem, several of the Papernas members that
were already present left the venue one by one. Unfortunately the FPI
members prevented this. "Don't let them leave. The ones that were here
earlier, order them all back inside", Khoirul instructed his subordinates.

It was not just members of Papernas that were harassed, but also other
people in the vicinity who they considered suspicious. Tensions reached
a climax when the FPI frisked a Sukoharjo district police intelligence
officer that had been guarding the venue from the start. If he was
indeed a police officer, the FPI asked the man to show them his identity
card.

A National Unity and Social Protection Agency (Kasbang Linmas) official
also suffered a similar fate. Becoming suspicious about his actions, the
FPI immediately accosted him. As well as examining his identification
papers, they also asked for the photographs on his cell phone to be
erased. The FPI members even asked the man to take off his shirt and
show them a tattoo on his body.

"This is a picture and symbol of the PKI. Because we know that earlier
you were inside and now you are going back inside", asserted one of the
FPI members while pointing at the tattoo on the Kasbang Linmas
official's body.

After a short while Sukoharjo Regent Bambang Riyanto arrived. He had
come to facilitate a dialogue between the two camps in order to resolve
the problem peacefully. This was because Riyanto wanted the situation in
Sukoharjo to remain 'conducive'.

The two parties met at around 11.30am. Papernas eventually agreed not to
go ahead with the event and asked its members who were already present
to return home. Following this, one by one the FPI members left the
location. (mg2/mg3)

* * *
Media Indonesia - April 30, 2007

Papernas flags burnt at FPI protest in Bekasi

Golda Eksa, Bekasi -- Around 30 members of the Bekasi Islamic Defenders
Front (FPI) gave speeches and set fire to flags of the National
Liberation Party of Unity (Papernas) in front of the Bekasi municipal
government offices on Monday April 30. They also brought banners and
posters with messages opposing Papernas.

"Papernas, is a reincarnation of the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI).
Papernas [says it] is populist democratic. This term is the camouflage
that is usually used by communists or socialist in Indonesia like the
PKI. It is because of this that we don't want the party to grow and
develop", said action coordinator Ustad (title of Islamic teacher)
Abdurrahman.

Abdurrahman went on to say that the PKI's once cause the nation to loose
its best sons. Moreover he said, thousands of Muslims were wiped out by
the PKI.

After giving speeches for around an hour, the protesters set fire to
Papernas flags shouting that they will not tolerate Papernas' presence,
especially in Bekasi.

From the Bekasi government offices, they then moved off to continue the
action at the Bekasi City Regional House of Representatives on Jl.
Chairul Anwar in East Bekasi under the tight security of the Bekasi
municipal police. (GG/OL-02).

[Translated by James Balowski.]

Papernas postpones regional meeting to avoid clash with FPI

Liputan 6 - April 30, 2007

Sukoharjo -- The National Liberation Party of Unity (Papernas) continues
to come under pressure. Again and again the Islamic Defenders Front
(FPI) has attempted to break up Papernas events. This time it was a
meeting to establish a regional leadership board in Sukoharjo, Central
Java, on Sunday April 29.

Without showing any hesitation, FPI members moved in and tried to evict
Papernas members who had arrived at the Gajah Sukoharjo Building for the
event. Tensions rose between the two camps and police moved in quickly
before a clash could break out.

The two groups were then brought together for a dialogue facilitated by
Sukoharjo Regent Bambang Riyanto. The FPI said it objected to Papernas
because it has a communist ideology that his banned in Indonesia. In the
end the Papernas members decided to postpone the meeting because it
could potentially result in a brawl.

On March 29 Papernas demonstrators clashed with the FPI in the Dukuh
Atas area on Sudirman, Central Jakarta. Several people were injured
including two children and a middle-ranking police officer from the
Tanah Abang sectoral police. (TOZ/Ferry Aditri)

* * *

Right-wing thugs attempt to disrupt May Day in Yogyakarta

Khairul Ikhwan, Yogyakarta -- A commemoration of May Day in Yogyakarta
was almost marred by a clash when protesters from the Yogyakarta
People's and Worker Alliance (ARPY) were unexpectedly waylaid by members
of the Anti-Communist Front (FAKI) and the Yogyakarta Islamic Defenders
Front (FPI).

The FAKI and FPI members accused the ARPY of being infiltrated by the
National Liberation Party of Unity (Papernas) that they claim has a
communist ideology.

The incident occurred at intersection in front of the central post
office when a man climbed up onto an open pickup truck that ARPY was
using as a platform and dragged a person giving a speech off the
vehicle. Initially the ARPY activists were too shocked to react but were
eventually able to rescue their colleague.

Tension rose as FAKI and ARPY members confronted each other but
fortunately police were able separate the two groups before a clash
could break out.

Five thousand workers rally in Medan for May Day

May Day was also commemorated by thousands of workers in the North
Sumatra provincial capital of Medan with around 5,000 workers rallied at
the North Sumatra DPRD and the Medan State Court.

The workers, who came from a number of labour organisations such as the
North Sumatra Trade Union (SBSU) and the Indonesian Prosperous Trade
Union (SBSI), were demanding improvements to workers' welfare and that
May 1 be declared a national holiday. (djo/sss)

* * *

Prominent NU cleric Abdullah Faqih to lead anti- Papernas group

Antara News - April 14, 2007

Surabaya -- Prominent Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) cleric and the caretaker of
the Langitan pesantren (traditional Islamic boarding school) in Tuban,
East Java, KH Abdullah Faqih has been chosen to lead a group opposing
the National Liberation Party of Unity (Papernas).

The senior ulama (Islamic scholar) has been appointed to be the advisor
to the Friendship Forum to Safeguard Pancasila and the Unitary State of
the Republic of Indonesia Against the Threat of Neo- Communism (Forum
Silaturrahmi Mengawal NKRI dan Pancasila dari Ancaman Neo-Komunisme)
that held a consolidation meeting in the East Java provincial capital of
Surabaya on Saturday, which was attended by delegations from Sumatra,
Java and West Nusa Tenggara.

Other prominent figures that were in attendance included KH Ir.
Solahuddin Wahid (Gus Solah, the caretaker of Tebuireng pesantren in
Jombang), Prof. Dr. Aminuddin Kasdi (East Java Indonesian Historians
Society, MSI), Prof. Dr. Edi Sri Swasono (economist), Taufik Ismail
(cultural observer), retired TNI Major General Sutoyo NK (the former
director general of social and political affairs at the Department of
Domestic Affairs) and KH Abdussshomad Bukhori (chairperson of the East
Java Indonesian Ulemas Council, MUI).

"The PKI [Indonesian Communist Party] has indeed been destroyed, but
communist ideas are resurfacing through various means and because of
this vigilance is needed", said Faqih who is also one of the founders of
the Ulama National Awakening Party (PKNU).

Faqih believes that one of the ways in which ex-PKI or PKI cadres are
rising up again is through politics, education and the law. "The
political means being undertaken includes among other things efforts to
revoke the Tap MPRS XXV/1966(1), but it failed", he said.

"Now, they are trying to take advantage of the situation and conflicts
the Indonesian nation is experiencing, most recently by building a new
political movement. This conflicts with [the state ideology of]
Pancasila and Islam, because of this it must be resisted", he asserted.

Speaking separately with Antara News during a break in the event, Gus
Solah explained that it would be best to invite Papernas to address the
legal factors because Indonesia is a constitutional state. "But, the
legal efforts shouldn't be juridical in character, rather a submission
to the Constitutional Court in the form of an appeal or judicial
review", explained the younger brother of former President Abdurrahman
Wahid(2).

Speaking in a similar vein, the deputy chairperson of the goodwill
committee, Arukat Djaswadi said that they are urging the government to
act immediately against Papernas because it has violated the MPRS
Decree, Law Number 27/1999(3) on State Security, and many other laws.

"Because of this, it is time for the government to act firmly, because
they are most clearly an embryo of a communist [party], because they use
the principle of populist democracy, whereas if they [want to] live in
Indonesia they must use Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution"

, he said.

The head of the Center for Indonesian Community Studies (CICS) explained
that Papernas cannot be dealt with of by juridical means because
Papernas uses the ideology of logic, however Papernas has clearly
violated the "rules of the game" in Indonesia and the government must be
firm.

Similar comments were made by Kasdi. "The aroma of the PKI inside
Papernas is strong, including the view that the 1945 [nationalist]
revolution is unfinished, the jargon of Tripanji(4) and the focus on
workers, farmers and the urban poor", he said.

Notes:

1. Tap MPRS XXXV/1996: MPRS Decree Number XXXV/1996 on the Dissolution
of the Indonesian Communist Party and Prohibitions on Marxist, Leninist
and Communist Teachings

2. Following the attack by the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) on Papernas
in Jakarta on March 29 Wahid publicly condemned the incident saying that
it was unconstitutional and if the government stays quiet on the issue
it will endanger the life of the nation. He also called on police to act
firmly against the FPI. Wahid was scheduled to speak at a Papernas
declaration that had to be postponed because of the attack.

3. Law No. 27/1999 is a revision to the Criminal Code that codifies the
MPRS Decree.

4. Tripanji - Papernas' Three Banners of National Unity: Abolishing the
foreign debt, nationalising the mining industry and building the
national industry for the welfare of the people.


* * *
FPI accuses Papernas of spreading communist ideology, undermining the state

Sinar Indonesia Baru - April 11, 2007

Medan (SIB) -- Dozens of people from the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI)
demonstrated at Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) in the North
Sumatra regional capital of Medan on Tuesday April 10 against the
National Liberation Party of Unity (Papernas). The protesters believe
that Papernas is extremely dangerous because it only wants to legalise
and provide legal guarantees to commercial sex workers and is hiding
behind the mask of the state ideology of Pancasila and the 1945
Constitution.

The demonstrators gave speeches and issued a statement against the
establishment of Papernas, which held its founding congress in
Kaliurang, Central Java in January. They said that this was extremely
dangerous because the denial of religious values is becoming ever more
rampant and fate of the country will be to degenerate into an
uncivilized nation.

Action organisers Muhammad Iqbal and Ustad Muliyamin said that Papernas
only acknowledges Pancasila as the country's ideological basis and the
1945 Constitution as a constitution. In addition to this, Papernas'
adheres to imperialist principles (sic) in order to try to recruit
members from all sectors of society, particularly from the working
class, farmers, students and the urban poor. Based on this, the FPI is
asking that the National Unity and Social Protection Agency (Kesbang
Linmas) not to accept Papernas' when it registers itself nationally on
June 2.

They also called on the national and North Sumatra General Election
Commission not to verify the registration of a party that has communism
as its ideology, because it violate Tap MPRS Number 25/1996 and Law
Number 27/1999(1) on the dissolution of the Indonesian Communist Party.
They are also asking the police as investigators and the enforcers of
the law to have the courage to take firm action against Papernas and
disband all of its regency and municipal offices throughout North Sumatra.

The FPI is also asking the leaders and members of the North Sumatra DPRD
to be more careful and stay on guard against the communist movement in
the legislator because they suspect that it has already been infiltrated
by certain individuals who want to spread communist ideology in North
Sumatra and that they also suspect that the mastermind behind this
spread is the financier of Papernas in North Sumatra.

They are therefore asking the people of North Sumatra to be wary of
agitation and propaganda that is being manipulated by certain
irresponsible individuals to overthrow the Pancasila state and the 1945
Constitution and replace it with communist ideas. (A13/c)

Notes:

1. Tap MPRS XXXV/1996 - MPRS Decree Number XXXV/1996 on the Dissolution
of the Indonesian Communist Party and Prohibitions on Marxist, Leninist
and Communist Teachings. Law No. 27/1999 is a revision to the Criminal
Code that codifies the MPRS Decree.

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