The Indonesian writer Martin Aleida came to Berlin in April 2016, where he interviewed me as one of several Indonesian exiles, with the aim of writing a collection of stories about us. After having placed a preliminary version of the chapter concerning my person on Facebook on August 11, 2016, Martin Aleida published his story in the print edition of the Indonesian newspaper Kompas of Saturday, September 10, on p. 7 ("Opini")-
| ( | trad. par Jacqueline Camus) |
| In: Johanna Lederer et al. (eds.), L’auteur dépaysé. Ecrivains de double appartenance culturelle, deuxième édition de la journée des dix heures pour la littérature indonésienne, 28 octobre 2006, pp. 19-22. Paris: Association franco-indonésienne Pasar Malam [2008] |
About the significance of language in social communication, touching also upon some not so obvious connections between language factors and the formation of structures in human communities. In conclusion: an episode in the author’s early childhood, in which his bilinguality had an eminent and quite decisive role.
[the Indonesian original is available as pdf]
Gaudensius Suhardi interviews me for Media Indonesia about my experiences in the Soviet Union after loss of my Indonesian citizenship, and about my present situation and views on recent developments in Indonesia (in Indonesian).
Re-edition of four essays I wrote for the internet between 1995 and 1998: (1) Sekitar Sosiologi Budaya “Malas” dan “Rajin”; (2)Untung-ruginya Menjagokan gerakan Demopkrasi; (3) Ujian pada Ambang Pintu Demojkrasi; (4) Irian Jaya dan “Melanesia Merdeka”.
| sk. Surabaya Post 3 Desember 2001 (in Indonesian) downloadable as JPeG oleh Djoko Pitono. |
"W.M., Chemist and Language Specialist". A friendly and complimentary biographic review.
| Kalam 17 (2001, in Indonesian), pp. 55-122. | |
| [ | available at: Toko buku 'Kalam', Jl. Utan Kayu 68-H, Jakarta Timur 13120; e-m. tb_kalam@isai.or.id; tel. (021) 857-3388; ISSN 0854-7866; Rp. 20,000] |
| ( | original title: Laporan satu Darmawisata ke Dunia Marxisme-Leninisme, 1.-7.) |
"Report on an Excursion into the World of Marxism-Leninism". This is the first part of a longer essay on my experience with Marxist-Leninist ideology, written in the form of a kind of 'intellectual autobiography'. Begins with a sketch of my life in the Soviet Union, particularly after my pasport was declared non-valid, and continues with a perusal of dialectical materialism and critique of communist policy towards religion.
Although Muslims make up 90% of the Indonesian population, their role in politics has been described as that of "a majority with the mentality of a minority". Even now that, for the first time, a leader of an Islamic party became president of the Republic, political infighting between Islamic parties is preventing Muslims from take up the expected leading role of a majority.
The present cause célèbre with which fellow Muslim leaders are trying to bring down their president is the latter's initiative to have the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) annul a decision of 1966 which illegalized communist ideology, and became part of the 1965-1966 anti-leftist witchhunt that cost close to a million lives.
The current article argues, that that 1966 decision and the accompanying massacre lie at the beginning of a murderous "tradition" that condoned mass killings as political means, which subsequently also hit Muslim activists, e.g. in Tanjungpriok, Lampung, and Aceh, and is now threatening to disintegrate the unitary state. It is demonstrated, that the presidents initiative is in agreement with traditions of the national movement for independence as well as with modern demands to a democratic state, and aptly reflects traditions inherent in the golden age of Islam in the Near East, as well as among Islamic leaders in the national movement in Indonesia. It suggests, that sabotage by some Islamic leaders is seriously jeopardizing future perspectives of the Islamic community in the country.
I sent this short text to over a dozen Indonesian newspapers on the eve of the general elections of June 1999, but, to my knowledge, the Jakarta tabloid "Pos Kota" was the only one that placed it.
It contains a short and easy formula for maintaining honest elections in the face of massive attempts to buy votes from a population suffering from need as a consequence of the monetary crisis. It calls upon voters to accept any money offered, but to nevertheless vote according to their conscience, because buying votes is illegal, and hence any promises made to the briber are null and void.
(cover photo by J. Sura)
Indonesian democracy on the internet - some interesting places and things to do for those who know a little Indonesian.
Brochure containing two essays clandestinely published in Jakarta before the May 1998 "re-election" and "abdication" of Soeharto. The first is an indonesian translation of an essay in English.
