Suara Independen (Indonesia)

The Indonesian military under General Soeharto (Suharto) seized power in 1966, with the active involvement and blessing of the U.S. government. A bloodbath ensued, costing perhaps half a million lives, aimed both at leftists and more generally at the community of Chinese descent. Significant organized opposition took almost 20 years to form, of which underground publications were an important component. Extraordinary pressure on Indonesia's press freedom in Indonesia during President Soeharto's regime eventually gave birth to the monthly underground newspaper Suara Independen (Independent Voice).

[Page 515]In Soeharto's regime, which was also termed the “New Order,” the government was backed up by the military, the civil service, and the powerful official political party Golkar (Golongan Karya, literally “Functional Groups”). The two other political parties, the Development Unity Party and the Indonesian Democratic Party, had been forcibly constituted by the government from many other parties and completely lacked clout.

During Soeharto's 32 years in office, nearly 300 commercial newspapers and magazines were threatened repeatedly not to publish sensitive news, which forced them to self-censor. All publishing companies had to get a government permit.

This was in a country of 230 million people, with multiple languages and varying religious beliefs. In the 1990s, however, some movements began to challenge the authorities. In 19871990, there were not less than 155 demonstrations. University students in Bandung protested land dispossessions in Badega and Cimacan, whereas students in Yogyakarta assisted the people forced off their land in the Kedung Ombo dam project. Several Gadjah Mada University students established their own Student Council (DEMA UGM) in opposition to the government-sponsored one. In some areas, especially in 19951996, independent alternative student committees emerged. One was Solidaritas Mahasiswa Indonesia untuk Demokrasi (Indonesian Student Solidarity for Democracy, SMID). SMID and other committee organizations vigorously critiqued the New Order corporatist regime.

In June 1994, in the midst of his proclamations of Indonesia's “openness,” Soeharto abruptly canceled permits for three weeklies: Tempo (Time), Editor, and DeTik (Second). They had been reporting the bitter conflict between two government ministers concerning the purchase of decommissioned East German warships. Doing so did not result in political calm as the authorities expected; instead, this action destabilized the country because the public objected to the government locking down its information rights.

Protests and demonstrations broke out in many cities, especially in Java, indicating that not only journalists but also the public objected. In July, approximately 200 journalists came to the office of the Central Indonesian Journalists Association to submit a statement headed “Indonesian Journalists Stance” that was signed by 370 journalists from all parts of Indonesia. Independent journalist groups also organized solidarity actions (e.g., the Independent Journalists Forum in Bandung, the Surabaya Press Club, the Yogyakarta Journalists Discussion Forum, and Jakarta's Independent Journalists Solidarity). In Madura, East Java, approximately 100 Moslem Leaders and 3,000 santris (devoutly orthodox Muslims) held a major assembly, signifying that press freedom was not just a big city issue.

On August 7, 1994, many journalists, whether from the banned media or not, politicians of different allegiances, Muhammadiyah (reformist) and Nahdlatul Ulama (orthodox Sunni) adherents, artists, cultural commentators, and community leaders met in Sirnagalih, West Java. Approximately 100 individuals were present, and half of them were willing to sign the meeting's declaration. This requested the public's right to information, opposed press curbs, rejected a single coordinating journalists' body, and announced the foundation of the Independent Journalists Alliance. The alliance was supported by Masyarakat Indonesia Peminat Pers Alternatif (Indonesian Community Interested in Alternative Press-MIPPA) headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, which initially brought out Independen that later changed to Suara Independen (SI).

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