Indonesia Passes New Criminal Code to Ban Communist Propaganda
Indonesia passed a new criminal code this month to ban communist and Marxist-Leninist propaganda. Experts believe that this is part of a general trend of global rejection of the Chinese communist regime.The Indonesian Parliament passed an amendment to the national criminal code on Dec. 6, which stipulates that those who propagate communism and Marxism-Leninism can be sentenced to 4 to 15 years in prison. According to Article 188 of the act, anyone who disseminates or promotes communism or Marxism-Leninism, orally or in writing, including through any media, will face a maximum of four years in prison; if the above-mentioned acts cause social disturbances or property damage, the maximum sentence is seven years; if it causes personal injury or death, the person can be sentenced to 12 to 15 years in prison. Current affairs commentator Qin Peng told The Epoch Times on Dec. 20, “It is not accidental that Indonesia enacted this law. It’s intended to contain and guard against the Chinese regime, which is the general trend of the world,” he said. He said that the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) global expansion is becoming more and more blatant, and it has been noticed by more countries. The number of people opposing the CCP in many countries is also increasing. CCP’s Devastating Influence in History Historical data shows that in the early 1960s, the CCP supplied large funds and military equipment to the Indonesian communist party whose membership once exceeded 2 million. Zhou Enlai, then-premier of the Chinese communist regime, bragged to the international community that so many Chinese were living in Southeast Asian countries that they could change the countries into communist states overnight, as soon as the CCP gave the order. Zhou’s remarks triggered massive anti-Chinese riots in Southeast Asia, especially in Indonesia, where about 500,000 Chinese were killed between 1966 and 1967. The Indonesian government also strictly prohibited Chinese language education because of the CCP’s claim. China and Indonesia severed diplomatic relations in 1967, and the two countries did not reestablish diplomatic relations until 1990. To this day, Indonesia still strictly prohibits the sickle, hammer, red flag, and other imagery that symbolize communism. Although the Indonesian government has tried to lift the ban on communism in Congress in order to enhance relations with Beijing in recent years, it has failed. Qin said that although most countries are unwilling to directly and openly confront the CCP for economic or security reasons, more and more countries are guarding against CCP influence. In this way, the international space for the CCP’s large-scale foreign propaganda will definitely become narrower and narrower, he added. Li Yuanhua, a historian living in Australia, told The Epoch Times on Dec. 20 that the CCP’s foreign propaganda is focused on “telling Chinese stories well.” “After the passing of the law, the regime should refrain from doing it overtly in Indonesia in the future. They dare not violate Indonesian laws,” he said. ASEAN Secretary-General Lim Jock Hoi (R) and foreign ministers shake hands on stage at a summit between China and ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) on the COVID-19 coronavirus in Vientiane, Laos, on Feb. 20, 2020. (Dene-Hern Chen/AFP via Getty Images) Malaysia, another country in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), also prohibits the promotion of communism. Li said that Indonesia and other ASEAN countries have many economic and trade exchanges with the CCP. “They only talk about economy with China, not politics, and the impact [of the criminal code] on economic exchanges will not be particularly large. Therefore, once this kind of law is implemented, the CCP can only remain silent about it.” Ning Haizhong and Luo Ya contributed to this report. Alex Wu is a U.S.-based writer for The Epoch Times focusing on Chinese society, Chinese culture, human rights, and international relations.
Udumbara
Indonesia passed a new criminal code this month to ban communist and Marxist-Leninist propaganda. Experts believe that this is part of a general trend of global rejection of the Chinese communist regime.
The Indonesian Parliament passed an amendment to the national criminal code on Dec. 6, which stipulates that those who propagate communism and Marxism-Leninism can be sentenced to 4 to 15 years in prison.
According to Article 188 of the act, anyone who disseminates or promotes communism or Marxism-Leninism, orally or in writing, including through any media, will face a maximum of four years in prison; if the above-mentioned acts cause social disturbances or property damage, the maximum sentence is seven years; if it causes personal injury or death, the person can be sentenced to 12 to 15 years in prison.
Current affairs commentator Qin Peng told The Epoch Times on Dec. 20, “It is not accidental that Indonesia enacted this law. It’s intended to contain and guard against the Chinese regime, which is the general trend of the world,” he said.
He said that the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) global expansion is becoming more and more blatant, and it has been noticed by more countries. The number of people opposing the CCP in many countries is also increasing.
CCP’s Devastating Influence in History
Historical data shows that in the early 1960s, the CCP supplied large funds and military equipment to the Indonesian communist party whose membership once exceeded 2 million. Zhou Enlai, then-premier of the Chinese communist regime, bragged to the international community that so many Chinese were living in Southeast Asian countries that they could change the countries into communist states overnight, as soon as the CCP gave the order. Zhou’s remarks triggered massive anti-Chinese riots in Southeast Asia, especially in Indonesia, where about 500,000 Chinese were killed between 1966 and 1967.
The Indonesian government also strictly prohibited Chinese language education because of the CCP’s claim. China and Indonesia severed diplomatic relations in 1967, and the two countries did not reestablish diplomatic relations until 1990.
To this day, Indonesia still strictly prohibits the sickle, hammer, red flag, and other imagery that symbolize communism.
Although the Indonesian government has tried to lift the ban on communism in Congress in order to enhance relations with Beijing in recent years, it has failed.
Qin said that although most countries are unwilling to directly and openly confront the CCP for economic or security reasons, more and more countries are guarding against CCP influence. In this way, the international space for the CCP’s large-scale foreign propaganda will definitely become narrower and narrower, he added.
Li Yuanhua, a historian living in Australia, told The Epoch Times on Dec. 20 that the CCP’s foreign propaganda is focused on “telling Chinese stories well.”
“After the passing of the law, the regime should refrain from doing it overtly in Indonesia in the future. They dare not violate Indonesian laws,” he said.
Malaysia, another country in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), also prohibits the promotion of communism.
Li said that Indonesia and other ASEAN countries have many economic and trade exchanges with the CCP. “They only talk about economy with China, not politics, and the impact [of the criminal code] on economic exchanges will not be particularly large. Therefore, once this kind of law is implemented, the CCP can only remain silent about it.”
Ning Haizhong and Luo Ya contributed to this report.
Alex Wu is a U.S.-based writer for The Epoch Times focusing on Chinese society, Chinese culture, human rights, and international relations.
