KREMLIN DEFENDS ITS TIES WITH THE INDONESIAN GENERALS
[To stay in the good graces of the reactionary generals who seized power in Indonesia and murdered as many as 500,000 "Communists" in one of the bloodiest purges of all time, Brezhnev and Kosygin went to such lengths as to expel the official correspondent of the Indonesian Communist party from the Soviet Union and to put on a degrading public show of friendship with Adam Malik, the diplomatic envoy of the Indonesian butchers. (See World Outlook December 16, 1966. ) Naturally Brezhnev-Kosygin have met with some sharp criticism for such conduct.
[Among the critics was Avanti, the official daily of the united Social Democratic party of Italy. By attacking the Kremlin, the Italian Social Democrats counted on diverting criticism coming their way because of their own scandalous attitude on such things as the Vietnam war..
[Through its Rome agency, the Moscow head office of the Soviet press agency Novosti decided to answer Avanti. The reply was submitted to the editors of Avanti, who published it in the issue of December 17, 1966.
[The arguments put forth are of such a revealing nature as to be virtually selfanswering. At the same time, as a defense of the Kremlin's efforts to appease the Indonesian witch-hunters, the article offers damning evidence on how consciously Khrushchev's heirs go about betraying the principles of international solidarity and socialism. In view of its interest, World Outlook is offering the following translation of the article. ]
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At the end of last month the Soviet-Indonesian talks on economic cooperation and financial accounts were concluded in Moscow. The Soviet Union has met the wishes of Indonesia and agreed to extend the date on which repayment of the loans and payment of interest fell due, even though certain reservations were expressed. The Soviet Union has rather serious reasons for doing this. Bloody events took place in Indonesia during the year which stirred the whole civilized world.
The reaction that broke out against hundreds of thousands of Communists and democratic-minded persons provoked strong protest and indignation in both the USSR and the international field. Intervening in defense of democratic-minded people and all progressives in Indonesia, the USSR requested the new Indonesian leaders to take measures aimed at stopping the terrorism that can only cause national unity to disintegrate and thereby weaken the resistance to imperialism and cause national achievements to be lost.
The requests from the Soviet Union and from other democratic forces in the world have played a moderating role. In Indonesia the mass slaughter and persecution have stopped.
There were people in Indonesia who exerted pressure so that a law was enacted illegalizing the Communist party which has three million members.
After that another absurd step was taken -- Marxist-Leninist ideology was banned. This is a challenge not only to the world Communist movement, but also to the whole
progressive world.
All this exerted a negative influence on the position taken by the Soviet delegation during the negotiations with the Indonesian delegation. Indonesia did not obtain what she expected.
The solution to international problems, on which the destiny of the peoples hinges, should not be based exclusively on sentiment. In this case it is necessary to bear in mind the real situation.and the new circumstances which require avoidance of impulsive decisions. Is it right to ignore the fact that in Indonesia recently the international situation and collaboration are considered in a more realistic way?
As is known, Indonesia has returned to the UN after having boycotted this international organization for nine months. Indonesia has stopped its so-called opposition to Malaysia, which was unjustified and was taken up mainly out of prestige considerations. The Indonesian government has stated to the whole world that in the future it intends to follow a policy of peaceful coexistence and active neutrality. It is very important that Indonesia proposes to consolidate national sovereignty and follow an anticolonialist and anti-imperialist political line.
Indonesia, of course, can achieve this program only with the support of the antiimperialist forces which are active inside the country and abroad,
These active forces are first of all the Soviet Union and tke other socialist countries.
The policy ‘of the Soviet Union with regard to Indonesia is aimed at supporting its political orientation toward consolidating national independence and depriving the imperialists of. the possibility of taking advantage of the political situation in Indonesia for their imperialist aims.
‘This position of the Soviet Union does not differ from the fundamental principles - which constitute the basis of relations between the USSR and other countries fighting for their independence and social progress.. ;
Also at this time the Soviet Union considers it to be her duty to support the patriotic forces of Indonesia, not only to keep that country in its anti-imperialist position but to prevent it from moving to the right.
The positions taken by some foreign newspapers and press agencies, stating that the Soviet Union in making concessions to Indonesia was doing nothing less than supporting the rightist military regime, which was defined as an instrument of American imperialism by the Hsinhua News Agency, are absurd in our opinion. The latter agency also stated that the socialist countries in general and the Soviet Union in particular are justifying the recent Indonesian events, such as the banning of the Communist party and Marxist-Lenist ideology.
It is clear that the above charges are wrong. Soviet-Indonesian collaboration is first of all to the advantage of the world in evolution. It contributes to the development of the world revolutionary process.
BOUMEDIENNE