Max Lane Indonesia Southeast Asia and International Affairs

( A version of this article was published in the Jakarta Post, June 29.)

On June 19 I spoke an a panel at a public forum in Jakarta with the theme “Is it time for the young leaders to come to power?” About 300 people attended the forum, cramming in to a rather smallish room in the Sahid Jaya Hotel. The forum was organized by the activists-talking mailing list and the Peoples Democratic Extended Family, an association of former members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PRD). The PRD led many protest actions against he Suharto government in the 1990s and is still active today. Former members of the PRD are to be found in almost every other party, inlcuding Megawati’s Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP). Many are also to be found in the academic world, in the press and in NGOs.

From L to R: Max Lane, Andi Arief, Boediono from PBR, Budiman Sujatmiko, Agus Jabo, Sylvester from Pelopor

NYAI ONTOSOROH

Kisah perlawanan perempuan bernama Sanikem…


Zaman kolonial Belanda gadis-gadis dijual, diserahkan kepada pembesar-pembesar Belanda dijadikan gundik, atau Nyai...
Jaman penjajahan Jepang perempuan dijual dan dipaksa dijadikan Jugun Ianfu...
Jaman sekarang perempuan-perempuan dijual oleh keluarga, oleh negara, dijadikan TKW, menjadi budak rumah tangga, kadang dipaksa atau ditipu dijadikan pekerja sex

demi devisa, jadi pahlawan sehari, kemudian dilupakan…

Max Lane speaking at May 22 book launch of the Indonesian language edition of UNFINISHED NATION organised by the publishers, the REFORM INSTITUTE. About 500 people attended the function in the Gren Melia Hotel, Jakarta which also launched the Institute's new magazine. Below is a newspaper report of the launch translated by James Balowski.

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Max Lane - Indonesia, an unfinished revolution

Suara Pembaruan Daily - May 23, 2007, page 1 and 14

The national liberation of the people of Latin
America, which has been inspired by the people’s
struggle in Venezuela led by President Hugo Chavez,
should be able to inspire similar methods and
ideologies in the Indonesian national struggle.

Millions of Latin American people have been inspired
by the developments in Venezuela when the people
there succeeded in winning back their wealth and
culture from the grip of the United States.

Arok of Java

In September in Singapore, Horizon Books and the Department of Malay Studies, National University of Singapore will be launching the English translation and with an Introduction by by Max Lane of Pramoedya Ananta Toer's Arok Dedes. This edition will also carry illustrations by Jogjakarta painter M. Yusuf. In this edition the book will be titled Arok of Java Arok of Java was written by Pramoedya while he was in Buru Island prisone camp between 1968 and 1979. The novel is set in 13th century Java: his first novel not set in the 20th century to be published in English.

The death of Tunggal Ametung by M. Yusuf from his AROK DEDES series.

The Chinese in Indonesia

An English translation and with Introduction by Max Lane of Pramoedya's The Chinese in Indonesia will be launched by Select Books in Kuala Lumpur in August. The book was written in 1959-60 and is a classic humanist polemic against anti-Chinese racialism as well as an overview of the history of the Chinese community in Indonesia. As a result of this book Pramoedya was arrested and gaoled for almost 1 year without trial by the Martial Law Authorities in Indonesia at that time. In the book he attacked a set of discriminatory policies adopted by the government and being pushed by right-wing parties.