Police Summon Artists For Using Communist Symbols

The Jakarta Post reported on Monday that the the East Denpasar Police summoned a group of young artists for using symbols of the now defunct communist party during an art exhibition organized this past September.

An art exhibition dubbed the G-30-S (30 artists’ movement) was organized from Sept. 16 to 30 at the Denpasar Art Centre featuring contemporary art pieces that tried to redefine the meaning of some symbols, including communist symbols like the hammer and sickle.

“Soon after we noticed that the paintings contained communist symbols we decided to confiscate and bring them to the police for further investigation,” Udayana Military Command’ intelligence assistant Col. Mudjib Ali said.

“We want to ask about their motivation behind all of this because we all know that publicly showing or exhibiting communist symbols is prohibited,” East Denpasar Police chief Adj. Comr. Gede Ariantha told The Jakarta Post on Sunday. A temporary 1996 People’s Consultative Assembly (MPRS) decree prohibits the Indonesia Communist Party’s existence throughout the country. The decree also prohibits the public display of the party’s symbols.