Uchi and Utati: Reaching the Shore of Dreams
By Felicia Salvina –
They are the members of Dialita Choir, a group of Indonesian elderly women who were previously political prisoners/relatives of such back in Orde Baru (1966-1998). The name Dialita translates to “Di Atas Lima Puluh Tahun” (translation: Above 50 Years Old), reflecting the ages of its 25 members. The choir is being honored by South Korea’s May 18 Memorial Foundation with the Gwangju Prize for Human Rights as it “demonstrates the path to reconciliation and healing through music,” (2019). They also received Penghargaan Akademi Jakarta (2022) for their contribution to fostering cross-generational cultural reconciliation.
They were labeled as the supporters of Indonesia Communist Party (PKI), which was prohibited by President Soeharto, who considered them as threatening political opposition amidst its significant number of followers. Soeharto’s presidency term is commonly referred to as Orde Baru. The administration under Orde Baru was narrating atrocities about PKI and propagandizing its religious disbelief. The massacre of those affiliated with the communist party is known as the 1965 tragedy. Miserably, the accusation even includes youngsters, who were mostly unaware of the party’s impact towards their lives.
Utji Kowati Fauzia, also known as Uchi is one of those teenagers whose parents were taken into custody when she was just 13. Her father, a Regent of Cilacap from Parkindo, a political party ally to PKI, was apprehended along with her mother in Semarang, far from their home. Uchi and her siblings, together with their grandparents had to relocate from Cilacap to ensure safety after their parents’ arrest. It was only with the help of an insider that she managed to visit her parents in prison eight months after their incarceration. However, due to financial constraints, she was unable to visit them in Semarang until 1973.
Portrait of Utji Kowati Fauzia at her house in Greater Jakarta on 11 May 2024. /Felicia Salvina for N3Con 2024
As the child of a political prisoner and a former active member of the Indonesian Student Youth Association (IPPI), Uchi was required to endure compulsory reporting to the police from 1965 until at least the 1980s. She couldn’t share such a burden with their friends or anyone outside her home, as they feared intelligence services.
Not only Uchi, but also other members of Dialita, Utati, the sister-in-law of Pramoedya Ananta Toer—whom Al Jazeera recognized as one of Indonesia’s best writers—was a former political prisoner. In 1967, she was initially taken by officers for a 3 day interrogation. Turns out, it ended up lasting more than 3 months. Not to mention that she was subsequently imprisoned the following year, remaining confined until 1978. “Until I went home, there was no judicial process,” she remarked.
She was only a teacher, active in an organization called ‘Pemuda Rakyat’ (translation: People’s Youth) where she mainly danced. When questioned about communism, she knew very little other
than it being one of Indonesia’s four major parties at that time. Yet she was still arrested. Moreover, she experienced sexual harassment, such as being coerced to undress before beating or to check for any indication of affiliation with PKI in sensitive areas during her interrogations. With a trembling voice, she whimpered, “Perhaps they consider me an immoral woman deserving of violence,”
After spending 11 years in prison, Utati was released. “When we returned home, we felt that it wasn’t liberation. From a previously narrow cage, it became a large cage. We can walk more. But we were still under surveillance,” Utati continued, describing her hardship post-release. For about three years, her paranoia was triggered by barking and military attire. Despite the passing years, she realized her trauma could never disappear. She thought she could confront her persecution. It appears she isn’t as resilient as she presumed.
Portrait of Utati at her house in Greater Jakarta on 11 May 2024. /Felicia Salvina for N3Con 2024
The individual and their family felt the burden of being an ex-political prisoner. It was nearly impossible for their children to apply as a civil servant. When relocating, her family needed to be checked seven times before obtaining a domicile certificate, all because their identity cards bore the label “ET” (Ex-Tapol, translation: ex-political prisoner).
The pressure lasted for decades before the collapse of Soeharto’s regime in 1998. Afterwards, the reformation era took hold, emerging democratic climate and liberation of government criticism. The lives of the victims undergo a profound transformation as they are permitted to establish survivor communities. During this period, Uchi advocated for victims to obtain their SKKP HAM (Certification of Victim of Serious Human Rights Violations). This certification would help them secure basic rights as elderly citizens, including health and psychosocial services from LPSK (Witness and Victim Protection Agency).
The certification plays a significant role as some regions are intolerant of ex-political prisoners. The intolerance has prompted some local governments to refuse providing health insurance for them. With SKKP HAM, they are no longer perceived as rebels and are allowed to reclaim some of their rights.
President Joko Widodo issued Presidential Decree No. 17 of 2022 to appoint a Non-Judicial Resolution Team for Past Serious Human Rights Violations, as if siding with the victims. According to KOMPAS.com, after a year of the decree’s release, the president reviewed the team’s report. On January 11, 2023, the head of the state acknowledged that there were 12 serious human rights violation cases in the past, with the 1965 tragedy being one of them.
The atmosphere of Utati’s home, featuring a portrait of her husband, Koesalah Soebagya Toer, displayed in the center of the table. A picture of Koesalah (left) and his brother, Pramoedya Ananta Toer (right), hangs on the left wall. Felicia Salvina for N3Con 2024
Presidential Instruction No. 2 of 2023 concerning the Implementation of Recommendations for Non-Judicial Resolution of Serious Human Rights Violations was then released. In this file, the president instructed ministries and institutions to provide victim recovery, including health services, and other social benefits as citizens.
Following the presidential instruction, Uchi was invited by the Ministry of Political, Legal and Security Affairs to represent victims of serious human rights violations in a hybrid meeting with the president. The nation leader joined Zoom from Pidie Regency, one of the developed areas in Aceh Province. However, his connection froze, causing him to exit the meeting. The president didn’t rejoin or reschedule the meeting. Uchi views this as a gimmick and frivolity from the government.
In response to the instruction, approximately 900 victims in Greater Jakarta are applying for SKKP HAM. “They are truly hopeful to receive the benefits promised by the government,” she stated. Uchi tried proposing 25 names, but was rejected. An anonymous source informed Uchi that the event of 1965 remained a contentious issue in terms of human rights violations. As evidence, when asked if Utati gets any help from the government due to the decree, she sarcastically responded, “Of course not. What do they know about 1965 (tragedy)?”
Their disappointment isn’t novel, as previous governments—exceptional for Abdurrahman Wahid, who made an attempt to revive PKI and eliminate judicial discrimination but failed due to major disagreement, have never truly addressed their concerns, indicating the successful narrative of Orde Baru.
Nevertheless, they keep waiting, demanding good intentions from the government as they carry the aspirations of countless victims within every stride of their struggle. Even in the face of continuous false hope from the government, their spirit never dies. As powerfully resonated through the lyrics of their song, “Salam Harapan” (translation: Greetings of Hope)
Bagai gunung karang di tengah lautan
(Just like a coral mountain in the middle of the sea)
Tetap tegak didera gelombang
(Remain upright despite the battering waves)
Lajulah, laju, perahu kita laju
(Row swiftly, row fast, our boat sails swiftly)
Pastikan mencapai pantai cita
(Ensure reaching the shore of dreams)
How much longer will the government be a wave battering their shore of dreams? ______________________________________________________________________________
Edited by: Adhitya Ramadhan