One day, it seems that a country is calm and the ruling clique there is firmly ensconced in power. The next day, the revolutionary masses stand in front of the burning parliamentary building. The police are gone, the MPs have fled, and so too has the Prime Minister. The photographs and videos that recently emerged from Nepal were astonishing. They are also astonishingly similar to the scenes that we’ve already seen: in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, ...

As revolutionary events rock Indonesia, we wish to bring to the attention of our readers a masterpiece of documentary filmmaking, the 2012 film The Act of Killing. This documentary is truly a unique and harrowing watch. It is also invaluable as an insight into the nature of the regime that the youth of Indonesia are rising against today.

Young people and students have played a leading role in this revolutionary movement. Millions of poor workers have taken to the streets across the country. This is enough to demonstrate the power of the working class and make the ruling class tremble. But it is not enough to win our demands, let alone achieve our ultimate goal, which is a fundamental transformation of our lives and society, and the abolition of the exploitation, oppression and impoverishment of the working class, while the rich continue to get richer.

Within a week, what began as demonstrations with a semi-insurrectionary character have turned into an open revolutionary uprising which shows no sign of stopping. It is not only tearing down government buildings and police stations, but more importantly, it is shattering the mass stupor that has kept the people in chains. A revolution has begun.

On Monday, seemingly out of nowhere, thousands upon thousands of young people took to the streets in Indonesia. Gathering in front of the parliament building and valiantly facing down hundreds of police officers with water cannons, they shouted “Down with the parliament!”. Street fighting between the protesters and the police continued until past midnight. By morning, 400 people had been arrested, including about 200 school students.

Once again, the students have put themselves at the forefront of a movement against the government’s attacks on the people. On 17 February, tens of thousands of university students across Indonesia took to the streets to protest the government’s recent austerity measures. A series of demonstrations followed over the next few days, spreading from one city to another. The movement culminated in a national day of action on 20 February.

On the morning of Thursday 22 August, upon learning that parliament planned to change an election law to the benefit of President Jokowi’s youngest son, tens of thousands of youths took to the streets and stormed parliament. 

On 14 February, 200 million Indonesians took to the polls to vote for a new leader. Official results are due in March, but the latest counts project that Prabowo will become Indonesia’s next president in October. In an election that many pundits have deemed the dirtiest ever, the ex-general garnered 58 percent of the vote in just one round, defeating his two other rivals – Anies Baswedan and Ganjar Pranowo – by more than 30 percent. Prabowo ran as the direct successor to Jokowi and promised to continue his policy. In fact, he would not have won the election without the support of Jokowi, who had his eldest son, Gibran Rakabuming, as vice-presidential running mate.

The following is the preface to the 2023 Indonesian edition of the Manifesto of the Communist Party. The last Indonesian translation of the Manifesto was made in 1948, but unfortunately the quality of that edition is far from what this important document deserves. Furthermore, the 1948 edition was written in an Old Indonesian style. Meanwhile, the Indonesian language itself has developed a lot in the past 75 years. Therefore, there is a pressing need for a new translation that can explain more clearly the ideas contained in this brilliant work for the new generation of Communists. The new edition can be accessed at the ...

A quarter of century ago, on 21 May 1998, the much-hated dictator of Indonesia, Suharto, was overthrown by a mass revolutionary uprising. Although this moment is widely known as Reformation (Reformasi), it was truly a revolution. The masses, held in deep slumber for decades, were suddenly awakened into political life and pounded against the door of the established power. The New Orderregime, which had ruled comfortably and confidently for 32 years, and appeared immovable, collapsed like a house of cards when faced with the mass uprising of the Indonesian youth and workers.

Indonesian football has been struck by another tragedy. At least 131 people were killed, and hundreds more injured, in a deadly stampede following a match between two rival clubs, Arema Malang and Persebaya Surabaya. This was one of the deadliest disasters in the history of the sport.

After weeks of speculation, the rumour that a fuel price hike was coming was finally confirmed. The working class was hit with a 30-percent price rise. Starting on Saturday 3 September, the price of petrol shot up from 51 cent to 67 cents per litre, and diesel fuel from 35 cents to 46 cents per litre.

In 1965, reactionary military generals in Indonesia began an anti-communist massacre, slaughtering up to two million members and supporters of the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) in one of the twentieth century’s worst mass murders. This year – after six decades of cover up – documents have been released that show the pivotal role played by the British secret services in moulding public opinion in preparation for the slaughter, through a series of propaganda leaflets disguised as the writings of concerned Indonesian emigres.

Mass protests and strikes exploded across Indonesia on 6-8 October following the passing of the controversial Omnibus Law: a major series of counter-reforms also known as the “Big Bang” Law. Tens of thousands of workers went on strike, and in dozens of cities, school students took to the streets and engaged in running battles with the police.

The Dutch King has apologised for violence committed by the Netherlands during Indonesia’s independence struggle. The crocodile tears of hypocritical elites do not make up for 300 years of brutal subjugation. The only real justice and road forward can come from the expropriation of Dutch capital: the common enemy of the Dutch and Indonesian workers.