Dilemmas of Third World Communism: The Destruction of the PKI in Indonesia 0862322790, 9780862322793

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DILEMMAS OF

THIRD WORLD COMMUNISM The Destruction of the PKI in Indonesia

..

OLLE TORNQUIST

ASIA/CONТEМPORARY HISTORY

DILEMMAS OF THIRD WORLD COMMUNISM The Destructlon of the PKI in lndonesia

OLLE TORNQUIST

.

Dilemmas of Third World Communism is а study of the lndonesian Communist Party that aims to answer more generai questions about the difficulties, and even defeats, encountered Ьу so many left-wing movements in the Third Wrld. Dr. Tornquist argues that one fundamental reason for the lndonesian military's successful destruction of the world's third largest communist party in 1965 lay in the failure of the Party itself to analyse the nature of the post-colonial capitalist society that was emerging. The Party was unaЫe, as а result, to develop effective long-term strategies at the political level. This book analyses, for each stage in the PКl's history, the range of theoretical issues confronting the Party, including the land question, the role of the bourgeoisie, the consequences of nationalisation, and the proЬlem of democracy. The author argues that the Party relied unthinkingly on the analyses prevalent within Marxism generally, and did not perceive how these issues were altered Ьу the specific forms post-colonial capitalism was taking in the Third World. The consequent theoretical misconceptions resulted in fundamental errors of strategy, that in the end led the Party to disaster. The lessons drawn in this analysis of the PКl's defeat are relevant to many Third World revolutionary movements, but particularly to those in countries with large peasant populations, semi-capitalist agrarian relations, and ruling classes using the state to promote accumulation under these conditions. Consequently, the analysis is also of importance to international solidarity movements.

Dr Olle Ti>rnquist is а Research Fellow and Lecturer at the University of Uppsala, where he has worked for several years in Development Studies. The field research for the present study was conducted in lndonesia and an earlier version of the book puЬlished in Sweden. 'An ambltious and significant attempt . . . to understand why revolutionary movements in the Third World were so often defeated.' Professor Sven Eric Lledman, University of Gothenburg. 'А brilliant thesis . . . The attempt to develop new theory is one of the most original and suggestive that I have read in recent years. Professor John Martinussen, Rosknde University Centr!Э.

Dilemmas of Third World Communism Olle Tornquist

All roya/ties оп this book have Ьееп donated Ьу the author to ТAPOL, the British Campaign for the Defence of Politica/ Prisoners and Нитап Rights in Indonesia

Dilemmas of Third World Communism Тhе

Destruction of the PKI in Indonesia

Olle Tornquist

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Dilemmas of Third World Communism was first puЬlished Ьу Zed Books Ltd., 57 Caledonian Road, London Nl 9BU in 1984. It is а revised and expanded version of а book originally puЬlished in Swedish Ьу Symposium Bokforlag, Stockholm Copyright © Olle

Tбrnquist,

1984

Cover design Ьу Tim Moore Printed Ьу The Pitman Press, Bath

Brlllsh Llbrary Calalogulng ln

PuЬllcatlon

Dala

TOrnquist, Olle Dilemmas of third world communism : the deslruction of lhe РКI in Indonesia. 1. Parlai komunis lndonesia - History 2. lndonesia - Politics and government - 1950-1966 1. Title 11. Marxistisk Barlast : varfOr misslyckades vlrldens tredje stOrsla kommunislparti? English 324.2598'075 JQ779.A55 ISBN 0-86232-278-2 ISBN 0-86232-279-0 Pbk

US Distributor: BiЫio Distribution Center, 81, Adams Drive, Totowa, New Jersey 07512 The author wishes to express his gratitude to SAREC for its financial assistance in the preparation of this work.

Contents

Мар

viii

Preface 1. The ProЫem 2. The Approach Objectives The Concept of Strategy How Does One Examine the Failure of а Communist Party? Summary Outline of This Book

ix l 4 4 5 6 9 9

/

11 PART 1: ТНЕ COMMUNIST TRADITION 3. Marxist Theory of Struggle in the Third World: The Communist 13 Tradition 13 From Progressive to Parasitic Imperialism 15 The Example of Russia 18 Lenin's Thesis оп the Colonies 21 Stalin 's Colonial Theses 25 Mao's Silent Revolt 27 New Fronts - Old Lines 28 Old Stalinism and Non-Capitalism 31 Mao's Walking оп Two Legs and the Dependency School 34 Reappraisal? 36 From Parasitic to Progressive lmperialism? 4. The РКI, the Communist Tradition and the Course of Events 45 in Indonesia 46 Colonization 47 Modern Nationalism 49 The Communists lsolate Themselves 50 Communist Hothouse (l.952-1960/63) 53 Communist Offensive (l 960/63-1965) 54 The New Order

f PART 2: ТНЕ COMMUNIST HOTHOUSE 5. The РКI in Disarray А New Hard Line - and Setbacks The РКI in Disarray

57 59 61 63

6.

7.

8. 9.

10.

11.

12.

А New Strategy Strong Enemies The Rural Situation The PКI's Weakness Long-term Strategy Democracy! Anti-imperialism ! Anti-feudalism! Modifications of the Strategy, up to 1960-63 А National Coalition Government А New Idea of Democracy The Class Character of the State Five Strategic ProЬlems, 1952-60/63 The National Bourgeoisie and Other Monstrosities Towards А National Economy From а Colonial Economy to а National Economic Crisis Deterministic Blinkers The Ethnocentric Bourgeoisie The New Lords of Anti-Imperialism А State-Guided Economy The Army's Role The Boomerang Weak and Strong Nationalists The Theoretically InconceivaЫe Capitalists What is Wrong with the Theory? Democratic Cul-de-Sac Nationalists, Communists and Democracy Guided Democracy Guides the РКI ProЫems: The Nationalists Abandon Democracy The Army Enforces 'Guided Democracy' The Guided Democracy of Sukarno and Nasution Democratic Patrons Nationalists Against Democratic Rights and Privileges The Mobllized Peasant Society The РКI, the Nationalists and the Peasants The РКI among Patrons and Clients

ProЫems

Captive of its own Policy 13. Workers' Struggle in the Face of Obstacles The Basis of Class Collaboration The Working Class as а Punch Bag ProЫems

Economic Crisis The Vanguard Which Was Left Behind

68 68

71

11 73

76 77 80 80

81 81 84 86

86 87 92 93

97 97 98 104 105 106 107 112 112 114 118 119 120 122 123

128 128 131 134 138 143 143 144 146 146 149

PART 3: COMMUNIST OFFENSIVE: 1960-63 to 65 14. For An Offensive Strategy

15. 16.

17.

18.

Locked Positions Class Struggle within the Framework of Sukarno's Nationalism Three Strategic ProЫems Anti-lmperiallst Struggles Against the Wrong Form of Capitalism Disarm the Bureaucratic Capitalists! Anti-imperialism: А Blunted Weapon ProЫems: Workers Hard Нit, Capitalists Gain The Bureaucratic Capitalists Could Not Ве lsolated А Post-Colonial Capitalism Takes Shape Military Bureaucratic State? Post-Colonial Capitalism and the State Peasant Struggles Against the Wrong Monopoly of Land Mobllizing the Peasants for а Political Offensive The Land Reform: А Blunted Weapon ProЫems of Analysis The Ce!}tralization of Surplus Mass Struggle Bypassed: Elite Conflicts and Massacre Mass Struggle Bypassed Elite Conflicts Massacre

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 19. Why Did the PKI Fail?

153 155 155 156 163 165 165

167 169 170 173 176 178

186 186 191 201 204 224 226 230 232 238 238 238 238

Defective Theory and Analysis Ethnocentric Theory оп the Rise of Capitalism Nationalists Without Classic Bourgeois Interests Post-colonial Capitalism and the State 241 20. What Are the Implications of the PKI's Strategic ProЫems for 254 Prevailing Theories оп the Struggle in the Third World? The State, Imperialism and Democracy 258 Radical Peasant Struggle 264 How Does the Left React? New Solutions? 266 Concluding Remarks 270 Appendices Appendix 1: Glossary and Abbreviations Appendix II: Кеу to some land tenure agreements in Javanese agriculture Appeцdix III: The course of events - а short chronology BiЫiograpliy

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lndex

273

277 280 285 305

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