INDONESIA: Open Question

Tan Malaka was one of the founders of the Indonesian Communist Party, which is currently doing quite well for itself behind the scenes of the Indonesian Republican Government. But Tan Malaka had an ideological falling out with official Communism and became a Trotskyite. Tan Malaka also had a falling out with his great friend President Soekarno, who objected to a plot to kidnap Premier Sjahrir last year. Soekarno jailed Tan Malaka, and Comrade Alimin became Indonesia’s No. 1 Communist.

A traveler, recently returned from Indonesia, asked a member of the Republican Government: “When are you going to let Tan Malaka out of jail?” “I don’t know,” said the official. “You don’t know?” asked the traveler. “Well,” said the official, “it’s hard to say. You see, he was thrown into Cheribon prison a year ago last July and I don’t think he’s been given anything to eat since then.”