The government has retained articles banning communism in a proposed revision of the Criminal Code (KUHP), raising concerns that a crackdown on cultural events and anything else related to the ideology will continue.



Despite adding a provision to protect academic study and analysis of Marxist-Leninist thought, the reluctance to scrap the prohibition reflects the government’s persistent phobia over the political philosophy.



Copying the current KUHP, the ban is covered by articles 219, 220 and 221 in the draft revision.



The director of the Institute for Criminal Justice Reform (ICJR), Supriyadi Widodo Eddyono, said on Monday that he urged lawmakers to repeal the articles to avoid violating people’s rights to pursue knowledge.



“The definition of Marxism and Leninism [in the articles] is vague and open to multiple interpretations. A state apparatus might ...