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Army senses systematic effort to revive communism
The Jakarta Post | Tue, 09/30/2008 7:54 PM | National
The country’s armed forces are sensing various systematicattempts to revive the ideology of its defunct archenemy, Indonesian CommunistParty (PKI).
Speaking at a prayer gathering to commemorate nationalheroes who died in a coup attempt allegedly involving the party on Sept. 30,1965, army chief Gen. Agustadi Sasongko Purnomo said the threat was becomingmore real.
“We sense many systematic attempts to bring back communistideology in Indonesia,” Agustadi said at the Pancasila Sakti monument inJakarta where the heroes found slain and buried after the coup.
Agustadi said one of the main tactics used in the attemptsaimed at creating divisions among people and shaking the very foundation of theunification of the republic.
Other attempts were more vulgar, he said, such as placementof stickers and posters with messages fired by the ideology.
“The efforts are systematic and transparent. Hence, we mustremain alert of the attempts carried out by sympathizers and followers of thecommunist ideology,” he said.
However, he said, unlike in the old days, the army wouldcontinue its fight against the ideology not through peaceful means and toalways hold on to the nation’s philosophical foundation, Pancasila.
Attending the prayer gathering were families of the nationalheroes, which include general Ahmah Yani, Lt. General R. Soeprapto, Maj. Gen.D.I. Pandjaitan and Sec. Lt. K.S. Tubun.
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Tomaso Tettamanti, Lugano Switzerland (not verified) — Mon, 10/06/2008 - 10:33pm
Nowadays, except in Bolivia and Venezuela, nobody takes the threat of communism seriously, but it may be that the TNI is using it as a straw man or stand-in for radical Islam. The same way that the Turkish Army has prevented Islamic parties from coming into power (except very recently), the TNI may regard itself as the protector of the Indonesian Constitutional concept of Pancasila, which in theory should protect religious minorities.
Jose Dinoy (not verified) — Wed, 10/01/2008 - 9:22am
The TNI’s Bogeyman once again used as a Red Herring
Your report quotes that the army’s Chief Gen. Agustadi Sasongko Purnomo saying that “the country’s armed forces are sensing various systematic attempts to revive the ideology of its defunct archenemy, Indonesian Communist Party (PKI), and that the threat was becoming more real.” This sort of statement can only be seen against the reduced role of the TNI in Indonesia’s day-to-day politics and managing the country, against the backdrop of next year’s elections, and its economic/political entrenchment in parts of the country such as Irian Jaya and Sulawesi. Polls regarding next years’ elections see a rising popularity for former President Megawati Sukarno Putri; of course the daughter of erstwhile President Soekarno. It is known that Mrs Megawati is not much admired by the TNI, while her father was ousted by the then ABRI under the pretense of being a communist or at least having communist sympathies.
Of course communism is a spent political trend that has utterly failed in all countries that tried it at great human and economic cost; except, perhaps, in Cuba and North Korea.
Of course the older TNI leadership still clings to its status quo when it was the dominant part of the “New Order” under former President Suharto. During that time the army was an involved force in all political aspects of running Indonesia. Although that time has passed, it seems that many feel that Indonesia under democratic rule, especially witnessed in the implementation of regional autonomy and free elections, still needs the army’s heavy hand to keep its politically involved and free thinking population in check. Perhaps, more discipline is needed especially with regard to corruption and money politics. However, would that not be a process of learning when more and more people get truly involved in democratically managing their own destination rather than being forced upon a path set out by the military? Of course it is. The PKI is once again dusted off and used as the TNI’s bogeyman and used as a red herring to confuse and scare people. It does not bode well for the TNI’s mind set’s inability to devise a fresh theme to further their obvious uncalled for ambitions.
Jose Dinoy