Pressure on PDI up over communist links<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP: The government intensified its pressure on the
\nIndonesian Democratic Party (PDI) yesterday with Home Affairs
\nMinister Yogie S.M. supporting an allegation that 300 party
\nmembers have past communist links.<\/p>\n
Yogie said the claim made by a disgruntled PDI member last
\nweek seems to have credibility because the Armed Forces (ABRI)
\nChief, Gen. Feisal Tanjung, believes it.<\/p>\n
\"The ABRI chief must have solid evidence to support his belief
\nand I share his view,\" Yogie told journalists in Bandung, West
\nJava.<\/p>\n
The \"supervisor\" of domestic political affairs made the
\nremarks only a day after Feisal announced that Bakorstanas, the
\nnational security agency he chairs, would investigate the
\nallegation made by PDI rebel Jusuf Merukh.<\/p>\n
Yogie said the government will submit the results of the
\ninvestigation to PDI chief Megawati Soekarnoputri. \"It will be up
\nto her what action she takes against them,\" he added.<\/p>\n
PDI officials are curious as to why so many of its members are
\nsuspected of having past communist links despite the requirement
\nof everyone being tightly screened by ABRI before being able to
\nassume a party post.<\/p>\n
They say the allegation was made by those who do not want to
\nsee the party grow strong under Megawati.<\/p>\n
In a related development, chief of the Diponegoro military
\ncommand Maj. Gen. Soeyono who oversees security in Central Java,
\nsaid yesterday that he takes the allegations of there being PDI
\nleaders in the province with communist links seriously.<\/p>\n
Soeyono, who also heads the local security agency
\n(Bakorstanasda), added he would look into the matter and take
\naction against those proven to have past links with communists.<\/p>\n
\"We will not hesitate to crush anyone who has communist links,
\nno matter who they are and what position they hold. All
\ncommunists will have to face us (armed forces),\" he said.<\/p>\n
Anniversary<\/p>\n
The Central Java government is busy arranging security for the
\nanniversary celebration of the conflict-ridden PDI scheduled for
\nJan. 10 in Surakarta.<\/p>\n
Governor Soewardi and Soeyono convened a special meeting
\nyesterday to discuss security measures to be taken for the
\ncelebration.<\/p>\n
\"We want to ensure that those involved in the internal
\nbickering will not vent their anger and disrupt the revelry,\"
\nSoewardi told reporters yesterday.<\/p>\n
The presence of PDI chief Megawati at the celebration is
\nexpected to provoke violent reactions from her political foes, he
\nadded.<\/p>\n
The minority party, a nationalist-Christian alliance, will
\ncelebrate its 22nd anniversary just when its notorious long-
\nstanding internal conflict is worsening.<\/p>\n
In the latest development, several disgruntled party leaders
\nestablished a rival board of executives after Megawati fired two
\nsenior party rebels.<\/p>\n
Opposing camps have often come close to physical clashes when
\ndemonstrating at party headquarters in Jakarta. In one of the
\nworst incidents, physical clashes occurred during a congress in
\nMedan, North Sumatra, in 1993.<\/p>\n
Governor Soewardi said the authorities have anticipated all
\npossible incidents that could happen at the celebration which
\nwill bring together thousands of party members and supporters
\nfrom across the country.<\/p>\n
Maj. Gen. Soeyono said he was not sure why Megawati chose
\nSurakarta as the venue of the party's anniversary.<\/p>\n
\"Possibly because she believes that the peaceful atmosphere
\nthe city is known for will help disperse the hostility of the
\nactivists,\" he said.(pan\/har\/pet)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/pressure-on-pdi-up-over-communist-links-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}