TNI to study lifting ban on communism<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Military (TNI) said on Monday
\nthat it would study President Abdurrahman Wahid's repeated calls
\nfor lifting the ban on communism.<\/p>\n
\"We will study the idea carefully and thoroughly so that we
\ncan give an opinion to the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR),\"
\nTNI Commander Adm. Widodo was quoted by Antara as saying.<\/p>\n
Widodo would not comment further but said they were in the
\nprocess of contemplating the idea.<\/p>\n
TNI spokesman Air Rear Marshal Graito Usodo was quoted as
\nsaying that the military was still trying \"to collect all files\",
\nincluding intelligence and historical ones, to be studied.<\/p>\n
\"We are still in the evaluation process of getting a
\ncomprehensive picture,\" Graito was quoted as saying.<\/p>\n
Separately, Abdurrahman renewed his calls for the revocation
\nof the 34-year-old ban on the principles of communism during his
\nvisit on Monday to residents of Boyolali, a Central Java village
\nin Kedungombo.<\/p>\n
The President said, however, that the revocation of the decree
\nshould first be discussed with the MPR due to the controversy
\nsurrounding the issue.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) was the first to oppose
\nAbdurrahman's call, saying the principles of communism should
\nremain banned because it promotes atheism.<\/p>\n
House of Representatives Speaker Akbar Tandjung expressed his
\nregret on Monday over the President's calls, saying Abdurrahman
\nwas not in the right position to propose the idea.<\/p>\n
\"A president is a state official who receives mandates from
\nthe MPR and is obliged to carry them out. He or she does not have
\nthe power to revoke or ban MPR decrees,\" Akbar said.<\/p>\n
He suggested that Abdurrahman, in his personal capacity,
\nchannel his proposal to political parties whom he trusts and
\nleave them to fight for the proposal in the MPR.<\/p>\n
Akbar reiterated his criticism against Abdurrahman, whom he
\nsaid lacks a sense of urgency with his habit of issuing
\ncontroversial political statements but failing to address the
\ncountry's current economic problems.<\/p>\n
In Makassar, South Sulawesi, some 1,500 students of Islamic
\njunior high school staged a protest on Monday against the
\nPresident's plan to lift the ban on communist teachings.<\/p>\n
The group, led by their principle Abdul Hamid Syah, marched to
\nthe Council building, wearing their school uniforms and waving
\nanticommunist banners.<\/p>\n
\"We will stage a school strike if the MPRS decree which ban
\ncommunism is revoked,\" Abdul said, referring to a 1966 decree
\npassed when the MPR was a provisional body. The session was held
\nfollowing an abortive coup blamed on the now defunct Indonesian
\nCommunist Party (PKI) on Sept. 30. (27\/edt\/byg)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/tni-to-study-lifting-ban-on-communism-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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