ABRI to monitor freed prisoners

ABRI to monitor freed prisoners

JAKARTA (JP): The Armed Forces, accepting President Soeharto's
decision to release three political prisoners linked with the
1965 communist coup, said yesterday that it will continue to
monitor their activities once they are out of jail.

"They will be monitored and given guidance, not only by the
government and the Armed Forces (ABRI), but more importantly by
the people in their surroundings," ABRI's chief spokesman, Brig.
Gen. Suwarno Adiwijoyo, told The Jakarta Post yesterday.

"But you have to bear in mind that although they may no longer
pose any threat, we have to remain alert against the latent
danger of communism, and the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI),"
Suwarno said.

He was commenting on the government's announcement to grant
clemency to Soebandrio, Omar Dhani and Raden Soegeng Soetarto,
all of whom will walk free on Aug. 15.

Armed Forces Chief Gen. Feisal Tanjung last month warned that
releasing political prisoners convicted for the 1965 abortive
coup could revive the specter of a communist comeback. A number
of senior politicians, including House Speaker Wahono, supported
Feisal's position.

Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono, who announced the
President's decision, stressed that the three "were not PKI" and
were convicted for facilitating the rebellion.

Asked whether ABRI is unhappy with the decision, Suwarno
explained that the granting of amnesty or clemency is the full
prerogative of the President.

The decision was made "after the President heard the
recommendations of various parties, including ABRI...and after
studying the changes of their attitudes and of the potential
dangers if they were released."

He pointed out that Feisal and Minister of Defense and
Security Edi Sudradjat were among those the President consulted,
as well as a number of other officials.

"ABRI's attitude towards communism remains the same. ABRI will
never forgive the communists," he said, echoing Gen. Feisal's
remarks last month. "This attitude is the logical consequence
after two communist rebellions in 1948 and 1965, two events that
left deep scars."

"Communism may have fallen in the Soviet Union and a number of
East European countries, but as an ideology, it will never die.
Marxist teachings and communist ideology are still alive in some
countries like China and Vietnam," Suwarno said.

The ideology will remain and it could surface in different
forms, he said. "This is what we have to watch out for. We must
never let down our guard."(rms)