Communist, leftist activity seen increasing: Feisal

JAKARTA (JP): Armed Forces Chief Gen. Feisal Tanjung has advised all regional military commanders to raise their alertness to what he says is are increasing communist and leftist activities in Indonesia.

"There are signs indicating an increase in their activities," Feisal was quoted by Antara as saying in the West Javanese capital Bandung yesterday.

Addressing several hundred military officers, Feisal said that the rise in subversive activities is being seen throughout the country. He called on local military commanders to intensify surveillance and monitoring of these activities.

The government outlawed the Indonesian Communist Party in 1965 after blaming it for a bloody coup attempt. Since then the country has been gripped by a phobia about communism, with all literary or symbolic references to the movement being categorically banned.

Until last month, former Communist Party members and suspected sympathizers imprisoned after the 1965 coup had to endure an "ET" stamp on their identification cards, signifying that they were former political detainees.

According to Feisal, the current rise of communist and leftist activities must be met by increased shrewdness on the part of the Armed Forces.

Also yesterday, the commander of West Java's Siliwangi military command, Maj. Gen. Tayo, said there were indications that communists and leftists were on the rise in his province.

Tayo said these included groups who wanted to form a Pasundan National Kingdom or an Indonesian Islamic State.

In response Tayo's report, Feisal instructed the regional commander to tighten security and be watchful against such activities.

"More regular inspections have to be carried out; and not just in West Java but throughout Indonesia," Feisal ordered.

Liberal

On the subject of internal threats, Feisal also issued a warning in relation to what he called the many "trouble makers" who he said have risen lately to take advantage of Indonesia's 50th anniversary celebrations to further their own goals.

"The issues they often bring to the fore are human rights, labor and environmental issues under the cover of liberal thought," the Armed Forces commander said.

Without identifying the "trouble makers," Feisal said that certain groups had exploited privileges and opportunities given to them to put forward new ideas which are conceptually inconsistent with the state ideology Pancasila.

Feisal said that, as the Armed Forces celebrate their golden jubilee on Oct. 5, the trouble-making groups will again show themselves, raising issues such as human rights.

"As commander of the Armed Forces, I am instructing all ranks of the military, employees, and the greater family of the Armed Forces to remain vigilant and alert to this tendency," he said.

Feisal then put forward his thoughts on human rights and democracy.

Democracy, the general said, has both universal and local values. Thus, despite there being a universal ideal, local norms that exist in respective states must also be taken into account.

"Because of that there is no democratic form in this world which applies universally," he said, adding that forcing a state to accept a particular type of democracy without considering the socio-cultural traits of that nation would be undemocratic.

In efforts to contribute to the narrowing of the social economic gap, Feisal said, the Armed Forces was trying to increase awareness of this issue through various dialogs with socio-political organizations.

"This is important because it helps to create a common perception on the direction of development to overcome the problems we face," he said.

He added that efforts such this would also help answer critics of the Armed Forces' dual function, which allots it both a military and a political role.(mds)