Feisal says communists on the move
JAKARTA (JP): Armed Forces Chief Gen. Feisal Tanjung warned the public yesterday that the remnants of the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) are attempting to disrupt national security.
"I am appealing to all layers of society, especially the new generation of national fighters, not to let down your guard against the latent dangers posed by the remnants of the G30S/PKI..," Gen. Feisal said in a speech broadcast nationwide on the eve of the Armed Forces' 50th anniversary.
"G30S," which stands for Gerakan 30 September, is the term used to refer to the movement which launched the abortive coup against President Sukarno on the night of Sept. 30, 1965. The PKI, blamed for masterminding the coup, was banned the following March.
Feisal said in his speech that "of late, there have been various activities (conducted by former communists) that have sought, through the dissemination of news, to twist the nation's history and to discredit the New Order government."
Also in the context of maintaining order and security in the nation, he appealed to the public to refrain from activities that could lead to conflicts between various groups in society.
"Avoid misusing the atmosphere of openness that has been developed. Refrain from activities that are against the law," he said.
Feisal reiterated that the Armed Forces will strengthen both its roles; that of a security and defense force and that of a socio-political force.
President Soeharto, in his capacity as the Armed Forces' supreme commander, will lead this morning's military ceremony to mark the Armed Forces' golden anniversary, which will be held at the Halim Perdanakusuma airbase in East Jakarta.
The military parade at the base will be the largest ever held by the military on its anniversary.
A total of 11,323 personnel will be involved, including seven brigades from the army, navy, air force and the national police and a battalion comprised of non-military units of the student regiment, the civilian defense force and the civil security guards.
There will also be the participation by veterans, retired servicemen and senior ranking military officers.
Among the military hardware brought in for the parade are 26 Scorpion tanks that were recently delivered from Britain.
The biggest attraction will be the air display, involving no less than 173 aircraft, including the Air Force's most prized F- 16 fighters.
The ceremony will be open to the public.
The commanding officer for the ceremony will be an officer of lieutenant general rank, instead of colonel, as has been the tradition in the past.
The officer chosen for the honor is Lt. Gen. Sofyan Effendi, a 1961 graduate of the national military academy who was recently appointed governor of the national resilience institute.
Long before his name was announced for today's honor, Sofyan, who hails from Aceh, had been tipped as an officer to watch for a future leadership position.
Sofyan, 52 years old, has been one of the officers who has risen in rank rapidly in recent years. He was promoted to lieutenant general on Sunday. (emb/rms)