Remain watchful of communism: General

Remain watchful of communism: General

JAKARTA (JP): Lt. Gen. Syarwan Hamid, the Armed Forces (ABRI) chief of social and political affairs, called on the public to beware of communism even if the threat is not as real as it was in the past.

"We used to be very afraid of communism. Now, it's not necessary for us to be frightened of it, but we still have to remain vigilant," Syarwan told some 2,000 university students in Riau, southern Sumatra, on Saturday.

Syarwan said younger people are the prime targets of underground communist propaganda because the younger generation did not experience past communist uprisings.

He said it is the responsibility of the older generation to warn the youths about the dangers of communism.

"To remain alert does not mean we have to be suspicious all the time. But we all have to be able to sense their presence and not allow communist teachings to spread here," he was quoted by Antara as saying.

The now-outlawed Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) failed in its coup attempt of 1965. Government and military officials have repeatedly warned that communist dangers are still lurking about. (31)