Sjafrie cautions students over banned political groups

Sjafrie cautions students over banned political groups

JAKARTA (JP): Jakarta Military Commander Maj. Gen. Sjafrie
Sjamsoeddin asked university students yesterday to be wary of
government-banned groups attempting to disrupt the March general
session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR).

He notified the gathering that former members of the
Democratic People's Party (PRD), Indonesian Communist Party (PKI)
and Indonesian Islamic State (NII) movement are still active.

"The groups often use national days to encourage people to
join them," he said during a lecture at the Syarif Hidayatullah
State Islamic Institute (IAIN) in Ciputat, South Jakarta.

The MPR general session will elect the country's next
president.

Sjafrie cited the latest incident involving former PRD members
as an example.

Under the guise of Komite National Perjuangan untuk Demokrasi,
or National Committee Struggling for Democracy, the former PRD
members held an unauthorized gathering to commemorate Indonesia's
Youth Pledge Day on Jl. Proklamasi on Oct. 28, he said.

Police dispersed the gathering which had drawn dozens of
participants. About 30 people, mostly university students, were
taken to Jakarta Police Headquarters for questioning.

While 22 people were later released, the remaining eight
appeared in Central Jakarta District Court the following day and
were each ordered to pay Rp 3,000 (85 U.S. cents) for disturbing
public order.

Sjafrie said that some former PKI members were planning to
interrupt the general session by forming a new discussion group
called Sarasehan Jawa Bali and Lampung.

The two-star general said the group had at least 52 members
but he did not provide further details.

"For the Armed Forces, the communist party is still a latent
danger."

He also warned IAIN students about some people who kept trying
to set up an Islamic state in Indonesia in the same way as the
banned NII movement.

"There's no Islamic state movement. It has been banished," he
said, adding that NII's propaganda could influence the university
students.

During the class, one of the students, Hamid, raised his hand
and asked Sjafrie why there was always security officers
monitoring students' activities as though the students were
troublemakers.

The general said the action was to anticipate the possible
infiltration of other parties which often use such events to meet
their own objectives. (jun)