Stop promoting communism
Clandestine circulars have recently been passed around with the purpose of creating unrest and dissident feelings. The way it has been done is not unlike the practices deployed by the banned Indonesian Communist Party and this is, understandably, a cause of great concern to the authorities.
No doubt, the presence of former Indonesian Communist Party members cannot be shrugged off lightly. A secret report in 1965 counted about 20 million members, all cadres and members of affiliated communist organizations. In a population of 100 million, this would mean 20 percent, or 1 in every 5 Indonesians, were communists.
When the Armed Forces arrested 60,000 communists during mopping up operations, 4,000 were categorized as class A prisoners and were brought to trial. The rest were later sent home.
What is the situation now? I thought that people had forgotten communists and communism. After our achievement in improving the country's economic condition and increasing national wealth, I should say there is no place for communism since this ideology thrives on poverty. What more, with the continuous and tireless efforts of the government to educate people in Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution for years on end, I would say that the two, Pancasila and the Constitution, should by now have become an inseparable part of people's lives.
Aside from the aforementioned, religious mores have intensified among the population. So why do I have the impression that we still lack confidence, mentally and physically, when I read about communism day in and day out? Writing about communists only makes them unwittingly "popular".
Reading about communism might evoke curiosity in the younger generation, who were not around in those days of insecurity and hardship. Speaking from a psychological viewpoint, the unknown attracts and people tend to side with the underdog. In my opinion, we should treat them as unimportant and as outcasts. Let intelligence organizations do the job effectively and unobtrusively.
Don't promote their cause. We should eliminate the tools they use, like poverty, social jealousy, religious intolerance, corruption, student fights, unrest and dissatisfaction in general. We should not issue unnecessary statements as made by the secretary-general of the Indonesian Civil Servants Corps, or threats such as those made by the mayor of Surabaya. These are all welcomed material for communists.
Leadership is not easy. It does not mean that one should be bossy. The saying goes that a boss leans on his authority, but a leader counts on goodwill. The wind is always strongest in the top of the tree. We should act like a rice stalk, the fuller the stalk the lower it bows.
In short, what I wanted to say is, stop giving communists and communism free advertising space. Rely on the power of Pancasila and the Constitution.
SOEGIH ARTO
Jakarta