YOUTH SHOULD KNOW ABOUT NATION'S COMMUNIST PAST

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Sept 22 (Antara) - Indonesia's younger generation should know the history of the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) insurgence, so that they can adopt a wise outlook and view for upholding integrity, unity, and stability in the country.          In the run-up to Sept 30, the discourse on the abortive PKI coup d'etat, popularly known as the G30S/PKI movement, has begun to spark positive and negative reactions.          The public is, of late, increasingly resorting to polemic over the need to screen a documentary film on the G30S/PKI insurgence. The documentary film has always been screened on the eve of Sept 30 during the New Order government to remind the nation of the cruelty of the communist party rebels, who in their move to seize power, killed seven Army generals.         Hence, observing the abortive PKI insurgency, should not adversely serve as a new trigger and source of disunity in the country.          "The people should not easily become provoked by various irresponsible issues and agitation," Wiryanti Sukamdani, a member of the People's Consultative Assembly of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, had remarked on Thursday (Sept 21).           She said that currently, several issues had been raised and activities conducted, with the defunct PKI symbols. They should not harm the country's cohesiveness. All elements in society should support and reinforce the state ideology of Pancasila, the Bhinneka Tunggal Ika or unity in diversity, and the 1945 Constitution and the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia.