Jakarta – Army Chief of Staff (KSAD) General Pramono Edhie Wibowo said today that vigilance must be maintained against communists so that the September 30, 1965 (G30S) affair, which was carried out by the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI), is not repeated.

Jakarta – Conflicts between the Indonesian military (TNI) and the people shows that internal reform within military as an institution is not fully complete. The security approach, like the era of Suharto’s New Order regime, is still being used by the TNI, particularly when confronted by problems.

Jakarta – The political events of 1965 are estimated to have cost the lives of millions of people. Those accused of being members or sympathisers of the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) were forcibly disappeared, incarcerated and jailed without judicial process. Many women also became victims.

Jakarta – The US Central Intelligence Agency very much dominated the initial consolidation of the New Order regime of former President Suharto. US international relations historian from Princeton University, Bradley R Simpson, says that the succession of laws enacted by President Suharto was drafted with strong influence from the US.

Surabaya – During the colonial era communism flourished in Indonesia. One of the reasons was the behaviour of the native elite (elite bumiputra) who failed to defend the ordinary people. This however is unlikely to be repeated now.

M. Rizal Maslan, Jakarta – Scores of people from the East Java Alliance to Combat New Style Communism (SPKGB) protested at the offices of the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) on Tuesday April 29.

M. Rizal Maslan, Jakarta – Cases of human rights violations committed by the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) in the 1960s are still being neglected. Hundreds of people from anti-communist groups went to the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) today urging the commission not be used by the PKI, which they said was rising up again1.

Rofiuddin, Sohirin, Semarang – Victims of the September 30 Movement/Indonesian Communist Party (G30S/PKI) affair will issue a summons against President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono because up until now the president has never provided rehabilitation to the victims of the 1965 affair.

Melly Febrida, Jakarta – The distribution of 2004 curriculum history books for junior and senior high schools have been banned and the Attorney General hopes that the recall of these books will be completed by this year.

Zainal Effendi, Surabaya – The Surabaya state prosecutor has seized primary and secondary school history books that are deemed to have the potential to disrupt national security. The book seizures were based on Attorney General Decree Number 19/1997.