"The police will take a person to the police office for questioning if he or she is found wearing a T-shirt with the hammer-and-sickle symbol on it. The police will ask about his or her motivation to wear it," Badrodin Haiti said.
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The growing instances of rampant communism attributes circulating in the country during recent days have raised concern and resulted in unrest in the society, National Police (Polri) Chief, General Badrodin Haiti said.

"Certain phenomena have emerged like the use of communism related attributes, discussions and assemblies," General Badrodin said in Jakarta on Thursday.

In response to this, the police is acting fast to prevent irresponsible parties from taking advantage of these conditions.

"For instance, the police will take a person to the police office for questioning if he or she is found wearing a T-shirt with the hammer-and-sickle symbol on it. The police will ask about his or her motivation to wear it," he said.

The hammer-and-sickle is the symbol of the banned Indonesian Communist Party (PKI), which staged an aborted coup in 1965.

According to the police chief, his officials have also taken into custody a number of communism propagandists for interrogation. "We are handling and questioning a number of them," Badrodin added.

If the questioning proves that the dissemination of such ideas has something to do with communism, the propagandists will face a punishment of 10 years in jail.

In overcoming the dissemination of the communist ideology, the police are working together with expert witnesses to study the spread of communism in several regions in Indonesia.

The prosecutors office has the responsibility of supervising the circulation of communism-themed books. "Supervision (of books) is given to the prosecutor's office," he added.

Badrodin further said he and President Jokowi, Attorney General HM Prasetyo, the Head of the National Intelligence Agency (BIN) Sutiyoso and Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI) officers had met to discuss these activities and the use of symbols linked to the PKI or communism.

The Polri Chief added that security officers had also noticed a number of communism- linked activities.

Badrodin said President Jokowi had given directives to various state apparatuses to take legal action based on the MPRS Decree No. 25/1966 to handle activities or attributes of communism.

"The president had instructed that a legal approach be adopted because the MPRS decree and Law No.27, 1999, are still in force," the police chief said.

The decree regulates the banning of any activity in any form, which disseminates or propagates Communism, Leninism or Marxism.

Security officers will take legal steps against people suspected to have disseminated the Communist ideology in any form, such as through T-shirts, symbols or films.

Badrodin further said that besides the police, supervision in the field to check activities linked to communism will be also be carried out.

Therefore, the Indonesian government has reminded the people that the ban on communism and the decision to dissolve PKI is still in force.

"Provisional House of Consultative Assembly (MPR) Decree No. 25/1966 that regulates communist ideologies and the dissolution of the PKI is still in force," Cabinet Secretary Pramono Aung said at a press conference held at the Presidential Office on Tuesday.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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