Hard! Newly Inaugurated As Deputy Speaker Of The DPR, Lodewijk Asks Gatot Nurmantyo To Provide Evidence Of TNI Infiltration By PKI

Deputy Speaker of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Lodewijk Freidrich Paulus (Photo: Nailin/VOI)

JAKARTA - Deputy Speaker of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Lodewijk Freidrich Paulus, responded to accusations of former TNI Commander General (Ret.) TNI Gatot Nurmantyo regarding the re-infiltration of PKI (Indonesian Communist Party) supporters into the TNI.

Lodewijk asked Gatot to provide evidence regarding indications that PKI supporters had managed to infiltrate the TNI again. According to him, Gatot must provide the facts behind his statement.

"Of course we have to have solid facts, what is called being infiltrated, who infiltrated, where was infiltrated", said Lodewijk, who has just been sworn in as Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives replacing Azis Syamsuddin at the House of Representatives Building, Thursday, September 30.

The Secretary-General of the Golkar Party also mentioned the transfer of the diorama statue from the Dharma Bakti Museum Kostrad depicting the scene on October 1, 1965, after six generals and a young army officer were kidnapped by PKI elements.

"Is it true that the only indicator that the statue was moved was that during the time of Mr. AY (Azmyn Yusri) Nasution as the Kostrad Commander, then permission to Pak Dudung (the current Pangkostrad) was an initial indicator", he said.

Because the former Danjen Kopassus believes that Gatot must provide clarification and evidence.

"We just want clarification, we want evidence so that the public is also well informed that if that is the true indicator, what are the facts", said Lodewijk.

Previously, Gatot suspected that PKI supporters had infiltrated the TNI again. He claims that this can be seen from the loss of several items at the Dharma Bhakti Museum, Kostrad Headquarters, Gambir, Central Jakarta.

The TNI Commander Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto admits he is reluctant to have a polemic with the issue.

"I don't want to have polemics about things that cannot be scientifically proven. A statement cannot be based solely on the presence of a statue somewhere", said the TNI Commander when confirmed by reporters.

"This matter has actually been clarified by the relevant institutions", said Marshal Hadi.