Theresia Sufa – Five hammer-and-sickle emblems spray painted on rubbish bins around Sempur soccer field, Bogor, had officials beating the drums of war against communism Tuesday.

No less than Bogor Military Command officers, administration officials, city authorities and chairman of the Bogor chapter of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) came out in arms, hastily erasing the Communist symbols for fear they would cause public unrest.

The fact that anonymous people painted the Communist symbols means the ideology is still alive and well in the country, Bogor MUI chairman Adam Ibrahim said, adding that people should be wary of the return of Communism.

Regional Military Commander Col. Edy Rianto further surmised the existence of the emblems meant Communist sympathizers were now coming together. "We've been aware of their presence for a while now, but couldn't take action because we don't have hard evidence," he said.

Edy said the TNI had detected Communist sympathizers from various regions consolidating and holding clandestine meetings in Cianjur and Sukabumi, West Java. "We believe they may want to expand to other regions," he said.

Edy said Communist groups were trying to revive the Communist ideology, to revenge the termination of the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) following its failed coup in 1965. The group was now trying to discredit the Army and Muslims held responsible for their downfall, he said.