The regional revolts of the late 1950s complicated events in Sumatra as many former rebels were forced to affiliate themselves with Communist organisations to prove their loyalty to the Indonesian Republic.
Pemberontakan kedaerahan pada akhir 1950-an semakin memperumit peristiwa di Sumatera karena banyak mantan pemberontak yang dipaksa untuk berafiliasi dengan organisasi-organisasi komunis untuk membuktikan kesetiaan mereka kepada Republik Indonesia.