Official trip! (Lot Salawati and the Paloppo raid)
Het Nieuwsblad voor Sumatra, reprint from Java-bode (11 Nov 1949, p.3) 'Dienstreis!': after the Palopo raid and kidnapping, police searched the home of Mrs Lot Salawati, a municipal councillor and 'very well-known extreme-left lady', who had borrowed the mayor's car claiming official business. Five students from a Maka
Terrorism in South Celebes: does Mrs Salawati Daud's role mean 'unmasked'?
Het Nieuwsblad voor Sumatra, reprint from De Java-bode (11 Nov 1949, p.3): a lead-in to a chauffeur's account after the arrest of Makassar councillor Salawati Daud, described as leader of a terrorist band south of Masamba responsible for Th. Pluyter's murder; she was found in a cave 8 km from Masamba. The chauffeur's s
Is female municipal councillor leading terror band in South Celebes?
Indische Courant voor Nederland (12 Nov 1949, p.2): Dutch inspector Th. Pluyter of the Faroka factories was killed on 2 Nov by a band terrorising the Masamba area, South Sulawesi. Citing Aneta, the band seems led by Makassar municipal councillor Salawati Daoed, who went there in a municipal car. Six members were arrest
Band leader Lot Salawati arrested in cave
Indische Courant voor Nederland (16 Nov 1949, p.1): correspondent in Makassar reports that councillor Salawati Daud, leader of the band that ambushed Th. Pluyter near Masamba, was arrested in a cave 8 km from Masamba. Described as a well-known extreme-left woman, she borrowed the mayor's car; five students of a Makassa
Band leader Lot Salawati arrested in cave
Indische Courant voor Nederland, 16 Nov 1949, front page: correspondent's report from Makassar that Salawati Daud, municipal councillor and 'well-known extreme-leftist lady', led the armed gang that raided Masamba prison and abducted Th. Pluyter, using the mayor's car; arrested in a cave. Frames it as exposing a politi
South Celebes remains turbulent
Short Algemeen Handelsblad item (1949-11-19) citing Keng Po from Makassar: although Salawati Daud, leader of the gang that murdered the Faroka representative, has been arrested, Masamba remains tense with armed bands in the forests, two companies of Dutch hunters deployed; the bands pose as TNI units.
Our Strength: column on the WIDF Council in Moscow
De Waarheid column "Our Strength" by L.B. (25 Nov 1949) on the WIDF Council meeting in Moscow (15-20 Nov) and the 1948 Budapest congress, reflecting on women's unity and the daily struggle of a Dutch communist housewife. Indonesia appears only in a list of women's liberation struggles.
FBIS, 30 November 1949: Interest focused on Asian Women's Conference
FBIS monitored New China News Agency report (30 Nov 1949) on worldwide preparations for the Asian Women's Conference in Peking (opening 6 Dec). Notes Indonesian women's delegation to Peking, funded partly by women's groups in Italy, Belgium and Austria, and Dutch women protesting the colonial war. Context for WIDF-link
The lot of Salawati
Nieuwe Courant, 3 December 1949: commentary profiling 'Lot Salawati' (Salawati Daud) as 'very left and very revolutionary', leader of the Masamba gang. It speculates that she was humiliated at the Indonesian Women's Congress in Yogyakarta and then at home in Makassar, and sought rehabilitation through violence; it also
Asian trade union conference ended in Peking
Short De Waarheid report (5 Dec 1949) on the close of the Asian trade-union conference in Peking, with resolutions and an appeal to Western workers including the Netherlands; WIDF spoke through Simone Bertrand, and gifts from Indonesia, Korea and Burma were presented. No Indonesian women named.
Chairwoman of Dutch Women's Movement in Peking for Asian women's conference
De Waarheid report (7 Dec 1949) on arrival in Peking of WIDF secretary-general Vaillant-Couturier and 20 delegates to the Asian women's conference, greeted by Deng Yingchao. The delegate list includes Lillah Suripno from Indonesia alongside Dutch vice-chair Rie Lips-Odinot, Eslanda Robeson and women from France, Korea,
First time in Peking: exhibition on the life of women in Asia
Short De Waarheid report (9 Dec 1949) on the exhibition on the life and struggle of Asian women and workers opened in Peking for the WIDF Asian Women's Conference, with material from the USSR, Mongolia, China, Korea, Vietnam, India, Indonesia and Iran. Speakers Li Dequan and Vaillant-Couturier stressed solidarity and n
FBIS, 13 December 1949: Many speeches mark third-day session (Asian Women's Conference)
FBIS monitored Peking radio report (13 Dec 1949) on day three of the Asian Women's Conference: Teng Ying-chao's report, speeches by delegates including an unnamed (OCR garbled) Indonesian delegate who urged an all-national united front under the Indonesian Communist Party; Dutch, French, Indochinese, Soviet speakers. E
FBIS, 15 December 1949: Lillah Suripno of Indonesia speaks
FBIS-monitored Xinhua text (15 Dec 1949) of a speech by Indonesian delegate 'Lillah' (Lily) Suripno at the Asian Women's Conference, Peking, 12 Dec. She thanks WIDF, surveys Indonesian anti-colonial history, the 1926-27 PKI revolts, Japanese occupation, women in guerrilla struggle, and calls for a PKI-led front of demo
Women in Colonial Countries: delegates to the Asian Women's Conference in Peking report (China Weekly Review, 1949)
China Weekly Review, 31 Dec 1949: report of delegates' speeches at the Asian Women's Conference in Peking (WIDF-aligned) on women in colonial and semi-colonial countries (Africa, Middle East, India, Indonesia, Netherlands, Vietnam, France, China, Korea, Madagascar, Burma). The Indonesian delegate Lillah Suripno traces
CIA report, 6 April 1950: Ho Chi Minh's Indonesian agents
CIA report, 6 April 1950, claiming Aidit and Trimurti visited Ho Chi Minh and would return as his 'agents' to build a people's army in Indonesia. Almost certainly unreliable but links future Gerwis founder S.K. Trimurti to alleged transnational conspiracy.
CIA report, 6 April 1950: Persatuan Wanita Republik Indonesia, Jakarta
CIA report, 6 April 1950, listing the Jakarta council of Perwari and labelling the group 'extreme right'. Context on Gerwis/Gerwani's main rival and sometime partner, and on the instability of US intelligence categories.
WIDF 1950: From All Parts, Women Write to the WIDF
WIDF bulletin, 1950: 'From All Parts, Women Write to the WIDF' with reports from South Africa, Israel and Indonesia. The Indonesia section recounts women in the Republic's struggle against the Dutch, mass May Day rallies (390,000 in 1950), repression after the Madiun era, harsh conditions for plantation women, and supp
Sunday Worker, 1 January 1950, p. 2: Asian women tell the U.S.A. (Asian Women's Conference, Peking)
Sunday Worker, 1 Jan 1950, p. 2: page with several items; the relevant article, datelined Peking, reports the Asian Women's Conference where women leaders from 15 Asian countries, including Indonesia, Burma and India, pledged struggle against imperialism. Delegates said conditions in Burma and Indonesia were alike unde
Republican members of the RIS parliament: candidate list
Aneta item in De Vrije Pers (14 Jan 1950) listing candidates for the Republican seats in the RIS parliament. Among Masjumi, PNI, PKI and others, "Mrs Moedigdo" (Mudigdio) is put forward for the Partai Sosialis; many other names (Natsir, Sartono, Iwa Kusumasumantri, Yamin). Gerwis/Gerwani is not mentioned.
Mrs Robeson in Amsterdam (report on the Asian women's conference in Beijing)
Het Parool report (18 Jan 1950, p.168) on a press conference in Amsterdam by Eslanda Robeson, with Rie Lips-Odinot, Mrs L. Suripno who represented Indonesian women in Beijing, and Annie van Ommeren-Averink, after the December 1949 Asian Women's conference in Beijing and a Moscow meeting of women from 36 countries. They
Indonesian delegate: victory in China inspiring (Lillah Suripno)
De Waarheid item (10 Feb 1950) quoting Indonesian delegate Lillah Suripno at the Asian Women's Conference in Peking: guerrillas fight oppressors, Indonesian women's task is a free democratic state, the Chinese revolution is an example, and victory needs a democratic front under the Communist Party. Photo shows her besi
Irony in the RIS parliament
Trouw (25 Feb 1950), ANP report on the first session of the RIS parliament: ironic laughter from republican members at Dutch congratulatory telegrams, cautious talk of inter-parliamentary cooperation. Mrs Mudigdo (listed as Partai Sosialis member, not seated as such) says she would like to meet Dutch women MPs, seconde
Soviet Woman, 28 Feb 1950, p. 47: A. N. Atanepesova's account of the Conference of Women of Asian Countries, Peking, late 1949 (198 delegates). Indonesia appears via delegate 'Lilia Suripno', who described partisan women fighting Dutch troops with babies on their backs. Reflects early WIDF-linked Asian solidarity; Gerw
Jakarta municipal council
Short item, Java-Bode, 10 Mar 1950, p. 2: lists the newly elected Jakarta municipal council; Mrs Setiati Surasto sits for the women's association. Same text as the Indische Courant item of 29 Mar 1950, with variant spellings.
Irian must belong to Indonesia!
De Locomotief, 13 Mar 1950 (Aneta): RIS parliament unanimously adopts a motion that Irian be linked to Indonesia within a year, and the government accepts it. In the defence-minister Q&A, it is noted that the Defence Ministry has asked the NIT government about the arrest of Salawati Daud, still unanswered; Supomo repor
PSII men (arrests; detention of Salawati Daud)
Het Nieuwsblad voor Sumatra (13 Mar 1950, p.3): the Sultan (Hamengkubuwono IX) explains arrests of PSII men Abikusno and Anwar Tjokroaminoto over APRA contacts and Zakaria in Kalimantan; on the detention of Mrs Salawati Daud, the defence ministry has contacted the NIT government but has had no reply. He reaffirms a nat
Jakarta municipal council
Short Indische Courant voor Nederland item (29 Mar 1950, p. 2) listing the newly elected Jakarta municipal council; Setiati Surasto is named as representing the women's association (Vrouwenvereniging). Other members include Suwirjo (PNI), Takdir Alisjahbana (PSI) and union and youth delegates.
Only workers; youth organisations merge into a new front
Short items in De Vrije Pers (11 Apr 1950): a clarification about banknote distribution for workers, and a merger of Front Pemuda Indonesia and eight youth groups into Gerakan Pemuda Rakyat, with A.L. Fanggidaej as one of the secretaries. Gerwis/Gerwani is not mentioned; the Fanggidaej named here is not identified as F
CIA information report, 14 April 1950: Communist developments in Indonesia
CIA information report, 14 April 1950: 'Communist Developments in Indonesia', on the PKI, FDR and Partai Murba after the 1948 Madiun revolt, their alliance, infiltration of labour and army, and factions. Tan Ling Djie, Abdul Madjid, Sakirman and Wikana are named; Umi Sardjono appears only as head of one Partai Buruh In