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.
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
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
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
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
'17 August, a day of mourning': bitter announcement of a formed committee
Algemeen Indisch Dagblad (1950-08-14, p. 1): SOBSI, Rukun Tani Indonesia, the Front Nasional Pemuda and the women's organisation Gerwis, among others, form their own committee to commemorate 17 August 1950 because the government excluded organisations. They call the day one of mourning for a 'unitary state à la RTC' an
'They were not allowed to take part': 17 August is a day of mourning
De Locomotief, 15 Aug 1950 (Aneta): SOBSI, Rukun Tani, a youth front, PRRI and the women's organisation GERWIS form a committee to commemorate the 'People's Proclamation of 17 August 1945', declaring 17 August 1950 a day of mourning because the RTC-style unitary state buries the 1945 republic. They protest the ban on b
SOBSI regards 17 August as a 'day of mourning': 'unitary state a la RTC'
Het Nieuwsblad voor Sumatra (15 Aug 1950, p.2): organisations including SOBSI, Rukun Tani Indonesia, Front Nasional Pemuda, PRRI and the women's organisation Gerwis formed a counter-committee, Panitya Peringatan Proklamasi Rakjat 17 Agustus 1945, after the government excluded parties from its commemoration committee. T
CIA-held copy of the joint SOBSI publication, 17 August 1950 (Bangun, Tenaga, Pekerja, Buruh)
CIA-held copy of a joint SOBSI publication of 17 August 1950 (Independence Day issue of the labour magazines Bangun, Tenaga, Pekerja and Buruh), in Indonesian, issued by the SOBSI Information Bureau. It contains union and anti-imperialist articles, an item on prostitution in Tanjung Priok, appeals for WFTU unity and re
'We do not pay the bill'
De Locomotief, 6 Oct 1950: Semarang forms an action committee against the Aniem electricity tariff rise, representing 38 organisations, chaired by Dr Rustamadji of the Partai Rakjat. Gerwis sits on the committee alongside Partai Rakjat and the youth front; it was decided to send two delegates to Jakarta and not to pay
Regency council installed
De Locomotief, 10 Oct 1950: report on the installation of the Semarang regency council by Resident Milono, listing about 40 members from many parties and bodies. Mrs Sri Utari is named as the Gerwis representative; Mrs Sukandar and Suwarti represent GPII's women's wing. Records Gerwis's presence in local government in
Shen Zijiu and others to represent WIDF at Indonesian women's congress (Renmin Ribao, 20 November 1950)
Short Xinhua item in Renmin Ribao, 20 Nov 1950 (p. 4): Shen Zijiu, Zeng Ke and Qi Yun of the All-China Democratic Women's Federation, with secretary Zhou Shumin, leave Beijing on 17 Nov as WIDF representatives to attend the All-Indonesian Women's Congress to open in Jakarta on 24 Nov. Early evidence of WIDF links to In
Shen Zijiu and others to represent WIDF at Indonesian women's congress (Renmin Ribao, 20 November 1950)
Short Xinhua item in Renmin Ribao, 20 Nov 1950 (p. 4): Shen Zijiu, Zeng Ke and Qi Yun of the All-China Democratic Women's Federation, with secretary Zhou Shumin, leave Beijing on 17 Nov as WIDF representatives to attend the All-Indonesian Women's Congress to open in Jakarta on 24 Nov. Early evidence of WIDF links to In
Chinese women did not get visas to Indonesian women's congress
De Nieuwsgier, 3 Jan 1951 (AP): Peking radio complains that the Indonesian consulate in Hong Kong refused visas to three Chinese women delegates to an Indonesian women's congress; they returned to Beijing and filed a report with the WIDF, which had delegated them. Organisation of the congress is not named in the text.
Indonesia refuses visas, Chinese women's delegation returns to Beijing (Renmin Ribao, 6 January 1951)
Renmin Ribao, 6 Jan 1951 (p. 4): the Chinese women's delegation (Shen Zijiu, Zeng Ke, Qi Yun) sent for the WIDF to the All-Indonesian Women's Congress could not attend because the Indonesian government refused entry visas despite repeated negotiations with the Indonesian consul in Hong Kong. They reported to WIDF and r
Indonesia refuses visas, Chinese women's delegation returns to Beijing (Renmin Ribao, 6 January 1951)
Renmin Ribao, 6 Jan 1951 (p. 4): the Chinese women's delegation (Shen Zijiu, Zeng Ke, Qi Yun) sent for the WIDF to the All-Indonesian Women's Congress could not attend because the Indonesian government refused entry visas despite repeated negotiations with the Indonesian consul in Hong Kong. They reported to WIDF and r
Indonesian women support conclusion of a peace pact (Renmin Ribao, 13 March 1951)
Xinhua item in Renmin Ribao, 13 Mar 1951 (p. 4), relaying TASS and the Dutch paper De Waarheid: representatives of Indonesian women's organisations met in Yogyakarta, endorsed the World Peace Council's Berlin call for a five-power peace pact, and resolved that Indonesian women's organisations should link with and join
Indonesian women support conclusion of a peace pact (Renmin Ribao, 13 March 1951)
Xinhua item in Renmin Ribao, 13 Mar 1951 (p. 4), relaying TASS and the Dutch paper De Waarheid: representatives of Indonesian women's organisations met in Yogyakarta, endorsed the World Peace Council's Berlin call for a five-power peace pact, and resolved that Indonesian women's organisations should link with and join
In Yogyakarta two committees for 17 August
De Nieuwsgier, 31 July 1951: in Yogyakarta SOBSI initiates a rival '17 August' committee including trade unions, the youth front, PKI, PSII, Murba, BTI and Gerwis, claiming the city's official committee only wants to 'celebrate' without expressing the people's struggle. It will explore a merger. Another item (Pakistan-
Indonesian Women Had Part in Congress (Sunday Herald, 26 August 1951)
Sunday Herald (Sydney), 26 Aug 1951, p. 18: Beryl Wright of the Australian Federation of University Women reports that Indonesian women took part, for the first time, in an international conference at Bali (UN Information South-East Asian regional conference of non-governmental bodies); they were interested in equal pa
Indonesian Women Had Part in Congress (Sunday Herald, 26 August 1951), duplicate
Sunday Herald (Sydney), 26 Aug 1951, p. 18: Beryl Wright of the Australian Federation of University Women reports that Indonesian women took part, for the first time, in an international conference at Bali (UN Information South-East Asian regional conference of non-governmental bodies); they were interested in equal pa
The arrests in Indonesia: PKI calls for struggle against fascism
De Waarheid, 31 Aug 1951, p. 3: near-verbatim PKI Central Committee statement on the Sukiman government's August 1951 mass arrests, calling them a drift to fascism and a staged 'coup' pretext. It lists Gerwis among organisations whose members were arrested or searched, demands release of all detainees and urges an anti
To Peking: Trimurti and others invited to Chinese national day
De Nieuwsgier, 8 Sept 1951: Moh. Tabrani, B.M. Diah and Mrs Trimurti 'of the Gerwis' accept an invitation to Beijing for the second anniversary of the People's Republic on 1 Oct; Ki Hadjar Dewantara and another educator were also invited. Records S.K. Trimurti's Gerwis affiliation and a 1951 invitation to China.
Works of Marx confiscated (question by Suwarti in parliament)
Het Nieuwsblad voor Sumatra (15 Sep 1951, p.2): communist MP Suwarti questions the government on the recent confiscation of Karl Marx's books, asking on which legal article the measure rests after the attorney general's spokesman claimed it was lawful. Context for the 1951 anti-communist round-up; identification of Suw
Readers' opinions: Gebeo and Luna
Algemeen Indisch Dagblad readers' page (1951-11-01, p. 3); mostly a letter about street lighting. A final news item says the Gerwis central board supports Tan Po Goan's parliamentary interpellation on the security action and demands release of all persons detained in the August 1951 raids.
Results of the Peking Conference go beyond Asia and the Pacific (WIDF, 1952)
WIDF 1952 report on the Peace Conference of Asian and Pacific Countries (Peking, 2 Oct 1952; 367 delegates, 37 countries): speeches by Soong Ching Ling, Monica Felton, Malayan, Korean and American delegates on Korea, germ warfare, women's and children's rights and national independence. Umi Sardjono of Indonesia is lis
WIDF Bulletin no. 5/1952 'The Women of Indonesia': a WIDF-sympathetic account of postwar Indonesia in 1952, covering militarised budgets, unemployment, hunger, maternal and infant mortality, the Round Table legacy and US agreements. It says women formed committees for 8 March and Children's Day and that local GERWIS br