Appeal for Solidarity with Gerwani and the Women of Indonesia (WIDF Bureau, June 1966)
WIDF Bureau appeal (Berlin, 2-5 June 1966), German original with English translation and notes by Faye Chan (2015). It states that tens of thousands of Indonesian women were murdered or are held and tortured, that Gerwani's leaders and several thousand members were arrested, and that Gerwani and other women's organisat
Angkatan Bersendjata, 4 January 1966
Angkatan Bersendjata, 4 Jan 1966. Reports the arrest in Tangerang of Sariningsih, called a 'Gerwani Lubang Buaya' fugitive, and a joke on Gerwani 'savagery'; also 1,204 detainees (83 women) in South Jakarta.
Angkatan Bersendjata, 6 January 1966
Angkatan Bersendjata, 6 Jan 1966. Antara claims PKI leaders 'admitted' Gerwani and Pemuda Rakyat were physically trained in North Sumatra before 1 October; two Pekalongan women 'known as Gerwani' forced to recite the shahada; Soetiman's 'confession'.
Angkatan Bersendjata, 10 January 1966
Angkatan Bersendjata, 10 Jan 1966. Padang report that PKI leader Muin 'confessed' the party's self-dissolution was a tactic and was arrested with two Pemuda Rakyat members and 'a Gerwani chairwoman'; dismissals at Gadjah Mada.
Angkatan Bersendjata, 11 January 1966
Angkatan Bersendjata, 11 Jan 1966. NTB military order (31 Dec 1965) dissolving the PKI and affiliates including Gerwani, BTI, SOBSI, Lekra, Baperki and Universitas Rakyat (UNRA), confiscating their property; about 66,000 detainees in Central Java.
Angkatan Bersendjata, 17 January 1966
Angkatan Bersendjata, 17 Jan 1966. Semarang report on the death of Karyono Purbominoto (alleged Pati 'Dewan Revolusi' designer) noting his wife Marsih, village head and 'pentolan Gerwani', remains at large; KAMI protests.
Angkatan Bersendjata, 19 January 1966
Angkatan Bersendjata, 19 Jan 1966. Reports Hansip's arrest of Tridjoko, 'Gerwani ringleader of Tuban', and a Tabanan (Bali) round-up that included 'a local Gerwani leader'; Sukarno's dialogue with KAMI.
Berita Yudha, 21 January 1966
Berita Yudha, 21 Januari 1966. Antara from Ampenan: 'Benggolan Gerwani diamankan', a Gerwani leader in Central Lombok, Masjiah, detained in Mataram prison in the drive to wipe out the PKI.
Angkatan Bersendjata, 31 January 1966
Angkatan Bersendjata, 31 Jan 1966. The 'Pos Piket' column jokes about 'kuntilanak GERWANI'; also a 'confession' by Partindo official Waridjan and railway police seizure of 'a suitcase of human hair'.
Angkatan Bersendjata, 5 February 1966
Angkatan Bersendjata, 5 Feb 1966. Kodam Udayana round-up: 24 PKI/BTI arrests at Kupang, six 'Gerwani' escorted from Klungkung to Denpasar, and other detainees; Suharto on securing the revolution.
Berita Yudha, 10 February 1966
Berita Yudha, 10 Februari 1966. Two-sentence regional brief: Malang Kodim 0831 arrested two 'remnants of Gerwani' on 2 February 1966 for interrogation; routine hunt for individuals.
Angkatan Bersendjata, 15 February 1966
Angkatan Bersendjata, 15 Feb 1966, during Njono's Mahmillub trial. Security round-up 'Lagi-lagi Gerwani' reports arrests in Klungkung and Denpasar 'among them one Gerwani'; Aidit and the 'Revolutionary Council' testimony.
Dutch woman sole defender
ANP report in Algemeen Dagblad (1966-02-15) on Dutch-born lawyer Trees Sunito-Heyligers, the only Indonesian jurist willing to defend PKI/SOBSI leader Njono before the special military tribunal. Her husband Sunito was jailed after the coup and she was dismissed from the state bank. No Gerwani mention; context for the 1
Not public: the Njono trial
Limburgsch Dagblad, 15 February 1966, p. 1: start of the closed Mahmillub trial of SOBSI leader Njono, who says he was told to inform Sukarno of a 'council of generals' but joined the coup instead. Students demanded a public trial; only selected journalists are admitted. Njono is defended by Dutch-born lawyer Trees Soe
Swiss press, 15 Feb 1966: PKI leader Njono on trial in Jakarta (defence counsel Trees Soenito)
Swiss regional daily, 15 Feb 1966: the special military court trying PKI leader Njono opened the previous day. Njono's sole defence counsel is Mrs Trees Soenito, 50, daughter of a former Dutch official and wife of a jailed leftist leader, who says she was appointed only on Saturday after other lawyers declined. The tex
Swiss press, 15 Feb 1966: PKI leader Njono on trial in Jakarta (defence counsel Trees Soenito)
La Suisse, 15 Feb 1966, UPI/AFP wire from Singapore on the opening of the first coup trial in Jakarta. Defendant Njono, PKI Central Committee member, denies plotting against Sukarno. His only lawyer is Mrs Trees Soenito, aged 50, daughter of a former Dutch official in Indonesia and wife of a left-wing Indonesian leader
After death-penalty demand: Njono's counsel pleads acquittal
Trouw (21 Feb 1966): after the prosecutor demanded the death penalty for SOBSI leader Njono, his lawyer Trees Soenito-Heyligers argues nothing proves a plot to overthrow the government; Njono gave an hour-long political defence. Lawyer complains of two days' preparation; PKI-linked Colonel Latief reportedly arrested. N
Hungarian press, Feb 1966: Njono trial, defence counsel Mrs Sunito
Search snippet from the Hungarian daily Eszak-Magyarorszag (22 February 1966, no. 44) reporting that, in the case of PKI leader Njono, the matter was referred to the special military court and that Mrs Sunito, Njono's defence lawyer, submitted a clemency petition. Only a fragment; page OCR not retrieved. Identifying he
Angkatan Bersendjata, 11 March 1966
Angkatan Bersendjata, 11 Mar 1966 (Supersemar day). Regional column reports Pasaman husbands divorcing wives who are Gerwani, and release of 37 ex-detainees in Pati including six ex-Gerwani; PGRI petition to dissolve the PKI.
Coup atmosphere in Jakarta: Subandrio under arrest
Leeuwarder Courant, 18 March 1966, p. 1: report on Suharto's army placing Foreign Minister Subandrio, twelve other ministers and Saleh in 'protective custody' after the 11 March order, with tanks aimed at the Merdeka palace, Adam Malik made acting foreign minister, and student demonstrations. Suharto cites trial testim
Sukarno and Subandrio under guard: Indonesian army quietly completes grab for power
Nieuwsblad van het Noorden, 19 March 1966, p. 1: report on Suharto's 'quiet 12-hour coup' that purged Sukarno's cabinet and arrested 15 ministers including Subandrio. A photo caption says Indonesian women loudly cheered the new regime at a Jakarta mass meeting. Gerwani is not mentioned.
Mrs. Subandrio's Dismissal (FBIS, 13 Apr 1966)
Short FBIS item (ANTARA, 13 Apr 1966): the central board of the Union of Indonesian Women Scholars (ISWI) temporarily dismissed Mrs Subandrio, wife of the detained former foreign minister, pending its congress. Gerwani is not named.
Thai Afro-Asian Solidarity Committee protests repression in Indonesia (snippet)
Snippet-only Renmin Ribao extract (19 Apr 1966, p. 4) from a Thai Afro-Asian Solidarity Committee communiqué protesting Indonesia's repression. It lists banned mass organisations including Gerwani and notes the 12 March 1966 ban on the PKI; truncated. Full text is GA-01992.
Thai Afro-Asian Solidarity Committee communique condemns Indonesian military killings and arrests
Xinhua report in Renmin Ribao (19 Apr 1966, p. 4) of a 13 April communiqué by the Thai Afro-Asian People's Solidarity Committee condemning Indonesia's military and 'reactionaries': 78,500 killed and 106,000 arrested per the Fact-Finding Commission in Bali, Java and North Sumatra; bans on Pemuda Rakyat, CGMI, Gerwani, B
Sinar Harapan, 20 Apr 1966: PKI cadres in West Irian; one Gerwani figure still detained
Sinar Harapan, 20 Apr 1966, p. 1: Brig. Gen. Bintoro of Kodam Cendrawasih says PKI cadres posted to West Irian were easily 'secured', 93 prisoners sent to Java, and 'only one Gerwani figure named Rukinah' remained detained.
l'Unita, 6 May 1966, p. 11: 'Indonesia, stop the massacres'
l'Unità (PCI daily), 6 May 1966, p. 11 (PDF page). Dozens of PCI, PSI and PSIUP deputies and senators send a letter to the Indonesian embassy in Rome asking Sukarno's government to stop the massacres, executions and mass arrests of leftist leaders and thousands of militants by security forces and army. Gerwani is not n
l'Unita, 6 May 1966, p. 11: 'Indonesia, stop the massacres' (OCR text)
l'Unità (PCI daily), 6 May 1966, p. 11 (OCR text version). Dozens of PCI, PSI and PSIUP deputies and senators send a letter to the Indonesian embassy in Rome asking Sukarno's government to stop the massacres, executions and mass arrests of leftist leaders and thousands of militants by security forces and army. Gerwani
Indonesia: protest against persecution of the women's movement Gerwani
De Waarheid, 13 May 1966, p. 1: report that the NVB wrote to President Sukarno in shock and indignation at the terror against Gerwani and other democratic organisations, recalling the role they played in the Indonesian revolution and nation-building, and demanding the release of all political prisoners and lifting of t
Protest against persecution of Gerwani (full front page, 13 May 1966)
Full De Waarheid front page, 13 May 1966, mostly Dutch domestic and international news (cabinet Cals wage policy, Soviet trade delegation, US-China air incident). Only one box is relevant: the NVB's letter to Sukarno protesting terror against Gerwani and other democratic organisations and demanding release of political
Berita Yudha, 18 May 1966
Berita Yudha, 18 Mei 1966. Antara: 'Tiga tokoh PKI diringkus di rumah seorang Gerwani', arrest of SOBSI Semarang secretary Pita Hardjosoemarto in the house of a woman Toemini, alleged local Gerwani member.