Sukarno chairs Joint Chiefs; Indonesians join volunteer forces for West Irian (Renmin Ribao, 30 December 1961)
Renmin Ribao, 30 Dec 1961, p. 3 (Xinhua, Jakarta): Sukarno takes the chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for the West Irian operation and orders National Front registration of volunteers aged 18-40 of either sex. Railway workers pledge 60,000 volunteers; Gerwani, 'the most influential women's organisation', calls on all
Sukarno chairs Joint Chiefs; Indonesians join volunteer forces for West Irian (Renmin Ribao, 30 December 1961)
Renmin Ribao, 30 Dec 1961, p. 3 (Xinhua, Jakarta): Sukarno takes the chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for the West Irian operation and orders National Front registration of volunteers aged 18-40 of either sex. Railway workers pledge 60,000 volunteers; Gerwani, 'the most influential women's organisation', calls on all
If US troops invade Cuba they will be wiped out; world support for Cuba (Renmin Ribao, 15 September 1962)
Renmin Ribao, 15 Sep 1962, p. 4: round-up of world solidarity with Cuba against threatened US intervention (Albania, WFDY, US Fair Play for Cuba, Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Mexico). The Jakarta item says Gerwani, in the name of over one million members, telegraphed the US government protesting aggression on Cuba, and c
If US troops invade Cuba they will be wiped out; world support for Cuba (Renmin Ribao, 15 September 1962)
Renmin Ribao, 15 Sep 1962, p. 4: round-up of world solidarity with Cuba against threatened US intervention (Albania, WFDY, US Fair Play for Cuba, Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Mexico). The Jakarta item says Gerwani, in the name of over one million members, telegraphed the US government protesting aggression on Cuba, and c
Sukarno presents gifts to Chairman Liu (Renmin Ribao, 21 April 1963)
Renmin Ribao, 21 Apr 1963, p. 2 (Xinhua, Jakarta): at the State Palace Sukarno presents gifts to Liu Shaoqi and Chen Yi before the farewell banquet; delegates of Indonesian organisations (Pemuda Rakjat, BTI, PKI, SOBSI, Baperki, Gerwani, Perwari and others) also present gifts, including a West Irian bird of paradise. G
Sukarno presents gifts to Chairman Liu (Renmin Ribao, 21 April 1963)
Renmin Ribao, 21 Apr 1963, p. 2 (Xinhua, Jakarta): at the State Palace Sukarno presents gifts to Liu Shaoqi and Chen Yi before the farewell banquet; delegates of Indonesian organisations (Pemuda Rakjat, BTI, PKI, SOBSI, Baperki, Gerwani, Perwari and others) also present gifts, including a West Irian bird of paradise. G
Indonesian parties and organisations demand severe punishment of rioters (Renmin Ribao, 21 May 1963)
Renmin Ribao, 21 May 1963, p. 3 (Xinhua, Jakarta): Indonesian parties and mass organisations condemn the May 1963 anti-Chinese riots in Cirebon, Tegal, Bandung and Bogor as counter-revolutionary and link them to Malaysia and the US Peace Corps. Gerwani's Central Committee calls the Bandung incidents despicable acts vio
Indonesian parties and organisations demand severe punishment of rioters (Renmin Ribao, 21 May 1963)
Renmin Ribao, 21 May 1963, p. 3 (Xinhua, Jakarta): Indonesian parties and mass organisations condemn the May 1963 anti-Chinese riots in Cirebon, Tegal, Bandung and Bogor as counter-revolutionary and link them to Malaysia and the US Peace Corps. Gerwani's Central Committee calls the Bandung incidents despicable acts vio
D.N. Aidit, 'Some problems of the Indonesian revolution and the PKI': Beijing report, 4 September 1963
Full Renmin Ribao text (5 Sept 1963, p. 3) of D.N. Aidit's 4 September Beijing rally report on the Indonesian revolution and PKI: semi-colonial, semi-feudal analysis, national united front, Nasakom, state power's 'two aspects', and party building. Gerwani appears only once, in a membership tally (1.5 million, alongside
D.N. Aidit, 'Indonesian-Korean friendship will last forever': Pyongyang speech, 11 September 1963
Full text (Renmin Ribao, 14 Sept 1963, p. 3, via Xinhua/KCNA) of D.N. Aidit's 11 September speech at a Pyongyang welcome rally: praise of North Korea, an outline of the Indonesian revolution, Nasakom, West Irian, the anti-US line and attacks on 'modern revisionism'. Gerwani appears once in the tally of PKI-aligned orga
Renmin Ribao, 20 Mar 1964: Indonesians volunteer against 'Malaysia' at National Front office
Renmin Ribao p. 3 (20 Mar 1964), on Indonesian volunteer registration against 'Malaysia'. The excerpt lists organisations whose members rushed to register at the National Front office, including SOBSI, the BTI peasants' front, the Indonesian Women's Movement Association (Gerwani), journalists, students and Baperki. No
Renmin Ribao, 20 Mar 1964: Indonesians volunteer against 'Malaysia' at National Front office
Renmin Ribao p. 3 (20 Mar 1964), on Indonesian volunteer registration against 'Malaysia'. The excerpt lists organisations whose members rushed to register at the National Front office, including SOBSI, the BTI peasants' front, the Indonesian Women's Movement Association (Gerwani), journalists, students and Baperki. No
World opposes US aggression in the Congo; 10,000 demonstrate in Jakarta
Xinhua roundup in Renmin Ribao (5 Dec 1964, p. 5) on world reaction to the US-Belgian attack on Stanleyville, Congo, including a 10,000-strong anti-US demonstration in Jakarta that stormed and burned the USIS library. Gerwani appears in one sentence: its Central Council demanded withdrawal of the aggressor forces, alon
Neues Deutschland, 17 Dec 1964, p. 7: Joint declaration of the representatives of the parliaments of the GDR and Indones
Neues Deutschland, 17 December 1964, p. 7: full text of the 'Gemeinsame Erklärung' signed in Jakarta on 11 December 1964 at the end of a GDR Volkskammer delegation's visit (30 Nov–12 Dec) led by Johannes Dieckmann. Delegates met Sukarno, ministers and parties; one sentence mentions meetings with 'representatives of the
Neues Deutschland, 4 Feb 1965, p. 2: Relations with Indonesia deepened
Neues Deutschland, 4 February 1965, p. 2: report on the Volkskammer session at which President Johannes Dieckmann reported on the delegation's 30 Nov–14 Dec 1964 trip to Indonesia. Quoting his report: on the penultimate day the delegation held talks 'with the leadership of Gerwani, the women's organisation of the Commu
Subandrio praises the Indonesia-China joint statement; organisations acclaim it
Xinhua dispatches in Renmin Ribao (7 Feb 1965, p. 3): Subandrio calls the Indonesia-China joint statement 'a big hammer striking imperialism', and National Front, youth, student groups and Gerwani acclaim it. Gerwani is mentioned only in the last sentence, as having telegraphed Subandrio. Illustrates Gerwani's place in
D.N. Aidit, 'Step up the revolutionary offensive on all fronts': political report to PKI plenum
Long Xinhua summary in Renmin Ribao (12 June 1965, p. 3) of D.N. Aidit's political report to the enlarged PKI Central Committee plenum, 'Step up the revolutionary offensive on all fronts': Nasakom, bureaucratic capitalists, takeovers of US firms, the Murba/BPS ban, Vietnam, the UN exit, Khrushchev's fall; PKI over 3 mi
Stance of other parties in Indonesia: statements demanding dissolution of PKI and mass organisations
Renmin Ribao compilation (20 Oct 1965, p. 5) of Indonesian organisations' statements after 30 September, taken from Radio Republik Indonesia and Antara. Nahdlatul Ulama and affiliates, Perti and others demand dissolution of the PKI, Pemuda Rakyat and Gerwani; the NU text alleges Gerwani and Pemuda Rakyat members were t
Sukarno given list of suspected MPs; women demonstrate against Communists (South China Morning Post, 9 November 1965)
South China Morning Post, 9 Nov 1965, p.20 (Jakarta, 8 Nov): Sukarno is given a list of suspected PKI members of parliament; about 10,000 housewives, girl students and actresses marched to Suharto's HQ and the National Front office shouting support for Sukarno and the armed forces, denounced Gerwani, 'the PKI's women's
The Guardian, 9 Nov 1965, p.12 (BUP/Reuter, Jakarta, 8 Nov): about 10,000 Indonesian women and girls, led by drummers and majorettes, marched from Suharto's headquarters to the National Front office shouting support for Sukarno and against the Communists, and called for the dissolution of Gerwani, 'the Communist women'
Tempo.co, 2 October 2015: Putmainah, the Gerwani-PKI podium lioness who forgot September
Tempo.co profile (2 Oct 2015, by Bobby Chandra) of Putmainah, 77, former Gerwani chair and PKI faction member of the Blitar DPRD, now stroke-afflicted in Pakisrejo, Srengat. Her husband Subandi, Blitar Front Nasional and DPRD head, was killed after a PKI congress; she fled into the forest with seven children. Once a re
Tempo, 2 October 2022: Memory of sewing machines and smuggled paper (political prisoners at Plantungan and Buru)
Tempo report (2 Oct 2022, Dini Pramita and Dody Hidayat) on forced labour and memory of 1965 political prisoners. Yosephina Endang Lestari recalls Plantungan women's camp (sewing unit, Santiaji Pancasila, poor health); Ita F. Nadia describes its five aims including re-domestication of women. Hersri Setiawan (Buru) and