Gerwani Archive
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GA-01262 1965-10-07 Leeuwarder Courant rel A

Dramatische begrafenis in Djakarta: Luitenant redde het leven van Nasoetion (Dramatic funeral in Jakarta)

Dramatic funeral in Jakarta: lieutenant saved Nasution's life

Leeuwarder Courant, 7 October 1965, p. 1: report on the exhumation of the seven murdered army officers from the Lubang Buaya well and the generals' funeral, with Nasution's escape and Lt Tendean's death. It relays Suharto's televised claim that the bodies lay next to a base where the air force trained Pemuda Rakjat and

GA-01382 1965-10-07 Twentsch Dagblad Tubantia rel A

Djakarta zag gruwelijke tv-film over opgraving lijken van generaals (Jakarta saw gruesome TV film of the exhumation of the generals' bodies)

Jakarta saw gruesome TV film of exhumation of generals' bodies

Twentsch Dagblad Tubantia (7 Oct 1965): Jakarta TV shows exhumation of the generals' mutilated bodies from the Lubang Buaya well; Suharto says they were found near the air-force base where Pemuda Rakyat and Gerwani volunteers were trained, citing an arrested female volunteer from Cirebon. Also the generals' funeral and

GA-01506 1965-10-15 South China Morning Post rel A licensed

Torture Squads in Djakarta: How Indonesian Generals Died (South China Morning Post, 15 Oktober 1965)

Torture squads in Djakarta: how Indonesian generals died (South China Morning Post, 15 October 1965)

South China Morning Post, 15 Oct 1965, p.12, 'Torture squads in Djakarta: how Indonesian generals died', by a special correspondent. A lurid account of the 1 October killings: it says 'frenzied members of the Gerwani women's organisation' chanted insults and danced naked while Pemuda Rakjat youths emasculated six gener

GA-01525 1965-10-15 The Hindustan Times rel A licensed

Jakarta women danced as generals were murdered (The Hindustan Times, 15 Oktober 1965)

Jakarta women danced as generals were murdered (The Hindustan Times, 15 October 1965)

The Hindustan Times, 15 Oct 1965: report of a police witness's account at Lubang Buaya that Communist women danced naked in a circle while six generals and a lieutenant (mistaken for Nasution) were tortured to death, with torn-out fingernails and faces mutilated. Gerwani is not named, but this is an early instance of t

GA-01264 1965-11-06 Leeuwarder Courant rel A

Verklaring Indonesische gepubliceerd: Jonge communisten deden mee aan moordpartij (Statement published: young communists took part in the killing)

Statement published: young communists took part in the killing

Leeuwarder Courant, 6 November 1965, p. 3: relays an armed-forces bulletin story by 'Djamilah', a 15-year-old Pemuda Rakjat member, who says she was ordered to Halim for training and that about 100 Gerwani women were given knives and razor blades and mutilated and stabbed a blindfolded man at dawn on 1 October. The pap

GA-01302 1965-11-06 Nieuwe Haarlemsche Courant rel A

Gruwelijk verhaal communiste: Indonesische generaal met scheermessen afgeslacht (Gruesome story of a communist woman: Indonesian general slaughtered with razors)

Gruesome story of a communist woman: Indonesian general slaughtered with razors

Nieuwe Haarlemsche Courant, 6 November 1965, p. 3: UPI report (headline 'PKI women's section the culprit') relaying the armed-forces bulletin story of 'Djamilah', a pregnant 15-year-old Pemuda Rakjat member, who describes training at Halim and about 100 Gerwani women handed knives and razors who mutilated and stabbed a

GA-03337 1965-11-07 Berita Harian rel A

Wanita hamil belasan tahun mengaku (Lubang Buaya): PKI women members tell the story of the cruel killing

Pregnant teenager confesses: PKI women tell of the cruel killing at Lubang Buaya (Berita Harian, 1965)

Berita Minggu/Berita Harian, 7 November 1965, p. 10, UPI: the 'confession' of Jamilah, 15 and pregnant, a Pemuda Rakyat member, reported from Angkatan Bersenjata. She says about 100 Gerwani women among 500 at Halim were given knives, struck first, and hacked a blindfolded general's genitals. A core Lubang Buaya slander

GA-01536 1965-12-08 The Scotsman rel A licensed

Army plans to kill P.K.I. for ever (The Scotsman, 8 Desember 1965)

Army plans to kill P.K.I. for ever (The Scotsman, 8 December 1965)

The Scotsman, 8 Dec 1965, Dennis Bloodworth, 'Army plans to kill PKI for ever': Suharto and Nasution press to destroy the PKI while Sukarno refuses to ban it; the article analyses the PKI's miscalculations. It repeats the slander that six generals were mutilated by 'doe-eyed girls' of the PKI's 'Gerwani' women's moveme

GA-01666 1965-12-10 Evening Post rel A

Sukarno the Key to Any Revolution in Indonesia (Evening Post, 10 December 1965)

Evening Post (Wellington), 10 Dec 1965, commentary on the Indonesian Communists after the 30 September coup. It repeats the Lubang Buaya atrocity claim that six generals were 'horribly mutilated by doe-eyed girls' of the PKI's 'Gerwani' women's movement and thrown into a well, with Communist youth dancing at Halim; als

GA-01669 1965-12-10 Evening Post rel A

Sukarno the Key to Any Revolution in Indonesia (Evening Post, 10 December 1965)

Sukarno the Key to Any Revolution in Indonesia (Evening Post, 10 December 1965), clipping on Gerwani claim

Clipping from the Evening Post of 10 Dec 1965: says Sukarno could not back the coup because of its brutality, and that six generals were 'horribly mutilated by doe-eyed girls' of the PKI's 'Gerwani' women's movement and thrown into a well, while Communist youth danced at Halim. This is the Lubang Buaya sexual-atrocity

GA-00496 1966-01-04 Algemeen Handelsblad rel A

Zorgen van de Indonesische huisvrouw (Kekhawatiran ibu rumah tangga Indonesia)

Worries of the Indonesian housewife

Algemeen Handelsblad feature from Surabaya (1966-01-04) on housewives and domestic servants at Lebaran and rising prices. A key passage repeats the Lubang Buaya claim that Gerwani members had military training and, per arrested women's confessions, took part in the generals' murders, and alleges Gerwani members worked

GA-00288 1966-04-15 The Canberra Times rel A

Bloody orgy at Halim air base (Canberra Times, 15 April 1966)

Bloody Orgy at Halim Air Base (Canberra Times, 15 April 1966)

Canberra Times, 15 Apr 1966, p. 10: concluding part of a 'Special Correspondent' account repeating the Lubang Buaya slander. Claims 100 Gerwani women at Halim took razor blades, tortured and mutilated the generals, citing 'Mrs Djamilah' via the Djakarta Mail (15 Nov), singing 'People's Blood'. Adds Nasution escape narr

GA-00289 1966-04-15 The Canberra Times rel A

Bloody orgy at Halim air base (Canberra Times, 15 April 1966)

Bloody Orgy at Halim Air Base (Canberra Times, 15 April 1966), duplicate

Canberra Times, 15 Apr 1966, p. 10: concluding part of a 'Special Correspondent' account repeating the Lubang Buaya slander. Claims 100 Gerwani women at Halim took razor blades, tortured and mutilated the generals, citing 'Mrs Djamilah' via the Djakarta Mail (15 Nov), singing 'People's Blood'. Adds Nasution escape narr

GA-00730 1966-04-23 De Tijd rel A

Gruwelen (Atrocities)

Atrocities: account of the generals' killing and alleged Gerwani role

De Tijd article "Gruwelen" (23 Apr 1966) recounting the 1 Oct 1965 killings of the generals, claiming a hundred Gerwani women at Halim took part in torturing them with knives and razor blades after "training" including sexual orgies and blood oaths, citing a 15-year-old "Miss Djamilah" and the Djakarta Mail of 5 Nov. A

GA-00731 1966-04-23 De Tijd rel A

Gruwelen (Atrocities)

Atrocities: account of the generals' killing and alleged Gerwani role (duplicate record)

De Tijd article "Gruwelen" (23 Apr 1966) recounting the 1 Oct 1965 killings of the generals, claiming a hundred Gerwani women at Halim took part in torturing them with knives and razor blades after "training" including sexual orgies and blood oaths, citing a 15-year-old "Miss Djamilah" and the Djakarta Mail of 5 Nov. D

GA-03704 1971 Interim Reports Series, Modern Indonesia Project, Cornell University (compilation on Internet Archive) rel A

Archive of the Event of 1965 in Indonesia (compilation incl. Anderson and McVey, A Preliminary Analysis of the October 1, 1965 Coup)

Archive of the Event of 1965 in Indonesia (compilation incl. Anderson and McVey, Preliminary Analysis of the October 1,

Internet Archive compilation on the 1965 events whose main text is Anderson and McVey's Cornell 'Preliminary Analysis of the October 1, 1965 Coup' (1971), with source documents. It says Gerwani and Pemuda Rakjat trainees at Lubang Buaya were drawn into the killings (pp. 22-23) while stressing the army-fed 'orgy' storie

GA-03705 1971 Interim Reports Series, Modern Indonesia Project, Cornell University (compilation on Internet Archive) rel A

Archive of the Event of 1965 in Indonesia (compilation incl. Anderson and McVey, A Preliminary Analysis of the October 1, 1965 Coup)

Archive of the Event of 1965 in Indonesia (compilation incl. Anderson and McVey, Preliminary Analysis of the October 1,

Internet Archive compilation on the 1965 events whose main text is Anderson and McVey's Cornell 'Preliminary Analysis of the October 1, 1965 Coup' (1971), with source documents. It says Gerwani and Pemuda Rakjat trainees at Lubang Buaya were drawn into the killings (pp. 22-23) while stressing the army-fed 'orgy' storie

GA-02939 1976 rel A licensed

The 1965 Coup in Indonesia: The CIA's Version

The 1965 Coup in Indonesia: The CIA's Version (van der Kroef, 1976)

Critical review by Justus M. van der Kroef (Asian Affairs, Nov 1976) of the CIA's declassified 1968 report 'Indonesia-1965: The Coup That Backfired'. Takes issue with the CIA's claim that Lubang Buaya victims were not mutilated and that Gerwani/Pemuda Rakyat confessions were Army-contrived, quoting Gerwani member Djami

GA-01368 1995-09-30 Trouw rel A

Het trauma van 1965 jeukt en zeurt (The trauma of 1965 itches and nags)

The trauma of 1965 itches and nags

Jan Bezemer's long Trouw weekend feature (30 Sep 1995) on the unresolved 1965 trauma. Covers the 30 September events, Suharto's role, US encouragement, massacres (Gatot's trial testimony) and the smear campaign against Gerwani. Draws on Saskia Wieringa's doctoral research: Gerwani was blamed for mutilating the generals

GA-01071 1995-10-06 Het Parool rel A

Suharto's angst voor de stem van Gerwani (over het onderzoek van Saskia Wieringa)

Suharto's fear of the voice of Gerwani (on Saskia Wieringa's research)

De Vrijdag (Het Parool, 6 Oct 1995) article by Hanneke de Wit on Saskia Wieringa's Amsterdam PhD on the Indonesian women's movement. It recounts the 1965 press claims that Gerwani girls castrated and blinded generals and danced naked, which Wieringa calls lies; autopsies showed the generals intact. It details forced 'c

GA-03062 2020 rel A licensed

Years of Dressing Dangerously: Modern Women, National Identity and Moral Crisis in Sukarno's Indonesia, 1945-1966

Years of Dressing Dangerously: Modern Women, National Identity and Moral Crisis in Sukarno's Indonesia (Sullivan, 2020)

Charles P. Sullivan's PhD dissertation (History, University of Michigan, 2020) reads Indonesian women's magazines (Wanita, Puspa Wanita, Varia) from 1945-66 to argue that the Lubang Buaya narrative about Gerwani worked as a 'post-text' of long-running anxieties over modernity, moral crisis and the 'Mother of the Nation

GA-02875 2022 rel A

Gerwani Mazhab Politik Islam Era Soekarno (Rahmanudin, 2022)

Gerwani as a political school of Islam in the Sukarno era (Rahmanudin, 2022)

Deden Rahmanudin, 'Gerwani Mazhab Politik Islam Era Soekarno' (Jurnal Kewarganegaraan 6:2, 2022), a literature-based article presenting Gerwani as a feminist movement and discussing it from an Islamic viewpoint (Sukarno's Sarinah, Hamka). Drawing on Wieringa and Lestariningsih, it recounts Gerwani's 1950 founding, MPs