'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
Day of mourning?
Short item, Java-Bode, 14 Aug 1950, p. 2: Sobsi, peasant and youth groups and the women's organisation Gerwis form a People's Committee for the Commemoration of the 1945 Proclamation, protest their exclusion from the official committee and call 17 Aug 1950 a day of mourning. Same text as the Indische Courant item.
'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
Day of mourning?
Short item, Indische Courant voor Nederland, 19 Aug 1950: Sobsi, Rukun Tani Indonesia, youth bodies and the women's organisation Gerwis form a 'People's Committee for the Commemoration of the Proclamation 1945' protesting their exclusion from the official committee, and call 17 Aug 1950 a day of mourning for a unitary
'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
Delegates to World Peace Congress
Nieuwe Courant, 3 November 1950: conference of the Committee for World Peace in Yogyakarta, attended by branches and representatives of Kowani, Gerwis, Front Pemuda Indonesia, BTI, Sobsi, Pesindo and others. It endorsed the Prague appeal, proposals for the London congress (five-power peace, Dutch army withdrawal, no fo
'World Peace' (peace conference in Yogyakarta)
Het Nieuwsblad voor Sumatra (4 Nov 1950, p.2): a World Peace Committee conference in Yogyakarta approved the Prague appeal, proposed demands for the Nederlandse army's withdrawal from Indonesia and an end to foreign interference (Irian, Moluccas) for a London congress, and reported 180,000 signatures. Delegates include
Merdeka, 6 April 1951: Batik Workers' Union conference
Merdeka, 6 Apr 1951, p. 2: Serikat Buruh Batik conference on fusion with the textile union; Gerwis listed among the guests and those who gave greetings, with SOBSI and MPs Werdojo and Pardede.
Merdeka, 25 April 1951: May Day 1951 preparations
Merdeka, 25 April 1951 (hlm. 2): plans for May Day 1951 by a central committee (SOBSI, KABM) assisted by the Peace Defence Committee, Lekra, Pemuda Rakyat, Sakti and Gerwis, framed as defence of world peace.
Abadi, 16 May 1951, p. 2: First International Children's Day
Abadi, 16 May 1951, p. 2: Antara report that International Children's Day (1 June), proposed by WIDF, would be celebrated in Indonesia for the first time by a Jakarta committee with Gerwis and SOBSI as secretariat.
Indonesia celebrates International Children's Day: 25,000 came instead of 4,000
De Waarheid, 19 Jul 1951, p. 5: correspondent's report on Indonesia's first International Children's Day, held in Jakarta on 1 June 1951 with some 25,000 children instead of the expected 4,000. Initiated by the young women's organisation Gerwis, supported by Chinese groups, Pemuda Rakjat, SOBSI and the Peasants' Union
Abadi, 8 August 1951, p. 2: The Left's 17 August Committee
Abadi, 8 Aug 1951, p. 2: separate left-wing 17 August committees under a 'peace programme' in Jakarta and Bandung, with Gerwis, SOBSI, Lekra and others in charge of the programme.
Merdeka, 8 August 1951: Peace Committee organisations form 17 August committee
Merdeka, 8 Agustus 1951 (hlm. 2): mass organisations under the Peace Committee form their own 17 August committee with a 'peace programme', Gerwis and Lekra running the programme section.
Again numerous arrests in Indonesia
Het Vaderland front-page report (20 Aug 1951) on the escalating arrests of communists across Indonesia: 26 in East Java including Java Post editor Go Tjing Hok, the local PKI chair and SOBSI leaders, and Mrs Parjani Ilham, chair of the women's organisation 'Gerwis'; 50 in Bandung with SOBSI offices sealed; 175 in East
Arrests in East Java: strict control of the press
Nieuwe Haarlemsche Courant, 20 August 1951: reports the August 1951 mass arrests in East Java (the 'Razzia Agustus') of 26 people in Surabaya including journalists, PKI local chair Hutapea, Sobsi's Surono and Sutomo, and the Gerwis chairwoman Mrs Parjani Ilham; 175 more arrested in Malang, Bojonegoro, Madiun and Kediri
Dozens more arrests in East and West Java: Sobsi offices occupied in Bandung
Trouw (20 Aug 1951) on the August 1951 arrests: 26 detained in East Java including journalists, the PKI branch chairman, SOBSI unionists and Gerwis chairwoman Mrs Parjani Ilham; 50 communists arrested in Bandung and SOBSI offices sealed. Attorney General warns of tighter press control; 17 August passed quietly.
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
Reform of Gerwis Jakarta branch board and 8 March committee (Harian Rakjat, 29 February 1952)
Harian Rakjat, 29 Feb 1952, p.2 (Warta Daerah/news roundup): reports the reformed board of Gerwis Jakarta branch (chair S. Mardiman; secretary Tuty; finance A. Sunadi; labour Tuty Darta; peasants Kartinah, provisional; Gang Tengah 29). Also a Tegal committee of four women for 8 March International Women's Day chaired b
Indonesian cabinet crisis continues; Gerwis appeals after Sukiman's fall
De Waarheid, 18 Mar 1952, p. 2: news item on the Indonesian cabinet crisis after the fall of the Sukiman government over the US Mutual Security agreement signed by Subardjo. Notes that calls for an anti-fascist, anti-imperialist government reached Jakarta from the Gerwis national board, SOBSI and the peasants' union RT
Delegation to Moscow International Economic Conference includes Kartinah (Gerwis) (Harian Rakjat, 2 April 1952)
Harian Rakjat, 2 Apr 1952, p.1: front page covers the new Wilopo cabinet and the Indonesian delegation to the international economic conference in Moscow, which lists Kartinah as Gerwis representative alongside delegates from Pemuda Rakyat, the peasant front and trade unions. The headline about 'equal spirit of women a
Gerwis sends Suwarti and Darmini to child-defence conference in Vienna (Harian Rakjat, 8 April 1952)
Harian Rakjat, 8 Apr 1952, p.3-4: Gerwis, led by Umi Sardjono (PB Gerwis), hosts a reception in Jakarta for organisations and officials, including Health Ministry's Dr Syulianti, to prepare a national committee for child defence; Trimurti speaks on child labour and schooling. Gerwis delegates Suwarti and Darmini (alrea
Harian Rakjat, 23 April 1952: Kartini Day commemorations, Mrs Sri Kusnapsiah speaks
Page of the Jakarta daily Harian Rakjat, 23 April 1952 (Kartini Day issue; OCR very noisy). It reports Hari Kartini commemorations in Jakarta (about 650 women at Garden Hall), in The Hague, where Ny. S. Sri Kusnapsiah spoke on Kartini's aims and thought, and in Semarang, Bogor and elsewhere, alongside Wilopo-cabinet an
Impressive demonstrations throughout Indonesia (May Day 1952)
De Waarheid, 2 May 1952, p. 3: dispatch on May Day demonstrations across Indonesian cities by committees including SOBSI, Pemuda Rakjat and the women's organisation Gerwis; Jakarta rally at Merdeka Square. Reports government attempts to prevent them, including bans in Surabaya on discussing germ warfare and carrying po
Suwarti, MP and chair of Gerwis, on the peace committee (Harian Rakjat, 3 May 1952)
Harian Rakjat, 3 May 1952. On p. 3 Suwarti, MP and general chair (ketua umum) of Gerwis, is listed among the Indonesians invited to join the preparatory committee for the Asia-Pacific Peace Conference, alongside Siauw Giok Chan, Ir. Setiadi and others. Pp. 2-3 also report May Day 1952 rallies where Gerwis marched with
Children's Day in Jakarta
Java-Bode, 31 May 1952, p. 2: at Gerwis's initiative a 1 June Committee with Gerwis, Sobsi, Pemuda Rakjat and IPPI representatives organises Children's Day contests on Merdeka Square for about 4,000 registered children and will distribute over 6,000 old garments to poor children of Tanah Abang and Senen.
Harian Rakjat, 16 June 1952: Gerwis Jakarta adds Kemayoran branch; Salawati Daud
Harian Rakjat, Jakarta, 16 June 1952 (full issue; p. 2 relevant). Reports the founding meeting of a Gerwis branch (ranting) at Kemayoran, with a committee chaired by Kardini; Ny. Bandiyah of the Jakarta branch explains the statutes, and women's and youth wings of PKI organisations pledge cooperation. Also: Salawati Dau
Delegation to US embassy protests bacteriological war in Korea
De Nieuwsgier, 27 June 1952 (Sin Po): on the Korean War anniversary, a nine-organisation delegation including Gerwis, SOBSI, Pemuda Rakjat, Lekra and the peace committee protests at the US embassy against alleged bacteriological warfare, but is turned away. They write to the foreign minister asking Indonesia to press f
Freedom Day celebration committee formed on basis of National Reveil declaration
De Nieuwsgier, 15 July 1952 (Sin Po): a Jakarta meeting of 34 parties and organisations forms a Freedom Day (17 August) committee led by the PKI's Greater Jakarta section by 26 votes; PNI, Parkindo, SOBSI and Gerwis sit on it, Masjumi and PSI abstain. It adopts the National Reveil joint declaration signed by 60 groups.
Harian Rakjat, 16 July 1952: Kartinah (Gerwis West Java) welcomes PKI committee at Labuan
Harian Rakjat, Jakarta, 16 July 1952 (full issue; p. 3 relevant). Kartinah of the Gerwis West Java regional board (KDB) is among those who welcome the founding of a PKI committee at Labuan, Banten. Elsewhere the issue notes PKI, SOBSI and Gerwis statements rejecting the Pacific Pact, and a correction about a Gerwis Ran