'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
Sumatran groups up in arms against Masjumi
De Locomotief, 27 July 1953: a Palembang delegation (PIR, PNI, PKI) flies to Jakarta with a statement signed by six parties and 22 organisations including SOBSI, BTI, Pemuda Rakjat and Gerwis. It demands early elections, anti-corruption action, settlement of the Tanjung Morawa affair and a democratic cabinet without Ma
Statement of groupings in South Sumatra
De Nieuwsgier, 27 July 1953: Palembang delegation (PIR, PNI, PKI) flies to Jakarta with a joint statement by six parties and 22 organisations including SOBSI, BTI, Pemuda Rakjat and Gerwis. It says a PNI-Masjumi cabinet is no longer possible, urges a democratic parliamentary cabinet under Wongsonegoro, action against D
Salatiga: national action committee formed
De Locomotief, 29 July 1953: Salatiga branches of SOBSI, BTI, PPDI, Pemuda Rakjat and Gerwis jointly convene a meeting of 35 organisations and parties, which forms a national action committee and decides to send an open letter to Sukarno urging implementation of parliament's decisions and action against Darul Islam and
Other trade unions: Sarbupri strike and BTI congress solidarity
De Vrije Pers fragment (17 Sep 1953) on trade-union reactions to the Sarbupri plantation workers' strike. It notes that the BTI's second congress, attended by SOBSI, Pemuda Rakyat and Gerwis representatives, declared solidarity with the strike and instructed its branches to support strikers.
Action against the Swapradja: self-government in Solo does not fit present system
Algemeen Indisch Dagblad (1954-03-12, p. 2): the anti-Swapradja Surakarta committee, whose conference included Gerwis among PNI, PKI, Partai Buruh, SOBSI and youth groups, resolves to reject any return of self-government and to hold regency rallies by 15 April. The government says swapradja must be gradually adapted an
Gerwani conference in Salatiga on implementing congress decisions
De Locomotief, 29 July 1954: the Salatiga branch of Gerwani, with Central Java provincial delegates and BTI, SOBSI and women's organisation representatives, discusses implementing the latest congress decisions. Sub-branches will be set up in every subdistrict capital. Gerwani fields no candidates in the elections but i
Peace: Soviet women visit Indonesia (account by Soviet delegates)
De Waarheid, 29 Sep 1954, p. 5: Dutch printing of an account from Soviet Woman by Soviet delegates Alexandra Cholopowa and Jekaterina Sjeweljowa on their three-week visit to Indonesia at Gerwani's invitation. They describe the word 'damai' (peace), women workers' and plantation conditions in East Java and Bandung, the
PKI has one million members: Aidit interview with Ogonyok
De Waarheid, 23 Mar 1956, p. 2: Moscow dispatch that the PKI has one million members, per Aidit in an interview with the Soviet magazine Ogonyok; SOBSI has 2.6 million, the peasant union BTI 2.5 million, Pemuda Rakjat 700,000 and Gerwani about 500,000. Useful as a contemporary membership figure for Gerwani.
Documents of the PKI Sixth National Congress, Vol. II (Bintang Merah special, 1960)
Volume II of the documents of the PKI Sixth National Congress (Jakarta, 7-14 September 1959; Bintang Merah special, Yayasan Pembaruan, 1960): delegates' speeches. It includes the speech of Suharti, deputy chair of the Gerwani national leadership (pp. 595-603), on women as the most oppressed, peasant women, women cadres
Documents of the PKI Sixth National Congress, Vol. II (Bintang Merah special, 1960)
Volume II of the documents of the PKI Sixth National Congress (Jakarta, 7-14 September 1959; Bintang Merah special, Yayasan Pembaruan, 1960): delegates' speeches. It includes the speech of Suharti, deputy chair of the Gerwani national leadership (pp. 595-603), on women as the most oppressed, peasant women, women cadres
Suara Tani, February 1960: Welcoming the WIDF Bureau session in Jakarta
Suara Tani (BTI organ), Feb 1960 (vol. XI no. 2), OCR noisy. Covers BTI protest over price rises, sugar-cane land rents, Khrushchev's coming visit and the Bandung peace conference. On p. 3 an article welcomes the WIDF Bureau session in Jakarta (late Jan 1960), stressing peasant women's backwardness, citing Sri Darnings
Communists of Indonesia beloved by the people
Tribune (Sydney), 23 May 1962, p. 9: Laurie Aarons, Communist Party of Australia fraternal delegate, praises the Seventh Congress of the PKI as a mass party (383 delegates, 'two million' members) led by D.N. Aidit, with Sukarno speaking at the closing rally. Lists the mass organisations it leads: BTI, SOBSI and Gerwani
Communists of Indonesia beloved by the people
Tribune (Sydney), 23 May 1962, p. 9: Laurie Aarons, Communist Party of Australia fraternal delegate, praises the Seventh Congress of the PKI as a mass party (383 delegates, 'two million' members) led by D.N. Aidit, with Sukarno speaking at the closing rally. Lists the mass organisations it leads: BTI, SOBSI and Gerwani
Book by PKI chairman D.N. Aidit (Demos, 1963) collecting his writings on the Indonesian revolution. Beyond the opening chapters, a passage on the Madiun affair (p. 128) records that Mrs Mudigdio and A.M. Tambunan put parliamentary questions on 9 December 1950 about the 1948 killing of Amir Sjarifuddin and ten comrades.