Only workers; youth organisations merge into a new front
Short items in De Vrije Pers (11 Apr 1950): a clarification about banknote distribution for workers, and a merger of Front Pemuda Indonesia and eight youth groups into Gerakan Pemuda Rakyat, with A.L. Fanggidaej as one of the secretaries. Gerwis/Gerwani is not mentioned; the Fanggidaej named here is not identified as F
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
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
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
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
Action against widows' pensions continues
De Locomotief, 14 Oct 1952, city news: a Semarang meeting of the committee rejecting Government Regulation 19/52 on widows' pensions for civil servants with multiple wives draws great interest from women's organisations. Twelve bodies including SOBSI, Lekra, Pemuda Rakjat and Gerwis reject the law and decide to continu
US State Dept. report IR-6165, January 1953: Communism in the Free World - Indonesia section on Gerwis
US State Department Office of Intelligence Research report IR-6165, 'Communism in the Free World' (January 1953), a compilation of about 30 country studies of communist capabilities, held in the CIA reading room. The Indonesia study (IR-6165.3) covers PKI aims and tactics, labour, and front organisations. Section VI.A
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
Independence Day: sober celebration will mark this 17 August
Algemeen Indisch Dagblad (1953-08-14, p. 2): programme and committee for a sober 17 August celebration in Bandung (no slogans, only the Red-White flag), plus a sports programme. The committee's women treasurers include Mrs. Tata of Gerwis alongside Perwari and Parkiwa; PNI, Masyumi and PKI chair it. Much of the text is
The Free Press: demonstration against criminal trial
Algemeen Indisch Dagblad (1953-08-25, p. 2): in Surabaya the trial of 42 students for wrecking the Vrije Pers offices opened; thousands of students and pupils demonstrated against the prosecution, joined, per Harian Umum, by Gerwis, Pemuda Rakjat and SOBSI. Banners demanded a press law, abolition of Dutch-language use
Surabaya demonstration over the De Vrije Pers wrecking trial
De Nieuwsgier, 25 Aug 1953: in Surabaya the trial opens of 42 students over the April wrecking of De Vrije Pers; thousands of students and pupils demonstrated, with Gerwis, Pemuda Rakjat and SOBSI also taking part, demanding dropped charges, a press law, abolition of Dutch-language use and limits on Dutch dailies. A US
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
The anti-self-government action in Solo
De Nieuwsgier, 12 Mar 1954: a Solo conference against 'self-government' (the autonomy plan for Surakarta) adopts a campaign of regency mass meetings by 15 April, a central action and a delegation to national leaders. Attendees include the PNI, PKI, Pemuda Rakjat, Pemuda Puteri Indonesia, Gerwis and SOBSI.
Joint declaration of thirty parties (abolition of the Netherlands-Indonesian Union)
Het Nieuwsblad voor Sumatra (24 Jun 1954, p.1): the Jakarta cooperation committee of about thirty parties and organisations, including PNI, PKI, Partai Buruh, Pemuda Rakjat, Gerwani, SOBSI, BTI and Wanita Rakjat, issued a joint declaration demanding immediate abolition of the Indonesian-Dutch Union, blaming Dutch imper
CIA intelligence survey of the PKI's history, structure and front organisations, May 1955, before the September 1955 elections. Section III.E (report pp. 49-50) profiles Gerwani: founded 1950 as Gerwis, renamed Gerwani at the March 1954 congress, 25,000+ members, S.K. Trimurti general chairman and Umi Sardjono chairman
Pravda, 5 Aug 1955: government crisis in Indonesia; telegrams from Gerwani
Pravda, 5 August 1955, No. 217, page 6, supplied as a Claude machine translation of the Indonesia item. A TASS dispatch from Jakarta on the cabinet crisis (Harahap of Masjumi asked to form a government) says Harian Rakjat printed dozens of telegrams from SOBSI, BTI, the women's organisation Gerwani and Pemuda Rakjat in
Pravda, 5 Aug 1955: Gerwani telegram in Indonesian cabinet crisis (excerpt)
Keyword-hit excerpt of Pravda, 5 Aug 1955 (TASS, Jakarta) on the cabinet crisis after Masjumi's Burhanuddin Harahap was asked to form a government. Harian Rakjat published telegrams from SOBSI, BTI, Gerwani, Pemuda Rakjat and others demanding a truly democratic government, opposing a Masjumi cabinet and 'a military dic
Ten years of the Republic (Cor Geugjes)
De Waarheid, 17 Aug 1955, p. 3: Cor Geugjes's article for the Republic's tenth anniversary, covering Dutch colonial violence, the Bandung Conference, the Ali Sastroamidjojo government's fall and replacement by a Masjumi-PSI cabinet under Harahap, and the PKI's election platform. It lists Gerwani only as 'the strong wom
Events in Indonesia (conclusion): Harahap government and mass organisations
De Waarheid, 8 Oct 1955, p. 3: final part of Cor Geugjes's series on events in Indonesia, arguing the Harahap government (which replaced Ali Sastroamidjojo) is resisted: elections could not be postponed, New Guinea was raised at the UN, and preliminary results defeat Masjumi and PSI. Cites PKI (500,000), SOBSI (3 milli
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.
The committee
Short Algemeen Indisch Dagblad item (1956-08-06, p. 2): composition of the Bandung 17 August committee, chaired by the mayor, with vice-chairs from Masyumi, PNI, PKI and NU. Treasurers are Mrs. Kamarga (Perwari), Mrs. S. Sriwenda (Parkiwa) and one more Gerwani member still to be named. Also a basketball tournament anno
Statements
Short Algemeen Indisch Dagblad item (1956-11-12, p. 2): a campaign of protest statements and telegrams against the British-French and Israeli attack on Egypt (Suez) is sent to the Indonesian government and British and French embassies by SOBSI, Sarbupri, Lekra West Java, Gerwani, OBSI Sumatra, KBKI Bandung, SBII and Pe
Tages-Anzeiger, 11 July 1959: Indonesia on the road to dictatorship
Tages-Anzeiger analysis (11 July 1959, signed Th. v. R.) of Sukarno's return to the 1945 constitution and the army's rising power under Nasution. Lists PKI-linked mass organisations, giving Gerwani 75,000 members alongside SOBSI, Pemuda Rakyat, BTI, and notes PKI's 1957 vote.
CIA Current Intelligence Weekly Summary, 12 November 1959
CIA Current Intelligence Weekly Summary, 12 Nov 1959, a long multi-topic report; the Indonesia part (pp.23-27) assesses PKI strength (Aidit's claim of 1.5 million members, Java as base, army and Sukarno restrictions, Aidit's 1959 Moscow and Peking trip). It names GERWANI as the PKI's women's front, alongside Pemuda Rak
Documents of the Sixth National Congress of the PKI, Jakarta, 1-14 September 1959, Vol. I
Bintang Merah special issue, vol. 1: documents of the VI National Congress of the PKI, Jakarta 7-14 September 1959 (Yayasan Pembaruan, 1960). Contains Aidit's opening speech, the Central Committee's General Report, and Programme and Constitution changes. Gerwani is not named; on women it records growing women's members
Pravda, 2 Mar 1960: Gerwani among Indonesian mass organisations at Khrushchev's farewell
Pravda, 2 Mar 1960 (No. 62), pp. 1-3, 5 (machine-translated): coverage of the end of Khrushchev's 12-day visit to Indonesia (farewell speeches by Khrushchev and Sukarno; Calcutta stop). Pp. 2-3 report a farewell meeting on 29 Feb with delegates of mass organisations, naming 'the Indonesian women's movement (Gerwani)' a
Pravda, 2 Mar 1960: Gerwani welcomes Khrushchev among mass organisations (excerpt)
Keyword-hit excerpt of Pravda, No. 62, 2 March 1960, report 'People must live happily!' on Khrushchev's Indonesia visit. Leading figures of SOBSI, BTI, Pemuda Rakjat, the women's movement Gerwani, the Peace Committee, the Soviet friendship society and Lekra gathered with gifts at his residence; SOBSI's Njono spoke of f