'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
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, 18 December 1950: Irian Action Unity Committee formed
Merdeka, 18 Dec 1950, p. 2: report on the 15 Dec 1950 formation of the Komite Kesatuan Aksi Irian by the Badan Perjuangan Irian and 15 parties and workers', youth and women's organisations including Gerwis, alongside Bung Tomo's boycott of Dutch goods.
CIA report, 30 April 1951: Women communists in Indonesia
CIA report, 30 April 1951, on 'Women Communists in Indonesia': Chinese and Indonesian women's links, the Stockholm peace appeal, and Gerwis chair 'Sri Mangunsarkoro' protesting France's ban on the WIDF. Early foreign surveillance of Gerwis's WIDF ties.
Merdeka, 8 January 1951: Lapangan Banteng rally demands annulment of the KMB
Merdeka, 8 Jan 1951, p. 1: mass rally at Lapangan Banteng demanding annulment of the KMB agreements, where the Gerwis speaker argued for annulment through its effects on women, citing mass dismissals.
Merdeka, 20 February 1951: PKI protests against the French government
Merdeka, 20 Feb 1951, p. 2: PKI protests France's 24 Jan 1951 expulsion of the WFTU, WFDY and WIDF from Paris; Gerwis and a printers' union send similar protests to the French minister.
Merdeka, 10 April 1951: Gerwis supports the 14-party joint programme
Merdeka, 10 Apr 1951, p. 2: Antara from Semarang that the Gerwis central board (6 Apr 1951) endorses the 14-party joint programme (annul KMB, independent foreign policy, revoke SOB) and demands a broad national coalition cabinet.
Abadi, 11 April 1951, p. 4: Gerwis Supports the 14-Party Joint Programme
Abadi, 11 April 1951, p. 4: Gerwis central board (Semarang, 6 April 1951) endorses the 14-party joint programme (cancel KMB, independent foreign policy, revoke SOB) and demands a broad coalition cabinet.
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.
Acheson on Korea (note on Children's Day in Jakarta)
Nieuwe Courant, 4 June 1951: Acheson on Korea and the risk of Soviet intervention, with a short note that about 10,000 children celebrated International Children's Day on Merdeka Square, Jakarta, on a committee including Gerwis, IPPA and Pemuda Rakjat, with 4,000 Chinese youths from eight Chinese schools.
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
In Yogyakarta two committees for 17 August
De Nieuwsgier, 31 July 1951: in Yogyakarta SOBSI initiates a rival '17 August' committee including trade unions, the youth front, PKI, PSII, Murba, BTI and Gerwis, claiming the city's official committee only wants to 'celebrate' without expressing the people's struggle. It will explore a merger. Another item (Pakistan-
Abadi, 4 August 1951, p. 1: Gerwis Rejects Schacht
Abadi, 4 Aug 1951, p. 1: Gerwis central board statement (2 Aug) rejecting the visit of Hjalmar Schacht, invited by the Sukiman government, as a 'fascist champion' who would drag Indonesia toward a war economy.
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.
Abadi, 9 August 1951, p. 2: National 17 August Committee and Reader's Letter on Schacht
Abadi, 9 Aug 1951, p. 2: a national 17 August committee separate from the government's, with Gerwis among attendees, adopts the Peace Defence Committee programme; plus a reader's letter on Schacht.
WIDF Bulletin no. 5/1952 'The Women of Indonesia': a WIDF-sympathetic account of postwar Indonesia in 1952, covering militarised budgets, unemployment, hunger, maternal and infant mortality, the Round Table legacy and US agreements. It says women formed committees for 8 March and Children's Day and that local GERWIS br
Another Irian committee: West Irian liberation committee with Gerwis
De Vrije Pers item (14 Jan 1952) on a new West Irian liberation committee in (apparently) Surabaya/East Java, with posts split among Badan Perjuangan Irian, SOBSI, PKI, PNI, Indo-National Party and Murba; its organisation section includes Front Pemuda, Pemuda Kesatuan Indonesia and Gerwis. It also demands ending the Ro
Irian Committee Surabaya
Algemeen Indisch Dagblad (1952-01-18, p. 3): in Surabaya a Panitya Pembebasan Irian Barat is formed at the initiative of the Badan Perdjoangan Irian Timur Jawa with SOBSI, PKI, PNI, Murba and others; Gerwis sits in the organisation section with youth fronts. It seeks to end the RTC agreement and abolish the Union.
Abadi, 4 February 1952, p. 2: World Youth Solidarity Day Committee
Abadi, 4 Feb 1952, p. 2: provisional committee including Gerwis, Lekra and Pemuda Rakjat to celebrate 21 February 1952 world youth solidarity day.
Pancasila proves a hindrance: Gerwis explains adoption of People's Democracy
De Vrije Pers report (12 Feb 1952) on a Gerwis meeting explaining its adoption of "People's Democracy" instead of Pancasila as its basis, since Pancasila had hampered organising. Speakers (Miss Moedjiati, Miss Muninggar) described anti-imperialist, anti-feudal aims, a national front against the RTC, and insisted Gerwis
ACDWF telegrams for 8 March 1952, including Cai Chang to Gerwis (Renmin Ribao, 6 March 1952)
Renmin Ribao, 6 Mar 1952 (p. 4): All-China Democratic Women's Federation (Cai Chang) telegrams for International Women's Day to the WIDF, Soviet, Korean, Vietnamese, Japanese, Indian, German and Burmese women's bodies and to the Indonesian Gerwis. The Gerwis message praises Indonesian women's role in the independence s
ACDWF telegrams for 8 March 1952, including Cai Chang to Gerwis (Renmin Ribao, 6 March 1952)
Renmin Ribao, 6 Mar 1952 (p. 4): All-China Democratic Women's Federation (Cai Chang) telegrams for International Women's Day to the WIDF, Soviet, Korean, Vietnamese, Japanese, Indian, German and Burmese women's bodies and to the Indonesian Gerwis. The Gerwis message praises Indonesian women's role in the independence s
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