Gone to the farmer: communists in the Indonesian countryside
Friese Koerier travel/feature piece (12 Mar 1964, p.11) on how Indonesian communists won rural support via relief after Darul Islam raids, farming advice, theatre, wayang and badminton. It states the communists founded nominally non-communist organisations: BTI, Gerwani ('the Indonesian women's movement') and Pemuda Ra
How it turns out - that's what matters!
Algemeen Dagblad feature by H.N. Appel from Jakarta (1964-04-10) on Indonesia's new elite, its revolutionary rhetoric and economic hardship. Briefly describes women as playing a small, decorative role in a 'men's society', noting Sukarno's second wife Hartini at a party. Gerwani is not mentioned.
Berita Harian, 5 Aug 1964: Gerwani wants USIS offices closed
Berita Harian, 5 Aug 1964 (Reuters, lead only). Gerwani, a left-wing Indonesian women's movement, cabled President Sukarno demanding the government close the US Information Service (USIS) offices and send home Peace Corps volunteers, as reported by the PKI paper Harian Rakyat.
Gerwani wants US Information Service offices closed (Berita Harian, 1964)
Berita Harian, 5 August 1964, p. 3, Reuters: Gerwani, described as a left-wing women's movement, cabled Sukarno demanding closure of the US Information Service, return of Peace Corps volunteers training Indonesian athletes, and condemned the Johnson-Tunku Abdul Rahman joint statement, per the PKI paper Harian Rakyat. S
Sukarno rejects demand for ban on Sukarnoism (South China Morning Post, 14 December 1964)
South China Morning Post, 14 Dec 1964, p.28 (Jakarta, 13 Dec; fragmentary OCR): Sukarno rejects a demand to ban 'Sukarnoism', and the item notes that Antara reported hundreds of members of Gerwani, 'the Communist women's organisation', demonstrated outside government offices in Medan the previous Wednesday with signs d
Housewives Are Upset (News-Mail, 31 December 1964)
News-Mail (Bundaberg), 31 December 1964, p. 1, AAP-Reuter report that about 500 Indonesian housewives, including Foreign Minister Subandrio's wife, demonstrated in Jakarta against rising prices outside the Second Deputy Prime Minister's office, shouting 'down with prices' and 'hang corruptors'. The demonstration was or
Prisoners Tell of Indonesian Plan (Canberra Times, 31 December 1964)
Canberra Times, 31 Dec 1964, p. 1 (AAP-Reuter): two captured Indonesian soldiers claim Indonesia is forming a Malayan government and army in exile in Sumatra during Konfrontasi. Final paragraphs report about 500 housewives, led by Mrs Subandrio of the Indonesian Women's Congress, protesting prices in Jakarta. Gerwani n
Claim of landing by Malaysians
Toowoomba Chronicle, 31 Dec 1964, p. 1 (AAP-Reuters): Sukarno claims Indonesian police arrested two groups of armed Malaysian infiltrators and says 'Malaysia does not exist'. Second item: about 500 housewives, including Mrs Subandrio, protest rising prices in Jakarta in a demonstration organised by the Indonesian Women
Aidit accuses Chaerul Saleh of fabricating a document (speech to Gerwani, Berita Harian, 1965)
Berita Harian, 23 January 1965, p. 3: D.N. Aidit, speaking to Gerwani, accuses Deputy Prime Minister Chaerul Saleh of spreading a forged document claiming the PKI planned to seize power in 1970; he says he reported this to Sukarno. Clipping is partly unreadable. Shows Aidit using Gerwani as an audience for PKI rebuttal
Indonesia's rapprochement with China: Hartini Sukarno at women's gathering
De Telegraaf report (1 Feb 1965) on Indonesia's rapprochement with China, quoting Sukarno's CBS interview and Subandrio's Peking visit. Gerwani is not named; Hartini Sukarno is quoted at a women's movement gathering calling for common struggle with "Chinese comrades" in 1965.
Neue Zürcher Zeitung, 24 April 1965: Aidit and Indonesian communism - on the springboard to power
Neue Zürcher Zeitung, 24 April 1965, long analytical article 'Aidit and Indonesian Communism: on the springboard to power'. It reviews the Indonesian crisis, PKI history from 1920 through Madiun 1948, Aidit's rise and biography. Gerwani appears once, as a PKI front organisation with 1.5 million members, alongside SOBSI
Communists against the 'Murba party'
Short ANP wire item in Amigoe di Curaçao, 20 May 1965: Gerwani urges President Sukarno to ban the Murba party for good, calling it 'anti-Sukarno, anti-communist and anti-Nasakom'. Murba had been provisionally banned in January 1965. Shows Gerwani as a PKI-aligned political voice in the Nasakom polarisation.
Berita Harian, 8 Jun 1965: warning against women's organisation movements (Sudibjo)
Berita Harian, 8 Jun 1965 (Reuters, lead only). Sudibjo, secretary-general of the National Front, warned Indonesians to be vigilant against subversive movements of domestic women's organisations, speaking at a political rally of Gerwani.
Warning against women's organisations' movement (Sudibjo at a Gerwani rally, Berita Harian, 1965)
Berita Harian, 8 June 1965, p. 3, Reuters: at a Gerwani political-military rally, National Front secretary-general Sudibjo warns the public to be vigilant against 'womanish' bourgeois women's organisations that are 'afraid of politics' and 'afraid of the people' and want to 'lure men'. Shows Gerwani's mobilisation in 1
States backing Malaysia should not attend the Algiers conference: Sukarno to a Gerwani rally (Berita Harian, 1965)
Berita Harian (Singapore), 10 June 1965, p. 3, Reuters report: Sukarno, speaking to 10,000 'Communist women of Gerwani', says states backing Malaysia, Israel and South Korea should stay away from the Algiers Afro-Asian conference and that he will go with a Nasakom delegation including women's organisations. Shows Gerwa
Women demand Wawejai back: Gerwani telegram to Dutch government
Short De Telegraaf item (26 Jul 1965, ANP): Gerwani, called the Indonesian communist women's organisation, telegraphed the Dutch government demanding "immediate repatriation" of West Irianese footballer Dominggus Wawejai, claimed to have been kidnapped by Dutch reactionaries after being allowed to study in the Netherla
PKI demands expulsion of US ambassador (Gerwani demand, Berita Harian, 1965)
Berita Harian, 26 July 1965, p. 3: the PKI renews its demand that Sukarno cancel acceptance of new US ambassador Marshall Green; the demand, issued through its women's organisation Gerwani, also asks Sukarno to break diplomatic relations with the United States. Clipping breaks off. Evidence of Gerwani's anti-American c
ANP news report, 29 July 1965 (Wawejoi)
ANP radio bulletin, 29 July 1965: footballer Wawejoi, who stayed in the Netherlands after the Indonesian team's visit, is expelled from the football union. Gerwani urges Jakarta to break off diplomatic relations with the Netherlands if it undermines Indonesia, demanding measures against those who allegedly kidnapped hi
Protest in Jakarta against high prices
Short ANP item in Het Vrije Volk (23 Sep 1965, p.9), one week before the coup attempt: thousands of Indonesian women demonstrated at the Ministry of Trade in Jakarta against rising prices of necessities, as reported by PKI paper Harian Rakjat. They demanded strong action against capitalists, bureaucrats, swindlers and
Short and small (women's price demonstration)
'Kort en klein' column, Twentsch Dagblad Tubantia (23 Sep 1965). One Indonesia item: thousands of women demonstrated before the trade ministry against high prices, per PKI paper Harian Rakjat, urging action against capitalists and bureaucrats. Organisers not named, Gerwani not mentioned. Other items unrelated.
Short and small (women's price demonstration, duplicate)
'Kort en klein' column, Twentsch Dagblad Tubantia (23 Sep 1965), duplicate of the previous item. Thousands of women demonstrated before the trade ministry against high prices, per Harian Rakjat, urging action against capitalists and bureaucrats. Organisers not named, Gerwani not mentioned.
Furious: Suharto's statement on the generals' bodies near the Halim training base
De Telegraaf item (7 Oct 1965) on General Suharto's television statement: the generals' bodies were found near the air-force base where Pemuda Rakyat and Gerwani volunteers were trained, and an arrested female volunteer in Cirebon reportedly said volunteers came from Central Java. An early press link of Gerwani to the
Film of murder of generals
Het Rotterdamsch Parool/ANP report (7 Oct 1965, p.1): Jakarta television showed a film of the exhumation of seven officers from the well at Lubang Buaya, with Suharto, voice trembling, saying the bodies were found near the air-force base training Pemuda Rakjat men and 'Gerwani' (for women) volunteers. A female voluntee
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
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
Communists slaughter family of Yogyakarta army commander (Berita Harian, 1965)
Berita Harian, 7 October 1965, p. 1: Radio Yogyakarta claims Col. Katamso's family was slaughtered; fighting at Klaten and Cirebon, where rebels included armed communist youth and Gerwani members; army paper's account of the seven officers' deaths (Yani, Suprapto, Haryono, Parman, Panjaitan, Sutoyo, Tendean) at Lubang
Anger mounts against the PKI over the killings (Berita Harian, 1965)
Berita Harian, 7 October 1965, p. 1: Sukarno's first cabinet meeting after 30 September; Nahdlatul Ulama demands a PKI ban and claims rebels armed Pemuda Rakyat, Gerwani and SOBSI, and that Pemuda Rakyat and Gerwani members trained at 'Sarang Buaya' (Lubang Buaya). Also press and rally restrictions in Sumatra and an ar
More arrests, slaughter of civilians by Communists in Central Java (Straits Times, 1965)
The Straits Times, 7 October 1965, p. 1: Radio Jakarta says communists slaughtered civilians in Central Java; Yogyakarta retaken and Col. Katamso's family reportedly killed; fierce fighting at Klaten and Cirebon, where rebels included armed People's Youth Front and Gerwani members; 200 armed communists captured. Gerwan
Backgrounds of the rebellion in Djakarta (conclusion)
Algemeen Handelsblad (1965-10-09), concluding part of 'Backgrounds of the rebellion in Djakarta': surveys PKI under Aidit, PNI infiltration (including its women's movement), PKI campaign against village ulama, the banned BPS and the army's rising role under Nasution. Names S.K. Trimurti as wife of Sajuti Melik and chai
ANP news report, 10 October 1965 (Indonesia: arrests continue)
ANP radio bulletin, 10 Oct 1965: arrests continue in Jakarta; among arrested communists are members of Gerwani, 'said to be responsible' for the killing/mutilation of the six generals (garbled in source). Also reports Njoto's reported arrest, soldiers at Hotel Indonesia and 1,500-2,000 arrests in Java in a week. An ear