Arrests in East Java
Winschoter Courant (20 Aug 1951): 26 arrested in East Java, among them Javapost editor Go Tjing Hok, other editors, the Surabaya PKI chairman, SOBSI unionists and Gerwis chairwoman Mrs Parjani Ilham. Officials say no group or ideology is targeted. Part of the August 1951 raids.
Vanished guerrilla fighters blew up a bridge
Provinciale Drentsche en Asser Courant (21 Aug 1951): about 4,000 ex-guerrillas vanished from Makassar on 16 Aug, blowing up a bridge; government announces strict measures. Salawati Daud, credited with an important role in solving the guerrilla problem, has gone to the fugitives' hideouts to mediate. Also notes ex-RMS
The ex-guerrillas of South Celebes
Het Nieuwsblad voor Sumatra (22 Aug 1951, p.2): a defence ministry spokesman says the report of Mrs Salawati Daud visiting South Sulawesi's interior to contact Kahar Muzakar should not suggest renewed negotiations; Kahar acted for his own benefit. A mass meeting of parties at the governor's residence in Makassar leaves
CTN question: no negotiations
Nieuwe Courant, 22 August 1951: defence ministry spokesman says reports of Salawati Daud's trip into South Sulawesi's interior to contact CTN leader Kahar Muzakkar wrongly suggest renewed negotiations; he regrets that some people's leaders want to negotiate with Kahar, who acted for personal gain, and insists on strict
Journalists also among those arrested in East Java
Indische Courant voor Nederland, 25 Aug 1951, p. 1: the August 1951 raids in East Java. About 26 arrested in Surabaya, including Mrs Parjani Ilham, chairwoman of Gerwis there, journalists, Sobsi and PKI local leaders; about 175 arrested across East Java. Police seized pictures of Mao, Lenin and Stalin.
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
Works of Marx confiscated (question by Suwarti in parliament)
Het Nieuwsblad voor Sumatra (15 Sep 1951, p.2): communist MP Suwarti questions the government on the recent confiscation of Karl Marx's books, asking on which legal article the measure rests after the attorney general's spokesman claimed it was lawful. Context for the 1951 anti-communist round-up; identification of Suw
The arrest of Mrs Trimurti
De Nieuwsgier, 21 Sept 1951 (PIA): Gerwis, of which S.K. Trimurti is chair, reports the Attorney General's spokesman's explanation of her arrest: it was decided in mid-August, she could not be traced, and arrest at the immigration office was coincidence ('as with robbers'). An investigation has begun. Documents the 195
The arrest of Mrs Trimurti (full page, 21 Sept 1951)
Full page of De Nieuwsgier, 21 Sept 1951, with the same PIA report on S.K. Trimurti's arrest: Gerwis, whose chair she is, relays the Attorney General's explanation that it was decided in mid-August and carried out at the immigration office by coincidence. Other items on the page (British elections, desawacht, Kendal ho
Abuses in Indonesian prisons: conditions of the August 1951 detainees
De Waarheid, 27 Oct 1951, p. 3: correspondent's article on poor food, medical care and conditions of those arrested in Indonesia since August 1951 under the Sukiman government (Cipinang prison, Malang, Banten), including named detainees. Ends with a Gerwis statement calling the arrest of its leader (S.K.) Trimurti and
Abuses in Indonesian prisons (full newspaper page, 27 Oct 1951)
Full De Waarheid page, 27 Oct 1951 (p. 3), mostly unrelated Dutch and international news (British elections, Tito, Rotterdam court, serial novel, notices). Only the Indonesia article, 'Wantoestanden in Indonesische gevangenissen', is relevant: poor prison conditions for those arrested since August 1951, and a Gerwis st
Readers' opinions: Gebeo and Luna
Algemeen Indisch Dagblad readers' page (1951-11-01, p. 3); mostly a letter about street lighting. A final news item says the Gerwis central board supports Tan Po Goan's parliamentary interpellation on the security action and demands release of all persons detained in the August 1951 raids.
Mrs Mudigdio (PKI) in parliament on the August raid arrests (Harian Rakjat, 16 February 1952)
Harian Rakjat, 16 Feb 1952, front page continued p.4: parliamentary debate on the government's account of the August 1951 razzia (mass arrests of leftists). Nyonya Mudigdio (PKI) is reported proposing that the DPR form a committee to investigate the arrests; Sakirman (PKI) notes most victims were PKI members. A detaine
Gerwis questioned by DPKN officers about Trimurti's arrest (Harian Rakjat, 19 March 1952)
Harian Rakjat, 19 Mar 1952, p.2: brief report that three DPKN (state security investigation) officials visited the Gerwis Rawasari branch in Jakarta on 17 March 1952 and questioned members on Gerwis's attitude to Trimurti's recent arrest and who represents Gerwis in Parliament. Gerwis answered as far as possible; the p
Meeting with tears: East Java committee of victims of the August raids
De Vrije Pers item (24 Mar 1952): the East Java Committee of Victims of the August Raids met in Surabaya with thirty residency delegates and PKI and Gerwis Surabaya branches; reports on detainees moved many to tears. A resolution urged speedy release, support for families, payment of civil servants' salaries and visiti
Release of detainees requested
Java-Bode, 25 Mar 1952, p. 2: East Java conference of the Committee for Victims of the August Raid in Surabaya with PKI and Gerwis delegates; resolution demands release of Kediri detainees, support for families and visiting rights. Same text as the Indische Courant item of 29 Mar 1952.
Release of detainees requested
Indische Courant voor Nederland, 29 Mar 1952, p. 3: East Java conference of the Committee for Victims of the August Raid, in Surabaya on 23 March, attended by PKI and Gerwis delegates; resolution urges release of Kediri detainees, support for their families and visiting rights. Also a Lombok famine-relief item.
East Java Committee for Victims of the August Razzia, secretary Sulami (Harian Rakjat, 13 June 1952)
Harian Rakjat, 13 June 1952. On p. 2 an open letter from the East Java Committee for Victims of the August Razzia (chair Ny. Harsono, secretary Sulami) presses the central government to clarify the status of detainees from the August 1951 mass arrests and free them before Idul Fitri, citing the humiliation and sufferin
The Wikana question: August raid detainees' families delegation
De Nieuwsgier, 16 June 1952: Central Java territorial command denies that the defence minister told a delegation of the Committee of Families of August Raid Detainees (Mr K. Wirdojo and Mrs Moedigdo [Mudigdio]) he would lift the banishment of the Wikana group released after the 1951 raids. The three remain in Central J
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
Harian Rakjat, 11 July 1952: DPR versus Persaja; Mrs Mudigdio on security section
Harian Rakjat, Jakarta, 11 July 1952 (full issue; p. 4 relevant). Parliamentary report in which Ny. Mudigdio is named as a member of the DPR security section during a debate on the prosecutors' association (Persaja) and on political activity by public officials. The issue otherwise has no Gerwis or Gerwani material.
Indonesian miscellany (with item on Mrs Salawati)
Het Vaderland miscellany column 'Indonesische tjampoeran' (4 Aug 1952, p.6) of short items on sugar workers' strike threats, Medan's mayor, harsh anti-Kahar Muzakar rules in Makassar and prison conditions of SOBSI detainees. One item says Mrs Salawati of Makassar received a moped from the provincial Keamanan staff as a
Razzia Victims Committee (Sulami) meets PM Wilopo on East Java detainees (Harian Rakjat, 21 August 1952)
Harian Rakjat, 21 Aug 1952, p. 1: the central Razzia Victims Committee and its East Java branch, including Sulami, Suwarinah and Ny. Taha (central: Ny. Suprapto), met PM Wilopo and the defence minister about the detainees of the August 1952 razzia (Tanggerang camp, exile to Malang). Both ministers denied knowing of any
Mass demonstrations announced for the August arrestees
De Vrije Pers report (26 Aug 1952) on a press conference by the East Java committee for victims of the August raids announcing mass demonstrations on 7 Sept. Miss Sulami, committee secretary, reported Prime Minister Wilopo gave no release date, blamed the RTC-linked Sukiman policy and called the raids an attack on the
Something is not right
Java-Bode, 27 Aug 1952, p. 2: Miss Sulami, secretary of the Surabaya committee for victims of the August raids, says something is wrong with the arrestees' release, blames the Sukiman-Wibisono policy and RTC, and says the raids were a general attack on the anti-imperialist people.
August detainees: SOBSI wants mass demonstration in Surabaya
Algemeen Indisch Dagblad (1952-08-28, p. 2): at a Surabaya press conference the committee for victims of the August 1951 raids, with SOBSI, plans a 7 September mass demonstration outside the governor's and Brawijaya commander's residences demanding release of all arrestees. Committee secretary Miss Sulami blames the RT
Mass demonstrations in Surabaya on 7 September
Indische Courant voor Nederland, 1 Sep 1952, p. 1: the Surabaya Committee for Victims of the August Raids plans a mass demonstration on 7 Sept. Committee secretary Miss Sulami reports on meetings with PM Wilopo and the defence minister, blames the Sukiman-Wibisono policy and RTC, and notes 62 SOB detainees remain in Ea
Demonstrations banned: Surabaya refuses permission for 7 September rally
De Vrije Pers item (4 Sep 1952): Surabaya authorities refused permission for the 7 September demonstration for August-raid detainees; a delegation of Mrs. Tam, Mrs. Talia and Miss Sulami left for Jakarta to seek a presidential audience, and Tam and Sulami with Miss Warmi and Mr Fatkali were to go on to the "communist p
Arrest of Sunito and Go Gien Tjwan: countermeasures demanded in Indonesia
De Waarheid, 9 Dec 1952, p. 4: Jakarta dispatch on reactions to the Dutch arrest of Indonesians Sunito and Go Gien Tjwan in Amsterdam and action against PKI representatives Aidit and Njoto. The PKI Central Committee calls it arbitrary and urges reprisals; Gerwis also asked the government for counter-measures. A Dutch p
April (year-in-review chronology, April-July 1952)
Java-Bode, 31 Dec 1952, p. 3: year-in-review chronology April-July 1952 (Wilopo cabinet, Sobsi strike, Westerling, SOB lifting, NU leaving Masjumi). Only Gerwani-adjacent entry: on 8 April the goodwill mission to Kahar Muzakkar under Mrs Salawati returned to Makassar without result.