Njono: PKI coup hastened by Sukarno's illness
Leeuwarder Courant, 1 December 1965, p. 11: relays armed-forces newspaper reports of SOBSI chief Njono's interrogation statements: planning began in July, Aidit's claim that Sukarno was gravely ill was decisive, and Njono was to raise a 2,000-man reserve from PKI, Pemuda Rakjat, Sobsi, BTI and Gerwani members, learning
Speech to Women's Group: Sukarno at Perwari Anniversary (FBIS, 17 Dec 1965)
FBIS summary of Sukarno's 17 Dec 1965 speech at the Perwari anniversary rally. He praised West Irian volunteer Herlina, discussed ideas and 'progressive' versus 'retrogressive' revolutionaries, and defended Nasakom. He ordered a tribunal for those directly involved in Gestok and said those responsible for killing innoc
Sukarno threatens 'deviators'
Townsville Daily Bulletin, 20 Dec 1965, p. 1 (AAP-Reuter): speaking to a gathering of the Indonesian Women's Association, Sukarno says those who deviate from the revolution will be shot and that an extraordinary military tribunal will try coup participants. Reports arrests of supporters in Central Java, South Borneo (3
Case of Untung (Mahmillub II), 1966
Army-published record of the second Mahmillub trial, of Lt. Col. Untung, commander of the 30 September Movement: indictment, eleven sessions (23 Feb-7 Mar 1966), witnesses, pleas; printed in 10,000 copies. Primary source on the official case.
Not public: the Njono trial
Limburgsch Dagblad, 15 February 1966, p. 1: start of the closed Mahmillub trial of SOBSI leader Njono, who says he was told to inform Sukarno of a 'council of generals' but joined the coup instead. Students demanded a public trial; only selected journalists are admitted. Njono is defended by Dutch-born lawyer Trees Soe
Swiss press, 15 Feb 1966: PKI leader Njono on trial in Jakarta (defence counsel Trees Soenito)
La Suisse, 15 Feb 1966, UPI/AFP wire from Singapore on the opening of the first coup trial in Jakarta. Defendant Njono, PKI Central Committee member, denies plotting against Sukarno. His only lawyer is Mrs Trees Soenito, aged 50, daughter of a former Dutch official in Indonesia and wife of a left-wing Indonesian leader
Unrest in Jakarta, Untung in court: strike force included Gerwani members
De Volkskrant report (24 Feb 1966) on unrest in Jakarta and the opening of Untung's trial. The prosecutor said his strike force of 5,000 included 2,000 communists, "men and women, of the organisations Gerwani, Pemuda Rakjat and the BTI". No claims of torture or sexual misconduct appear in this item.
Berliner Zeitung, 24 Feb 1966: Charge Untenable (Njono trial, defence counsel Mrs Sunito)
Page 5 of the East Berlin Berliner Zeitung, 24 Feb 1966, with a short article 'Anklage unhaltbar' and an ADN item on the Jakarta military trial of PKI Politburo member Njono, sentenced to death on 21 Feb. It says he pleaded not guilty and sought clemency from Sukarno, and that his defence counsel, Frau Sunito (Trees Su
Berliner Zeitung, 24 Feb 1966: Charge Untenable (Njono trial, defence counsel Mrs Sunito)
Page 5 of the East Berlin Berliner Zeitung, 24 Feb 1966, with a short article 'Anklage unhaltbar' and an ADN item on the Jakarta military trial of PKI Politburo member Njono, sentenced to death on 21 Feb. It says he pleaded not guilty and sought clemency from Sukarno, and that his defence counsel, Frau Sunito (Trees Su
Neues Deutschland, 24 Feb 1966: Njono firmly defended the Communist Party
Page 7 of the SED daily Neues Deutschland, 24 Feb 1966, with a commentary and an ADN dispatch on the death sentence passed on PKI Politburo member Njono on 21 Feb. The dispatch says his defence counsel, Frau Sunito (Trees Sunito), also showed the accusations to be groundless. The commentary condemns the killings of Com
Neues Deutschland, 24 Feb 1966: Njono firmly defended the Communist Party
Page 7 of the SED daily Neues Deutschland, 24 Feb 1966, with a commentary and an ADN dispatch on the death sentence passed on PKI Politburo member Njono on 21 Feb. The dispatch says his defence counsel, Frau Sunito (Trees Sunito), also showed the accusations to be groundless. The commentary condemns the killings of Com
Berita Yudha, 25 February 1966
Berita Yudha, 25 Februari 1966. Reports of the Mahmillub trial sessions of Lt. Col. Untung with two Gerwani items; Sukarno warns he will not be 'dongkel'-ed amid KAMI blockades.
Untung confesses to murder of six generals
Algemeen Dagblad (1966-02-25) on Lt.-Col. Untung's trial before the special military tribunal: he now admits that 'taking away' the six generals meant killing, denies PKI membership and claims he acted against a 'council of generals'. Notes Trees Sunito refused to defend him and sought clemency for the condemned Njono.
Students try to prevent swearing-in: trial of Untung begun
Gereformeerd Gezinsblad wire item (25 Feb 1966, p.1) on the opening of Colonel Untung's trial in Jakarta for treason and armed rebellion. The prosecutor claimed Untung gathered 5,000 people before the coup, including Tjakrabirawa troops, paratroops and 2,000 members of the PKI and its linked women's organisation Gerwan
Trial after failed coup: Untung admits order to murder generals
Het Vrije Volk/Reuters report (25 Feb 1966, p.21) on Colonel Untung's trial before the Jakarta court-martial: he admits his order to take away the generals meant they should be killed, says he acted to save Sukarno from a military plot and denies PKI membership. Lawyer Trees Soenito-Heyligers asked Sukarno to pardon Nj
Not the old Subandrio (The Scotsman, 29 October 1966)
The Scotsman, 29 Oct 1966, 'Not the old Subandrio': profile of Sukarno's former foreign minister, condemned to death by a military tribunal for treason and bearing 'heavy responsibility for the rise of the PKI'. It traces his career and notes he is a scapegoat the Suharto regime can blame while Sukarno is retained for
FCO 15/155: Indonesia, Arrests and Trials (1967-1968)
UK Foreign Office file FCO 15/155 (Feb 1967 to June 1968) of Jakarta embassy letters, press cables and an air attache's report on the Mahmilub trials of Supardjo and Omar Dani, plus a June 1968 note on a Soviet protest over PKI prisoners. Gerwani appears only in the Omar Dani report, as female youth trained at Lubang B
Executions in Indonesia: Untung and others, with Gerwani blamed
De Tijd commentary by C.H. Schaap (29 Sep 1967) on the executions of Untung and others for the 1965 coup. It says the generals were killed at Halim by "volunteers" trained by Maj. Sujono, "among them members of the communist women's organisation Gerwani", and notes the trials were broadcast and published.
Adam Malik visits colleague Luns
Tubantia profile (25 Oct 1967) of Adam Malik on his visit to The Hague to meet Luns: Dutch plea for clemency for Subandrio, New Guinea, credit needs, his role against Sukarno. Notes that in 1965 Mrs Subandrio led a women's demonstration against Malik, then trade minister. Gerwani not named; context for Subandrio's wife
The 30 September Movement: a political movement of the armed forces or an intelligence operation? (Holtzappel, 1979)
Journal article by Coen Holtzappel (Journal of Contemporary Asia, 1979) analysing the Untung and Njono trial records to argue the 30 September Movement was steered by Air Force and Army intelligence, with Sjam's Pringgodani group deliberately compromising the PKI and Aidit. Gerwani is mentioned only once, in a footnote
TAPOL Bulletin No. 169/170, Jan/Feb 2003: obituary of Sulami (Gerwani deputy secretary-general)
TAPOL Bulletin no. 169/170 (Jan/Feb 2003), with Carmel Budiardjo's obituary of Sulami (pp. 13-15). Born Sragen 15 Aug 1926, she joined Gerwis (Gerwani from 1951), became East Java executive member (1954) and second deputy secretary-general (1957), attended WIDF meetings, and was deputy secretary-general in 1965. Arrest
Communism in Indonesia, Vol. IV: The G30S/PKI Rebellion and its Suppression (1960-1965), Pusjarah TNI, 2009
Official Army history (Pusjarah TNI, Jakarta 2009), vol. IV of 'Komunisme di Indonesia', presenting Gerwani as a PKI mass organisation in the 1960-65 build-up and the G30S. It reports Gerwani's Nov-Dec 1964 housewives' seminar (p. 70), 'unilateral actions' (p. 122), the 27 Sept 1965 Surabaya governor's-office raid unde
Communism in Indonesia, Vol. IV: The G30S/PKI Rebellion and its Suppression (1960-1965), Pusjarah TNI, 2009
Official Army history (Pusjarah TNI, Jakarta 2009), vol. IV of 'Komunisme di Indonesia', presenting Gerwani as a PKI mass organisation in the 1960-65 build-up and the G30S. It reports Gerwani's Nov-Dec 1964 housewives' seminar (p. 70), 'unilateral actions' (p. 122), the 27 Sept 1965 Surabaya governor's-office raid unde