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
Criticism of army leadership: Subandrio counterattacks; women march against Gerwani
De Nieuwe Limburger, 9 Nov 1965 (Reuters): Subandrio denies involvement in the coup and criticises army dismissals; troops search Jakarta's Chinese quarter. Thousands of women and girls, about 10,000 housewives, students and actresses, march from Suharto's headquarters to the National Front demanding dissolution of Ger
Another demonstration against the PKI (women cheer Suharto)
Het Parool wire report (9 Nov 1965) under 'Women cheer Suharto': 100,000 anti-communist demonstrators in Jakarta demand a ban on the PKI and 'crushing' of the 30 September movement; the army searches a Chinese quarter. Thousands of women marched to National Front headquarters; Suharto thanked them for loyalty to the ar
Another demonstration against the PKI: women cheer Suharto
Het Rotterdamsch Parool report (9 Nov 1965, p.1) under 'Women cheer Suharto', same wire text as other Dutch papers: 100,000 anti-communist demonstrators in Jakarta demand banning the PKI; the army searches a Chinese quarter; thousands of women march to the National Front HQ, are addressed by Suharto and cheer him, repr
Indonesia: slap for Omar Dhani
Algemeen Handelsblad column (1965-11-18) on post-coup Indonesia: Suharto slaps Omar Dhani, rumours of poisoning, false communist accusations, and an RPKAD anecdote. Reports that Mrs. Subandrio, chair of Kowani, announced Gerwani had been expelled from the federation; Berita Yudha mocked her, and Mrs. Nasution reportedl
Coup atmosphere in Jakarta: Subandrio under arrest
Leeuwarder Courant, 18 March 1966, p. 1: report on Suharto's army placing Foreign Minister Subandrio, twelve other ministers and Saleh in 'protective custody' after the 11 March order, with tanks aimed at the Merdeka palace, Adam Malik made acting foreign minister, and student demonstrations. Suharto cites trial testim
Sukarno and Subandrio under guard: Indonesian army quietly completes grab for power
Nieuwsblad van het Noorden, 19 March 1966, p. 1: report on Suharto's 'quiet 12-hour coup' that purged Sukarno's cabinet and arrested 15 ministers including Subandrio. A photo caption says Indonesian women loudly cheered the new regime at a Jakarta mass meeting. Gerwani is not mentioned.
Vilification of Sukarno after loss of 'president for life' title
Commentary by C.H. Schaap in De Tijd (10 Sep 1966) on the campaign to vilify Sukarno after he lost the "president for life" title, including his private life and wives (Fatmawati, Hartini, Ratna Sari Dewi, Haryati). It says this is "a slap in the face for the Indonesian women's movement, which strives for monogamy"; Ge
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
A flood of rumours about the Sukarno affair
Trouw (7 Oct 1968), badly garbled OCR, on rumours of a 'Sukarno affair': interrogation of Sukarno's household, an army officer's claim that communists are trying to regain power, and a mention of an investigation concerning communist Gerwani, whose connection to Sukarno is unclear. Writer warns rumours are used to elim
Indonesia and the Wertheim Committee: Nijmegen congress and Dutch aid to Suharto
Long De Tijd opinion piece by Arie Kuiper (24 Apr 1969) on the Nijmegen student congress and the Wertheim Indonesia Committee's call to halt Dutch aid to Suharto's regime. It acknowledges hundreds of thousands killed and many political prisoners but blames Muslim hatred and defends Suharto; it repeats that generals wer
Sukarno, founder of Indonesia
Algemeen Handelsblad obituary-profile of Sukarno (1970-06-22), covering his life, Guided Democracy, Nasakom, and the 30 September 1965 events, which it blames on palace guards and communist groups, followed by an anti-communist reaction costing 'tens of thousands' of lives. A photo caption states General Yani was murde
Megalomania: retrospective on Sukarno after his death
De Tijd retrospective on Sukarno's megalomania (22 Jun 1970, after his death): his second marriage to Hartini in 1954 provoked opposition from the monogamy-minded women's movement, then the 1965 coup, Suharto's rise, the March 1966 transfer of powers and the PKI ban. Gerwani is not named.
Megalomania: retrospective on Sukarno after his death (second copy)
De Tijd retrospective on Sukarno's megalomania (22 Jun 1970, after his death): his second marriage to Hartini in 1954 provoked opposition from the monogamy-minded women's movement, then the 1965 coup, Suharto's rise, the March 1966 transfer of powers and the PKI ban. Gerwani is not named. Duplicate of GA-00735.
The revolution passes Indonesia by: interview with Ernst Utrecht
Second half of a De Volkskrant interview (29 Aug 1970) with Prof. Ernst Utrecht on his book on Indonesia ahead of Suharto's Dutch visit. Utrecht says the Jakarta branches of Gerwani and Pemuda Rakyat "wanted to take part and did take part" in the 1965 coup, that the PKI leadership said these were independent organisati
ANP news report, 21 June 1972 (Women to Buru)
ANP radio bulletin, 21 June 1972: 700 Indonesian women and their children will join husbands detained on Buru, where 10,000 alleged communist men have been held for three years. Suharto allowed family reunification, limited to one child per woman; more groups to follow. Gerwani not named but relevant to the fate of pol
Dutch Diary, Thursday 13 Sept. (Willem Oltmans)
Willem Oltmans's 'Hollands Dagboek' in NRC Handelsblad (22 Sep 1973), entries 13-20 Sept. Covers his New Guinea/Luns campaign, Hatta, Pertamina corruption, Chile 1973 compared to Indonesia 1965 mass murder, and Nasution's letters about Aidit shared by Dewi Sukarno. Lists imprisoned Indonesian writers and journalists. N
A political fighter: profile of Ratna Sari Dewi Sukarno in Paris
De Tijd profile by Anton Koene (8 Feb 1974) of Ratna Sari Dewi Sukarno in Paris, who is serialising her memoirs to clear Sukarno's name over the 1 Oct 1965 coup, rebuts the Widjanarko report in Dake's book and criticises Suharto's regime. Gerwani and Gerwani women are not mentioned.
Remaining 29,000 follow: Indonesia releases 2,650 communists after 11 years
Limburgsch Dagblad, 2 December 1976, p. 1: Jakarta announces release of 2,650 communist prisoners held since 1965 without trial, with a promise to free the remaining 29,000 within three years. At a ceremony 150 swore loyalty to Suharto; among them were students, former civil servants and members of the banned women's m
Jakarta releases 2,650 political prisoners
Nieuwsblad van het Noorden, 2 December 1976: Reuter report that Indonesia released 2,650 prisoners held since 1965 without trial. At a ceremony 150 swore loyalty to Suharto, among them students, former civil servants and members of the banned leftist women's movement Gerwani; 29,000 remain, with a promise to free them
Indonesia releases prisoners
Nederlands Dagblad, 3 December 1976, p. 3: Jakarta announces release of 2,650 communist prisoners held since 1965 without trial, repeats the promise to free the remaining 29,000 within three years. At a ceremony 150 swore loyalty to Suharto; they included students, ex-civil servants and members of the banned women's mo
Letters: Suharto's murderous fear of old, loyal communists
Reader's letter in NRC Handelsblad (6 Jul 1985) answering a plea for clemency for old communists. The writer asserts the Lubang Buaya generals' murder was 'historically' the PKI's work, 'assisted by the communist women of the Gerwani', cites televised exhumation, and attacks Pramoedya's Nobel candidacy. Repeats the New
Royal wreath wanted on Sukarno's grave (with profile of S.K. Trimurti)
Het Parool (21 Aug 1995) report by Joop Holthausen on four Indonesians, led by Frans Seda and including S.K. Trimurti, 83, asking Queen Beatrix to recognise 17 August 1945 as independence day. Includes a profile of Trimurti: journalist, imprisoned by Dutch and Japanese, first woman minister (labour, 1947), member of di
The trauma of 1965 itches and nags
Jan Bezemer's long Trouw weekend feature (30 Sep 1995) on the unresolved 1965 trauma. Covers the 30 September events, Suharto's role, US encouragement, massacres (Gatot's trial testimony) and the smear campaign against Gerwani. Draws on Saskia Wieringa's doctoral research: Gerwani was blamed for mutilating the generals
Suharto's fear of the voice of Gerwani (on Saskia Wieringa's research)
De Vrijdag (Het Parool, 6 Oct 1995) article by Hanneke de Wit on Saskia Wieringa's Amsterdam PhD on the Indonesian women's movement. It recounts the 1965 press claims that Gerwani girls castrated and blinded generals and danced naked, which Wieringa calls lies; autopsies showed the generals intact. It details forced 'c
'Indonesia must work on national reconciliation'
Algemeen Dagblad (2000-05-27, Nina Eberlijn, Jakarta): Human Rights Minister Hasballah Saad discusses the near-impossibility of prosecuting Suharto-era abuses and a South African-style truth commission; Kontras cites ~16,000 missing. Sulami, jailed 20 years as a Gerwani activist, says reconciliation needs victims' test