While Sukarno keeps silent, 1,500 communists arrested; Gerwani blamed for torture
De Telegraaf report (11 Oct 1965) that the army arrested over 1,500 communists, including Col. A. Latief; it states Gerwani members among the arrested "are said to be responsible for the torturing to death of the generals." Early Dutch-press repetition of the Gerwani slander.
Courrier de Genève, 11 October 1965: In Jakarta, Muslims ransack the home of the Indonesian communist leader
Courrier de Genève, 11 Oct 1965, AFP report 'In Djakarta, Muslims ransack the home of the leader of the Indonesian communists': per the daily Mimbar Revolusi, crowds sacked the homes of Aidit and Njoto and the headquarters of 'Gerwani'. Also: 86 rebels captured near Brebes, mass demonstrations in Malang, and an analysi
Journal du Jura, 11 October 1965: The homes of the communist leaders ransacked
Journal du Jura (Biel), 11 Oct 1965, 'The homes of the communist leaders ransacked' (AFP). The Muslim daily Mimbar Revolusi reports that homes of Aidit and Njoto were sacked, a bloodstained shirt found at Njoto's, then crowds ransacked the Gerwani headquarters; one billion rupiah allegedly found at Aidit's. Also 86 'co
Le Nouvelliste, 11 October 1965: In Indonesia, the hunt for rebels and communists
Le Nouvelliste (Valais), 11 Oct 1965, 'In Indonesia, rebels and ... communists are hunted down'. A military source claims 90% of rebels arrested and five battalions (4,000 men) took part in the coup. Repeats the AFP account that Muslims ransacked the homes of Aidit and Njoto and then the Gerwani headquarters, with one
Communists
Gereformeerd Gezinsblad wire item (12 Oct 1965, p.1): Muslims looted the homes of Aidit and Njoto and then the headquarters of the communist women's organisation 'Gerwani'; 86 'counter-revolutionaries' arrested near Breses; 1,500-2,000 rebels arrested on Java. It repeats that arrested Gerwani members are said to be res
Angkatan Bersendjata, 14 January 1966: 'Half-Hour Battle at Lubang Buaya'
Angkatan Bersendjata, 14 Jan 1966. Feature from Soetiman's 17 Dec 1965 statement: Gerwani and Pemuda Rakyat 'warmly welcomed' Yani's body and fought a half-hour battle on 2 October. Gerwani militarised but no mutilation or sexual element yet.
Angkatan Bersendjata, 15 January 1966
Angkatan Bersendjata, 15 Jan 1966. Veterans' Legion denounces a rival delegation at the Havana Tricontinental of 'PKI/Pemuda Rakyat, Gerwani, SOBSI elements'; Siliwangi bans all writings of the PKI and its affiliates.
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
Berita Yudha, 30 July 1966
Berita Yudha, 30 Juli 1966. Interview with Mahmillub spokesman Ali Said: trials of Latief and PKI leaders in regions, and under the sub-heading 'Orang Gerwani juga' Gerwani people will also be tried.
Tricontinental Bulletin no. 21 (Havana, Dec 1967): denunciation of Suharto regime and death sentences
Tricontinental Bulletin no. 21 (Havana, December 1967), organ of OSPAAAL. A passage denouncing the Suharto-Nasution regime says thousands of men and women suffer torture in Indonesian prisons and names those sentenced to death: Njono, Sudisman, Sakirman, Rewang, Latief, Sujono, 'Sutanti, Aidit', Omar Dani. The printed
Tricontinental Bulletin no. 21 (Havana, Dec 1967): denunciation of Suharto regime and death sentences
Tricontinental Bulletin no. 21 (Havana, December 1967), organ of OSPAAAL. A passage denouncing the Suharto-Nasution regime says thousands of men and women suffer torture in Indonesian prisons and names those sentenced to death: Njono, Sudisman, Sakirman, Rewang, Latief, Sujono, 'Sutanti, Aidit', Omar Dani. The printed
TAPOL Bulletin No. 37, January 1980: Indonesia's Political Trials
TAPOL Bulletin no. 37 (London, January 1980): editorial on the end of KOPKAMTIB's release plan, plus Julie Southwood's long study of 1,014 political trials since 1966. It notes the 1965 Lubang Buaya claim that communist women castrated the generals, and the 1975 subversion trial of Gerwani's Sulami and Sudjinah, with S
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