Worries of the Indonesian housewife
Algemeen Handelsblad feature from Surabaya (1966-01-04) on housewives and domestic servants at Lebaran and rising prices. A key passage repeats the Lubang Buaya claim that Gerwani members had military training and, per arrested women's confessions, took part in the generals' murders, and alleges Gerwani members worked
Subandrio asks China for 'mutual respect'
Gereformeerd Gezinsblad roundup (8 Feb 1966, p.3) of Indonesia-China tension (Subandrio, student protest at Chinese embassy) and Indonesian-Japanese trade talks. One paragraph reports that communist Suradijo, shot while escaping, had tortured General Parman with a bamboo spear 'in front of a group of screaming women an
Berita Harian, 13 Feb 1966: woman lawyer to defend Untung and Njoto
Berita Harian, 13 Feb 1966 (lead only). A woman lawyer, Dr Tien Sunito, described as a PKI member, was appointed to defend Lt Col Untung and Njoto, whose trials were due Monday. Not about Gerwani directly, but about women's roles in the 1965 trials.
Trial begins in Jakarta: Dutch woman defends Untung
Trouw (14 Feb 1966): on the eve of the Untung and Njono trials in Jakarta, Dutch-born lawyer Trees Soenito-Heyligers, herself a PKI member, takes on the defence after others refused. Profiles her and her husband as 'non-extreme' communists with Leiden training. No mention of Gerwani; context for the 1965-66 Mahmillub t
Dutch woman sole defender
ANP report in Algemeen Dagblad (1966-02-15) on Dutch-born lawyer Trees Sunito-Heyligers, the only Indonesian jurist willing to defend PKI/SOBSI leader Njono before the special military tribunal. Her husband Sunito was jailed after the coup and she was dismissed from the state bank. No Gerwani mention; context for the 1
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)
Swiss regional daily, 15 Feb 1966: the special military court trying PKI leader Njono opened the previous day. Njono's sole defence counsel is Mrs Trees Soenito, 50, daughter of a former Dutch official and wife of a jailed leftist leader, who says she was appointed only on Saturday after other lawyers declined. The tex
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
Woman in the news: Trees Soenito, 'Everyone has the right to a defence'
Nieuwsblad van het Noorden, 16 February 1966, p. 14: profile from Utrecht of Trees Soenito-Heyligers, who took on Njono's defence in the Jakarta coup trial. Her parents in Amersfoort say she often took pro deo cases and believes everyone has a right to a defence. No Gerwani content.
Indonesian Plot: Tribunal Verdict on Njono Due Today (Canberra Times, 21 February 1966)
Canberra Times, 21 Feb 1966, p. 6 (AAP-Reuter): the military tribunal trying PKI leader Njono is due to give its verdict; prosecution demanded death. His government-appointed woman lawyer, Mrs Trees Sunito, had 32 hours to prepare. Foreign press barred; Chinese agency criticism of the trial noted. Gerwani not named.
Indonesian Plot: Tribunal Verdict on Njono Due Today (Canberra Times, 21 February 1966), duplicate
Canberra Times, 21 Feb 1966, p. 6 (AAP-Reuter): the military tribunal trying PKI leader Njono is due to give its verdict; prosecution demanded death. His government-appointed woman lawyer, Mrs Trees Sunito, had 32 hours to prepare. Foreign press barred; Chinese agency criticism of the trial noted. Gerwani not named.
After death-penalty demand: Njono's counsel pleads acquittal
Trouw (21 Feb 1966): after the prosecutor demanded the death penalty for SOBSI leader Njono, his lawyer Trees Soenito-Heyligers argues nothing proves a plot to overthrow the government; Njono gave an hour-long political defence. Lawyer complains of two days' preparation; PKI-linked Colonel Latief reportedly arrested. N
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.
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.
Fighting in Jakarta: students storm Sukarno's palace
De Nieuwe Limburger, 25 Feb 1966: students storm Sukarno's palace after the swearing-in of the new cabinet; Sukarno calls them 'madmen' and the cabinet is derided as a 'Gestapu cabinet'. A photo caption notes that KOWANI members also joined the mass gathering at the palace. Gerwani is not named.
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
Soldiers look on: schoolchildren in Jakarta attack again
Algemeen Handelsblad (1966-03-09, pp. 1 and 11): student and schoolchildren demonstrations in Jakarta, tanks outside ministries, a student demand to ban the PKI, and Siliwangi troops beating the Cakrabirawa guard to the university. Sukarno told a meeting of Indonesian women (unnamed) to amend a resolution to condemn Am
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.
Former foreign minister's wife replaced at Indonesian Association of Women Scientists
Asahi Shimbun (Tokyo morning edition, 27 Mar 1966, p. 3): article on the replacement of the former foreign minister's wife (apparently Subandrio's) as head of the Indonesian Association of Women Scientists, in the aftermath of the 1965 coup. The OCR is almost entirely scrambled, so this summary rests on the title and a
Night Walk of the Ghosts (Canberra Times, 14 April 1966)
Canberra Times, 14 Apr 1966, p. 2: first part of an anonymous Jakarta writer's anti-PKI reconstruction of 30 Sep-1 Oct 1965, casting Aidit and Untung as plotters and describing the murder of generals, with young Communist 'gangs of youths and girls' trained in camps. Gerwani not named; story continues next day. Cold Wa
Bloody Orgy at Halim Air Base (Canberra Times, 15 April 1966)
Canberra Times, 15 Apr 1966, p. 10: concluding part of a 'Special Correspondent' account repeating the Lubang Buaya slander. Claims 100 Gerwani women at Halim took razor blades, tortured and mutilated the generals, citing 'Mrs Djamilah' via the Djakarta Mail (15 Nov), singing 'People's Blood'. Adds Nasution escape narr
Bloody Orgy at Halim Air Base (Canberra Times, 15 April 1966), duplicate
Canberra Times, 15 Apr 1966, p. 10: concluding part of a 'Special Correspondent' account repeating the Lubang Buaya slander. Claims 100 Gerwani women at Halim took razor blades, tortured and mutilated the generals, citing 'Mrs Djamilah' via the Djakarta Mail (15 Nov), singing 'People's Blood'. Adds Nasution escape narr
Atrocities: account of the generals' killing and alleged Gerwani role
De Tijd article "Gruwelen" (23 Apr 1966) recounting the 1 Oct 1965 killings of the generals, claiming a hundred Gerwani women at Halim took part in torturing them with knives and razor blades after "training" including sexual orgies and blood oaths, citing a 15-year-old "Miss Djamilah" and the Djakarta Mail of 5 Nov. A
Atrocities: account of the generals' killing and alleged Gerwani role (duplicate record)
De Tijd article "Gruwelen" (23 Apr 1966) recounting the 1 Oct 1965 killings of the generals, claiming a hundred Gerwani women at Halim took part in torturing them with knives and razor blades after "training" including sexual orgies and blood oaths, citing a 15-year-old "Miss Djamilah" and the Djakarta Mail of 5 Nov. D
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
Straits Times, 15 Sep 1966: students open new assault on Hartini
Straits Times, 15 Sep 1966 (lead only). The Bandung and Jakarta chapters of the Indonesian Action Front (KAMI) demanded that President Sukarno resign and answer before a special military tribunal, with an attack on Hartini. Matched on Gerwani; lead does not mention it.
Still three wives
Brief Amigoe di Curaçao item, 17 Sept 1966, on Sukarno's wives. It states Hartini, his 42-year-old second wife, is a 'leading member' of Gerwani, which was banned after the failed coup. Also recalls Mochtar Lubis's 1957 imprisonment for criticising the marriage. Claim of Hartini's Gerwani leadership is made without evi
Press (Christchurch), 8 Oct 1966, short item with photo: anti-Communist students demonstrating in Jakarta demand the arrest and trial of Hartini Sukarno, the President's second wife, for economic deviation, affiliation with Communist leaders and patronage of Gerwani, whose members are said to have played a major role i