De Vrije Pers item (14 Jan 1952) on a new West Irian liberation committee in (apparently) Surabaya/East Java, with posts split among Badan Perjuangan Irian, SOBSI, PKI, PNI, Indo-National Party and Murba; its organisation section includes Front Pemuda, Pemuda Kesatuan Indonesia and Gerwis. It also demands ending the Ro
De Maasbode, 5 Apr 1954: Sukarno receives at the palace women attending the Gerwani congress in Jakarta (described as a continuation of the communist Gerwis). The Dutch communist MP Mrs Lips-Odinot conveys the 'peace-loving' Dutch people's support; Sukarno says New Guinea is the main barrier to good relations. Shows Ge
Java-Bode, 5 April 1954, p. 2: Rie Lips Odinot, a Gerwis congress guest, conveys Dutch peace-lovers' sympathy to Sukarno, who replies that good Dutch-Indonesian relations are impossible until West Irian is returned to Indonesia, calling it the greatest political barrier.
Indische Courant voor Nederland, 14 Apr 1954, p. 3: President Sukarno receives Gerwani delegates after their five-day congress in Jakarta, saying women's problems are solved by a just state built by men and women together. Dutch MP Rie Lips-Odinot raises West Irian; WIDF vice-president Monica Felton lectures; Australia
Algemeen Handelsblad (1954-07-02): a Committee of Co-operating Parties of 31 parties and organisations, including PKI, PNI, NU, SOBSI and Gerwani, urges the Dutch government to declare High Commissioner Van Bylandt persona non grata, recall Indonesia's delegation, abolish the Netherlands-Indonesia Union unilaterally an
De Gooi- en Eemlander, 2 July 1954: a committee of 31 cooperating parties and organisations, including the PKI, PNI, SOBSI and Gerwani, demands that Dutch High Commissioner Count van Bylandt be declared persona non grata. It also asks for unilateral abolition of the Netherlands-Indonesia Union and a West Irian administ
Twentsch Dagblad Tubantia (2 Jul 1954): a committee of cooperating parties and organisations, including Gerwani with PKI, PNI, NU and SOBSI, urges the government to declare Netherlands High Commissioner Count van Bylandt persona non grata, recall the delegation from The Hague, end the Union and form a West Irian admini
Ons Noorden (3 Jul 1954): a committee of 31 cooperating parties and organisations, Gerwani among them with PKI, PNI, NU and SOBSI, urges the government to declare Netherlands High Commissioner Count van Bylandt persona non grata, recall the delegation from The Hague, end the Netherlands–Indonesia Union and form a West
De Locomotief, 6 Dec 1954: tens of thousands rally on Merdeka Square, Jakarta, organised by the West Irian liberation committee with women's associations. Speakers include Umi Sardjono of Gerwani, who read out the resolution demanding unilateral incorporation of West Irian, severing relations with the Netherlands and a
Second copy of the De Locomotief report of 6 Dec 1954 on the Merdeka Square mass meeting for West Irian. Umi Sardjono of Gerwani spoke and read the resolution demanding unilateral incorporation, severing of Dutch relations and abrogation of the agreements; text differs slightly in wording ('colonial Dutch government').
De Nieuwsgier front-page report (6 Dec 1954) on a mass demonstration at Medan Merdeka, Jakarta, organised by the West Irian liberation committee with women's organisations, demanding incorporation of Irian and rupture with the Netherlands. Speakers included Mrs. Sudarman Hadikusumo, Mrs. Kartowijono (Perwari) and Mrs.
Indische Courant voor Nederland, 15 Dec 1954, p. 3: Jakarta mass rally of tens of thousands for the incorporation of West Irian, organised by the liberation committee with the women's organisations' central body. Umi Sardjono of Gerwani reads the resolution demanding severance of relations with the Netherlands; Kartowi
De Nieuwsgier item (7 Mar 1956): after Dutch parliamentary reports on making West Irian a Dutch territory, the West Irian Liberation Action Committee, in a letter signed by Mrs. Sudarman, Umi Sardjono and Mrs. Sutedjo, urged the Volkskongres to press for a provincial administration for West Irian and handed over Rp 1,3
De Waarheid, 15 Jul 1957, p. 3: report from the Dutch Peace Council's organ 'Vrede' on a Dutch-Indonesian declaration on West New Guinea (Irian), agreed at the Peace Council conference in Colombo. It calls the dispute the main cause of poor relations and urges both sides to reopen talks. Signed by Umi Sardjono and coll
De Waarheid, 16 Jul 1957, p. 3: report from the Dutch Peace Council's organ 'Vrede' on a Dutch-Indonesian declaration on West New Guinea (Irian), agreed at the Peace Council conference in Colombo. It calls the dispute the main cause of poor relations and urges both sides to reopen talks. Signed by Umi Sardjono and coll
De Waarheid, 8 Jun 1960, p. 3: report that the NVB received a telegram from Gerwani, 'For peace and humanity, do not send your sons to West Irian', and replied that it will try to launch a big protest campaign. Quotes the NVB's letter to the Dutch cabinet opposing troop and arms shipments to New Guinea and recalling th
De Waarheid, 29 Aug 1960, p. 2: publication of Gerwani's reply letter to the NVB, thanking Dutch women on behalf of its 710,000 members for their efforts to prevent sons being sent to West Irian, promising to publish the NVB letter in Indonesia and to keep working for peace. Prefaced by a note recalling Gerwani's teleg
De Waarheid, 28 Nov 1961, p. 3: one-paragraph quote from Gerwani's greeting to the Dutch women's movement (NVB): Indonesian mothers organised in Gerwani will never forget the NVB's consistent help and solidarity in the struggle to liberate West Irian. Companion to the 'Begroeting Gerwani' item.
Nieuwe Haarlemsche Courant, 15 December 1961: Reuters report that Sukarno chaired the first meeting of a 15-member national defence council as supreme commander for the 'return' of Western New Guinea. At the opening of the Gerwani congress he again said he would use armed force to liberate West Irian.
ANP radio bulletin, 16 Dec 1961: a two-line fragment saying a minister spoke at a conference of the Indonesian women's organisation Gerwani about measures against the Dutch, with banners in Yogyakarta demanding Western New Guinea. Evidence of Gerwani's role in the West Irian campaign.
Leeuwarder Courant, 16 December 1961, p. 8: short report that Indonesian defence minister Subandrio, speaking at a Gerwani conference, said Indonesia would have to resort to military confrontation if the Netherlands grants Western New Guinea independence, while saying Indonesia is for peace. The paper calls Gerwani a '
De Waarheid, 26 Mar 1962, p. 3: report on an International Women's Day demonstration in Amsterdam for disarmament and peace with Indonesia, with a speech by Annie Averink (NVB). A telegram from Gerwani thanks Dutch women for solidarity and hopes troop shipments to West Irian will stop; Averink proudly noted the NVB rec
De Waarheid, 21 Dec 1962, p. 3: report that Gerwani wrote to Tom Clardij, a Zaandam conscientious objector jailed in Vught for refusing service in New Guinea, thanking him on behalf of its 1.25 million members for his action against the colonial war over West Irian. A campaign in the Netherlands seeks his release.
De Waarheid, 21 Dec 1962, p. 3: full text of a letter from the Gerwani delegation at the WIDF Council session in Berlin, Suharti Suwarto, Darmini Sudirdjo and Sulami, to Dutch objector Tom Clardij, thanking him on behalf of Gerwani's 1,250,000 members, supporting Dutch women's demand for his release from prison and sen
De Waarheid, 13 Feb 1963, p. 2: report that the NVB received a letter from Gerwani, sent after the Central Council's plenary meeting in Jakarta on 10 January 1963, thanking it for solidarity on the transfer of West Irian. The council also protested to the Dutch government against the imprisonment of objector Tom Clardi
Short De Telegraaf item (26 Jul 1965, ANP): Gerwani, called the Indonesian communist women's organisation, telegraphed the Dutch government demanding "immediate repatriation" of West Irianese footballer Dominggus Wawejai, claimed to have been kidnapped by Dutch reactionaries after being allowed to study in the Netherla
ANP radio bulletin, 29 July 1965: footballer Wawejoi, who stayed in the Netherlands after the Indonesian team's visit, is expelled from the football union. Gerwani urges Jakarta to break off diplomatic relations with the Netherlands if it undermines Indonesia, demanding measures against those who allegedly kidnapped hi