Yesterday's day...
Nieuwe Vlaardingsche Courant, 5 March 1947: Dutch commentary column on the Indies and Palestine. In one line, 'the Indonesian women's organisation' at talks in Malang is said to consider cooperation with the Dutch impossible after Linggadjati. The organisation is not named and cannot be identified as Gerwis (founded 19
Perwari in the Years of Struggle, 1951
Farewell report by outgoing Perwari chair Kusban, in Siaran Perwari (Jan 1951, congress issue), narrating Perwari's history during the revolution, including flight from Malang after the first Dutch attack in July 1947.
Again numerous arrests in Indonesia
Het Vaderland front-page report (20 Aug 1951) on the escalating arrests of communists across Indonesia: 26 in East Java including Java Post editor Go Tjing Hok, the local PKI chair and SOBSI leaders, and Mrs Parjani Ilham, chair of the women's organisation 'Gerwis'; 50 in Bandung with SOBSI offices sealed; 175 in East
Arrests in East Java: strict control of the press
Nieuwe Haarlemsche Courant, 20 August 1951: reports the August 1951 mass arrests in East Java (the 'Razzia Agustus') of 26 people in Surabaya including journalists, PKI local chair Hutapea, Sobsi's Surono and Sutomo, and the Gerwis chairwoman Mrs Parjani Ilham; 175 more arrested in Malang, Bojonegoro, Madiun and Kediri
Journalists also among those arrested in East Java
Indische Courant voor Nederland, 25 Aug 1951, p. 1: the August 1951 raids in East Java. About 26 arrested in Surabaya, including Mrs Parjani Ilham, chairwoman of Gerwis there, journalists, Sobsi and PKI local leaders; about 175 arrested across East Java. Police seized pictures of Mao, Lenin and Stalin.
Abuses in Indonesian prisons: conditions of the August 1951 detainees
De Waarheid, 27 Oct 1951, p. 3: correspondent's article on poor food, medical care and conditions of those arrested in Indonesia since August 1951 under the Sukiman government (Cipinang prison, Malang, Banten), including named detainees. Ends with a Gerwis statement calling the arrest of its leader (S.K.) Trimurti and
Abuses in Indonesian prisons (full newspaper page, 27 Oct 1951)
Full De Waarheid page, 27 Oct 1951 (p. 3), mostly unrelated Dutch and international news (British elections, Tito, Rotterdam court, serial novel, notices). Only the Indonesia article, 'Wantoestanden in Indonesische gevangenissen', is relevant: poor prison conditions for those arrested since August 1951, and a Gerwis st
Indonesian miscellany (with item on Mrs Salawati)
Het Vaderland miscellany column 'Indonesische tjampoeran' (4 Aug 1952, p.6) of short items on sugar workers' strike threats, Medan's mayor, harsh anti-Kahar Muzakar rules in Makassar and prison conditions of SOBSI detainees. One item says Mrs Salawati of Makassar received a moped from the provincial Keamanan staff as a
Razzia Victims Committee (Sulami) meets PM Wilopo on East Java detainees (Harian Rakjat, 21 August 1952)
Harian Rakjat, 21 Aug 1952, p. 1: the central Razzia Victims Committee and its East Java branch, including Sulami, Suwarinah and Ny. Taha (central: Ny. Suprapto), met PM Wilopo and the defence minister about the detainees of the August 1952 razzia (Tanggerang camp, exile to Malang). Both ministers denied knowing of any
Mass demonstrations announced for the August arrestees
De Vrije Pers report (26 Aug 1952) on a press conference by the East Java committee for victims of the August raids announcing mass demonstrations on 7 Sept. Miss Sulami, committee secretary, reported Prime Minister Wilopo gave no release date, blamed the RTC-linked Sukiman policy and called the raids an attack on the
Mass demonstrations in Surabaya on 7 September
Indische Courant voor Nederland, 1 Sep 1952, p. 1: the Surabaya Committee for Victims of the August Raids plans a mass demonstration on 7 Sept. Committee secretary Miss Sulami reports on meetings with PM Wilopo and the defence minister, blames the Sukiman-Wibisono policy and RTC, and notes 62 SOB detainees remain in Ea
Growing activity of the Indonesian women's movement: Malang conference figures
De Waarheid, 9 Dec 1953, p. 5: Malang dispatch on a Gerwis conference reviewing East Java work. In six months membership rose from 12,000 to 16,420 and branches from 37 to 49; literacy courses ran in 120 villages with 1,349 participants; 15 kindergartens (kleuterbewaarplaatsen) opened, holding almost 600 children daily
Round the clock in Malang: Gerwis branch boards elected
De Vrije Pers local-news column (16 Jan 1954, Malang). Relevant item: Gerwis Malang town and regency branches elected new boards, with Mrs. Sudiro as town chairwoman and Mrs. Ismail as regency chairwoman, listing officers for organisation, labour and agriculture, social affairs, and information and education, and their
Pravda, 5 Aug 1955: government crisis in Indonesia; telegrams from Gerwani
Pravda, 5 August 1955, No. 217, page 6, supplied as a Claude machine translation of the Indonesia item. A TASS dispatch from Jakarta on the cabinet crisis (Harahap of Masjumi asked to form a government) says Harian Rakjat printed dozens of telegrams from SOBSI, BTI, the women's organisation Gerwani and Pemuda Rakjat in
Pravda, 5 Aug 1955: Gerwani telegram in Indonesian cabinet crisis (excerpt)
Keyword-hit excerpt of Pravda, 5 Aug 1955 (TASS, Jakarta) on the cabinet crisis after Masjumi's Burhanuddin Harahap was asked to form a government. Harian Rakjat published telegrams from SOBSI, BTI, Gerwani, Pemuda Rakjat and others demanding a truly democratic government, opposing a Masjumi cabinet and 'a military dic
Communist crowd welcomes the president at Kemayoran airport
De Nieuwsgier report (19 Mar 1956) on Sukarno's return to Kemajoran airport, where PKI supporters, communist veterans and the "communist women's organisation Gerwani" demanded PKI inclusion in Ali Sastroamidjojo's cabinet. Sukarno urged calm; Gerwani appears only among the crowd with banners.
Pewarta Soerabaia, 3 January 1957: 'Gerwani anniversary' (Malang)
Pewarta Soerabaia, 3 Jan 1957, p. 4: Malang item on Gerwani Kota Besar Malang celebrating its sixth anniversary (30–31 Dec 1956) with a history of its founding, about 100 members and a sandiwara; page damaged.
Surabaya Post, 21 January 1957, p. 2: Sujoso's lecture on a visit to Moscow
Surabaya Post p. 2, 21 January 1957: Malang report on Masyumi MP A.W. Sujoso's lecture on the parliamentary mission to Moscow, mocking Soviet life and saying Indonesian women, 'surely also Gerwani', would reject Soviet views on free unions. Gerwani appears only as a foil in anti-communist rhetoric.
Pewarta Soerabaia, 21 November 1957: Concordia building, Malang
Pewarta Soerabaia, 21 Nov 1957, p. 4: Malang municipality orders six organisations including BTI and Gerwani (Malang regency branch) to vacate the ruins of the former Societeit Concordia within seven days.
40 Years of the PKI
'40 Tahun PKI', compiled by the PKI History Institute (Lembaga Sejarah PKI) for the party's 40th anniversary, Yayasan Pembaruan, Jakarta 1960, following D.N. Aidit's 'Lahirnya PKI dan perkembangannya'. A party-line history from the 1920 founding through the 1926 uprising, Japanese occupation, revolution and the VI Cong
Surabaya friendship association chairman visits Chinese about to return home (Renmin Ribao, 5 April 1960)
Renmin Ribao, 5 Apr 1960, p. 6 (Xinhua, Jakarta): the chairman of the Surabaya Indonesia-China Friendship Association visits over two hundred Chinese from Malang, Kediri, Tulungagung and Blitar sheltered in Surabaya before they sail home on 1 April after the retail-trade ban. Surabaya Gerwani also sent people to presen
Surabaya friendship association chairman visits Chinese about to return home (Renmin Ribao, 5 April 1960)
Renmin Ribao, 5 Apr 1960, p. 6 (Xinhua, Jakarta): the chairman of the Surabaya Indonesia-China Friendship Association visits over two hundred Chinese from Malang, Kediri, Tulungagung and Blitar sheltered in Surabaya before they sail home on 1 April after the retail-trade ban. Surabaya Gerwani also sent people to presen
Fujian puppet troupe tours Indonesia
Xinhua note in Renmin Ribao (10 Oct 1963, p. 3): the Fujian puppet troupe, after two Jakarta shows, flew to Yogyakarta, accompanied by a Gerwani Central Committee member (name uncertain). Planned tour: Solo, Malang, Surabaya, Semarang, Cirebon and Bandung. Shows Gerwani organising Chinese cultural tour across Java.
FO 371/180312: Internal Political Situation, Attempted Coup against Sukarno [3] (1965)
UK Foreign Office file FO 371/180312 (1965), 'Internal political situation, Attempted coup against Sukarno [3]', a volume of Embassy letters and telegrams from Djakarta (Ambassador Gilchrist, S.J.G. Cambridge), February to April 1965. It includes Gilchrist's character notes on Subandrio, Aidit and the generals, the tak
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
Freiburger Nachrichten, 11 October 1965: Weekend politics column (Indonesia)
Freiburger Nachrichten (Fribourg), 11 Oct 1965, weekend politics column. Indonesia items: demonstrations in Malang demanding punishment of coup instigators, Radio Jakarta losing primacy, and the Muslim daily Mimbar Revolusi's report that homes of Aidit and Njoto were plundered and the Gerwani headquarters devastated, w
Indonesia: golden time
Algemeen Handelsblad column 'Golden time' (1965-11-29) on post-coup Indonesia: loyalty advertisements in newspapers, frozen bank accounts for suspected persons, price rises and Conefo stamps, a quarrel in a Malang court. A final item, 'Gerwani, kill her', describes villagers near Tasikmalaya chasing 'Gerwani' with kniv
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
Angkatan Bersendjata, 10 January 1966
Angkatan Bersendjata, 10 Jan 1966. Padang report that PKI leader Muin 'confessed' the party's self-dissolution was a tactic and was arrested with two Pemuda Rakyat members and 'a Gerwani chairwoman'; dismissals at Gadjah Mada.
Berita Yudha, 10 February 1966
Berita Yudha, 10 Februari 1966. Two-sentence regional brief: Malang Kodim 0831 arrested two 'remnants of Gerwani' on 2 February 1966 for interrogation; routine hunt for individuals.