The forgotten massacre: 'More killed than in Vietnam so far' (Tribune, 21 Januari 1970)

=== [PDF page 1] === Tribune (Sydney, NSW: 1939 - 1991), Wednesday 21 January 1970, page 8 '©"MORE KILLED THAN VIETNAM FAR" The forgotten massacre This article extracted lished the zon". originated under the killed name now million fact, forgot that ten magazine Hong Kong of them. letters assumed BARBRO "EVERYBODY'S from material from recently pub "Eastern Hori for obvious Indonesian reasons) KARABUDA. Our problem has never been the dead Communists but still are those who alive in our and prisons concentra tion camps. can't possibly nave oeen million, perhaps there were only 700,000. The rest of the world has forgot ten too, just as we have. After all, it's three since it years "Officially, there are 86,000 of them, but in reality there are possibly twice as many. Had cut all their throats, should have escaped the boring problem of their im happened." prisonment." That Djakarta Indonesian what I was member Government. "Fortunately told in of the the massacre the Communists did not lead to strong protests abroad. National Library of Australia The anti-Left bloodbath the end of 1965 and the ginning of 1966 cost Indon esia more dead than the and bombing Nagasaki Hiroshima in Viet or the war nam http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article237506834 === [PDF page 2] === Tribune (Sydney, NSW: 1939 - 1991), Wednesday 21 January 1970, page 8 (2) to date; its victims are today buried and decomposed. nam There have divided the de tainees into three groups, and C, in terms of the danger they represent," I was icial told. "According to off statistics, 14,542 have detainees, present 14,458 B, 24,000 C group, and another 33,000 as yet unclas sified. You could easily mul tiply these figures by two! Corrupt to be done? "What's Prisons full to burst are and camps ing. There shortage of food, medicine and adminis trative media." The Indonesian guarantees budget political daily food average of 7.7 rupiahs (about 10c), which would ade to buy a cup most quate ful of rice, though that is I've seen rare. the prisoners mixing spinach and grains of wheat to form a paste which they eke out with cold water and of the in eat raw. None in Indonesia ternment camps has a kitchen. tainee ration every Matters went the Indonesian even danger that any such still however the living prisoners, some whom die daily from under nourishment the harsh treatment to which they are subjected. What will become It is too late now of them? for them just to "disappear." are considered far that Government (in an excess of shame) asking for United Nations assistance to feed the prisoners. Unfortunately there that such National Library of Australia aid would sorbed immediately be ab by the pockets of the corrupt army rather the stomachs of the than by detainees. Torture widespread practice Indonesian pri warder Bandung sought to exonerate himself by specifying that in his camp indirect torture only was sons. this used; was means that there direct contact of a hand with the pri at the critical moment, human soner electricity being passed through testicles the breasts. A further refined in direct method consists in in terrogating a prisoner while is howling another with pain adjoining room. The fate of many Commu Indonesia remains unknown. has not even been established many cases that they were Com munists. One relative said: nists "My elderly uncle in Solo (Surakarta) doesn't even know what communism means. had joined the vil lage Communist co-operative obtain additional artificial manure. Now he's in gaol, if not dead..." Putsch All the leaders important of the PKI, the Indonesian Communist Party, have 'gone' concentra today: dead, tion camps, or in the moun tains http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article237506834 === [PDF page 3] === Tribune (Sydney, NSW: 1939 - 1991), Wednesday 21 January 1970, page 8 (3) thorough were the present In Government claims Although donesian "The attempted coup tember itely 30, the 1965, and let wives children follow the heads families to death." Sep defin was and work of the PKI," there are no tangible proofs in support of this association, even some rather though junior officers who took part for known were their com munist sympathies. Those best informed swear that the Communist leader Aidit kept his party out of the ill-starred putsch which Colonel Untung, the chief of Sukarno's personal bodyguard, had directed against the ten generals suspected of preparing a coup for the 5th of October of the same year. Communist The leader Aidit who had man Nusantara aged to go into hiding in Midfor some Java time after the was coup captured in Novem ber 1965 shot. and The previous year, Sukarno him had awarded the highest order in Indonesia, that of Mahaputra ("best son in the land"), his party, the third largest Communist Party in at the the world, had time .three million members, with to 20 million sympathisers distributed the throughout 15 islands, lation out ofa total 110 million popu inhabi tants. Six of them had perished before the Colonel was cap tured October by the survivors, whereupon frightful reprisals were launched against the Indonesian people. army first, many officer said: "At of them were shot, but then received the order to save ammunition our since nobody was offering re sistance. reached They with their wrists tied behind their backs. I was in MidJava during the hottest part of it, and the good work carried out earned con gratulations. believe killed at least 200,000 in that area." What afterwards happened his wife, Tanti Aidit, 40year-old doctor of medicine? I searched long without suc for cess precise data about her fate. I did without ance) "How many did you murder Bali?'' "About 90 may seem 100 National Library of Australia thousand. but we lot, any the her (naturally official assist Bukit Duri prison in Djakarta, mother-in-law Mad Mudigdo, a former member parliament, and other 128 political women, detainees. She was under close supervision. women's with her ame her find only managed gaze meet briefly, very but photographing succeeded her secretly in the company other women imprisoned without a trial for an indef inite time, accused of "sub versive activities." Former Subandrio, Foreign Minister condemned http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article237506834 === [PDF page 4] === Tribune (Sydney, NSW: 1939 - 1991), Wednesday 21 January 1970, page 8 (4) Subandrio, death, dung condemned detained prison. Ban Ex-president Sukarno under home arrest. 'Why hasn't he been given a trial?" Malik, Minister Foreign alive Affairs was asked and "Because we're not with him yet..." replied: through abroad after the start of the troubles in 1965, though they to pay had enormous sums to the Indonesian immigra tion officials to be able to leave the country. Others who wished to stay behind were forced to leave. 40,000 are still behind the wall of Indonesian prisons. The Chinese Djakarta When the set has sun over for Djakarta it is the moment of Bats" to strike the "Army stealthily "political against criminals" who are brought for torture cross-examination, and imprisonment will" admit it openly, "Few but in town 'we all live in fear," told. I was in Europe course, you the whole frightful suppose affair is now over. That's just what the Government would have you dare believe. maintain would Who the con trary? Yet massacres are daily in the islands "Since for had the two Since Bats first going quarter ghetto where shops are pro residences and tected by heavy metal gates, following the destruction thousands of houses in early 1968 when 400 people were jured and score killed. Chinese Indonesian Chinese told "Almost anything can be in Indo bought with money nesia. I myself have had Indonesian passport for a long time, but between 1.5 and still million Chinese have foreign passport in this coun try, usually one issued by Pek ing. "Some years ago, they might have opted freely for an Indonesian passport. Now, it's late, too and they can only be procured by paying a fortune, still came ago, I haven't single night's real rest. then, I've been 'inside' years four times, and each time I to my was freed thanks good connections. Not everyone is so lucky; I'm rich but I'm also Chinese." The position of the Chinese is doubly Indonesia com plicated because in their case at all." The signs decorative Chinese which used to adorn every shop in the district have been removed step by step as every Chinese of Indonesian nationality has had to change his Chinese name for an Indois not merely a matter their being, or not being, Com munists. They also belong to another race. nesian Many abroad Chinese after sought refuge National Library of Australia one. This is regarded towards a "policy voluntary move http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article237506834 === [PDF page 5] === Tribune (Sydney, NSW: 1939 - 1991), Wednesday 21 January 1970, page 8 (5) integration". voluntary "Either false are process about to see of integration by the Indonesians, else we shall be thrown out of the gaol. country or into can never feel at ease. there Every time trouble with the Communists, "Indonesia is still our birth aren't place; people neces sarily .because Communists to be Chinese; they happen rather the contrary in view of the sizable private capital of us have." many Indonesian prisons and the Chinese have be camps, come remarkable milch cows for minor officers, who army can supplement their income handsomely at the expense of the detainees' families. "Just pay and we'll free him! Pay, and he'll you escape pay, he punishment. can In the mid-Javanese town of Semarang, the army prac tically makes use in public of the have night's freedom." wives and daughters imprisoned ists suffer. who really did have connec tions with Communists the but for others, too. or dead Commun prostitutes, and takes heavy "go-between's" fees in exchange for providing these women essential identity with cards In Djakarta, the Bat troops quietly flap their wings more in the night: "It's wrong boast of our many exploits as in the interior of the coun try do," said Major Djoni, who had unobtrusively ensured the "disappearance in town" 300,000 so-called Communist sympathisers. freely "How wore many taken to Pulau (Death Matt Island) in Djakarta Bay?" "Not many, perhaps 5,600." "And the rest?" Terror Chinese have been in 15 years, and for over camps their families have had sell their their home and business Some Terror has firm grip on Indonesian society. Nobody can trust his best friend. qualify for a job, an first Indonesian citizen.must be able to present a written certificate issued by the army, confirming that he has never had any connection with the Commun PKI, or Indonesian ist Party, since 1965. This cer tificate may very prove those not for only really did have connec pensive, who National Library of Australia AIDIT victim of http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article237506834 === [PDF page 6] === Tribune (Sydney, NSW: 1939 - 1991), Wednesday 21 January 1970, page 8 (6) Suharto. SUKARNO National Library of Australia haven't finished with him yet." http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article237506834