Opinion: The Story of Gerwani Leader Umi Sardjono and Communism Phobia (Umi Sardjono and the Annual Ghost)

Tempo Umi Sardjono and the Annual Ghost Monday, October 4, 2021 It takes courage to expose what really happened in 1965, including about Gerwani and its leader Umi Sardjono. To this day, people still hate each other based on a concocted history. arsip tempo: 179233733172.7978828 EVERY September 30, every time the September 30 Movement (G-30-S) of 1965 is commemorated, we are assailed by hatred, slander and hoaxes. Over and over again, on social media and in chat groups, danger signs that resemble contrived specters are resuscitated: the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) will be born again, the Republic will fall into the hands of communists and Indonesia is now led by members of a banned party. In the 56 years since the tragedy, the history of 1965 is still seen in terms of black and white. Communists deceitfully rebelled against the Republic and those who oppose them are good people who must be supported no matter what. There is no in-depth examination of the past—or about people from that era, stories that might offer many useful insights. Just look at Umi Sardjono. The leader of the Indonesian Women’s Movement (Gerwani), an organization affiliated with the PKI, Umi’s life was ruined by the 1965 tragedy. She was arrested without knowing what had happened. According to historian John Roosa in his book Pretext for Mass Murder, the kidnapping of the Army generals was planned by a small number of people within the PKI—the most important of whom were D.N. Aidit as party chairman and Sjam Kamaruzaman, head of the Special Bureau. Umi was not a core member of the G-30-S. She was detained in Bukit Duri Prison, Jakarta, and the Plantungan detention camp, Central Java without trial until being released in 1979. The public knew nothing of her life story until Suharto fell in 1998. Gerwani was born out of the frustration felt by women. Originally named the Movement of Conscious Indonesian Women (Gerwis)—a merger of six women’s organizations in Java—Gerwani grew quickly and expanded. By the mid-1960’s it was believed to have 1.5 million members. Although it was linked to the PKI, Gerwani was allowed to remain an independent organization. It focused its attention on issues of socialism, nationalism and feminism, including reforms to Marriage Law and worker's rights. Under Umi, Gerwani organized classes to combat illiteracy, built schools and fought for women’s political rights. When she became a member of the legislature representing women, Umi campaigned for changes to the Immigration Law, particularly the removal of the obligation for women to be accompanied by a close male relative—father, husband or brother—when traveling overseas. Umi also spoke out against polygamy during the deliberations of the Marriage Bill. Amid the tumultuous events of 1965, Gerwani, like other organizations affiliated with the PKI, was cast down the dark well of history. The facts about the organization were turned on their head by the Suharto administration in order to ensure that communism became a common enemy. For example, it was claimed that Gerwani members played a key role in the torture of the generals at the G-30-S base in Lubang Buaya, Jakarta. They were said to have slashed at the genitals of their victims and sung and danced naked. However, when the autopsies of the generals came to light after the fall of Suharto, they proved that no such torture had taken place. These slanders and distortions continued and have been maintained until the present day. The impact is not limited to political tension and the ease with which communism is used as a tool for muzzling people, but also extends to problems bringing about peaceful reconciliation. The five presidents of the reformasi era have taken no significant action to clarify history—except for Abdurrahman Wahid, who tried to revote the Provisional People’s Consultative Assembly decree banning communism, but this eventually failed. At the beginning of his administration, Joko Widodo organized a seminar on 1965 history of reconciliation. It attracted mass demonstrations and ended in anticlimax. The recommendation for a conference was not followed up and the government was accused of siding with communists. Perhaps Jokowi did not expect this level of political pressure. He backed down. Subsequent attacks against Jokowi—the false accusation that he was the son of communists and that the parties supporting him had been infiltrated by the PKI—led to his embracing Islamist groups, which had been most vocal about the dangers of communism. This culminated in the recruitment of Indonesian Ulema Council chairman Ma’ruf Amin as vice president, a strategy that proved unable to end the slander. In the end, the uncovering of history needs goodwill that does not come from short-term political interests. It must arise from the awareness that the past needs to be clarified so we can face the future more confidently. It takes courage to uncover the history of 1965. Reconciliation would not be possible until the truth is uncovered. It is difficult to make people who hate each other as a result of concocted history come together to cooperate. Tempo [end of article; site navigation trimmed]