Monthly Indonesian Press Survey (1962): Telegram Gerwani kepada Sukarno

Title: Monthly Indonesian Press Survey (1962) - Gerwani telegram to Sukarno [HathiTrust coo.31924079086546] Source: HathiTrust Digital Library (full view, US government work), page OCR text via text-only view Volume: https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924079086546 Date retrieved: 2026-10-17 Note: page-image PDFs could not be downloaded (HathiTrust temporarily blocked image downloads); OCR text only. Page #107 The President recognized that this was a new and difficult task for the committee and cautioned its members to wash away their memories of parliamentary democracy and abandon completely their past lessons and teachers. (Djakarta, Duta Masjarakat, 3 Jul 62) 2. Law on Preliminary Training for People's Defense The draft legislation on preliminary people's defense training has been forwarded to Parliament for discussion. The bill states that such training is intended to implant and develop a national consciousness based on national culture, to cultivate and firm up the physical and mental strength of all young people from childhood on so that they become healthy, strong, disciplined and patriotic citizens, to provide training in preparation for future military training and service of all types within the framework of organized people's defense, and to obtain fully responsible, capable, and educated national cadres able to participate in total development. All students in lower secondary school and all 12 to 15 year olds not attending school would be obliged to take such training. They would not, however, be used for military or security duties. The training would be 150 hours in duration and would be included in the school curriculum for those attending school. The regular teaching staff rather than members of the armed forces on active duty would serve as instructors. For the others, it would be included in the activities developed by the Office of Community Education and would use scout leaders and others as instructors. The draft bill is based on Article 7 of the Defense Law. (Makassar, Marhaen, 27 June 62) The central executive council of Gerwani has sent a telegram to President Sukarno in reference to the draft legislation on military training for 12 to 15 year olds. It states that such training would endanger the natural development of the personalities of these young people and would implant a militaristic spirit in them as occurred in Germany and Japan in the past. Gerwani also argued that if the purpose of the bill was to prepare Indonesian youth to participate in people's defense, this task could be performed by the Department of Basic Education and that actually they were sufficiently and more naturally prepared by such youth organizations as the scouts. (Bandung, Pikiran Rakjat, 2 Jul 62) 3. Committee to Draft a Public Insurance Law Presidential Directive No 162 of 1962 appointed a state committee which is to draft a general, personal, and property damage insurance law. Soerjono Sastrohadikusumo, Inspector General at the Department of