Lillah Suripno of Indonesia Speaks (FBIS, 15 Dec 1949)

=== [PDF page 1] === LILLAH SURIPNO OF INDONESIA SPEAKS Peking, NEW QHINA NEWS Agency in Fnglish Morse ‘to North America, Doc. 25, 1949, 11:10 acm, EST--R - (Text) "Peking, Dec. 15--The speech of Lillah Suripno of the Indonesian delegation to the Agian Women's Conference on Deo, 12 reada un part aa follows: mo, o "In the name of the demooratio Indonesian women, I especially thank the. mighty organization of the VIDF and the women of new China for making it possible to hold this conference--the first in the history of the women's movement of Asia~-in Peking, the Capital of the Republic of the new people's democracy of China,.. "There Yas always been a struggle for national independence in Indonesia. ‘Again and again there have been uprisings of “the freedom-loving people, as for example in Atjeh in North Sumatra, where the Dutch colonialista had to fight 30 years until 1915 with a modern-equipped army of 30,000 men. a a oo, In that war one of the most valiant fighters against the Dutch colonialista Was & woman. She fought till the end; she was captured in the forast ‘hill of Atjeh when she was old and erey. a === [PDF page 2] === Firat Women's: Organization "Not dong atler the indeneatan Na tient Movement “In dat, Ube ese women's oryuntaation camo into existence in 1912,’ Since then many other women'a organizations have aprung up, At that tine there ware women who. were oonvinoed that, though there were spcoial womentg problema, the mout Important question for the Indonealan people was freedom and Infdopandunse, Sinee thon, the atrngdle for national independence Han become the moat Important point of the program in every: movemont, alongatde the fiiht apatnat illiteracy. -. "The national movement under the leaderahip of the PKI (Partal Komunis Indonentn--Ed,)--the Communiat Party of Indonesta--waa again suppranged after _ the outbrenk of the rovolta in Jave in November 1926 and in Sumatra Jn January 1927, Thirteen thougarid men and women workers were arrested, many of them were hanged or ahot. One thousand three hundred were, deported ‘to the Dutch concentration comps of Boven Digoel in the makarda. region of New Guinea. The PKI waa banned and the national movement had to work under rrenim! and in ilevaltty ainae then, Aotivitty During World War IT "The butch Smperfaltata have ulwayy refuged the Indonesian. people the, right to establish their own Army. When World War II broke out, the Dutch troops and offictaly fled to Australia, loaving the unarmed Thdonentang In the hunda of the Japanese Cagetuta.., "Deaplte the dollaborntion of aga loaders, among thom Sukarno and Mohanned Hatta who had been released from exile by the Japanese, and a ceagelesa flow of propapdnda, thé Japanese did not succeed in winning the confidence of the Tidynestan perpde, “WAM thes on feat of pearudtidag mere goldtone. ay cannon fodder ag in other oacupled countried, the Japanese orpanized Indonestang in several military and somimilitary corps. However, the Jupanone plang fallod, as ondrog from tho restatance movemont tranaformed these organizations {nto forces supporting the national liberation movement. Those orpanizationa subsequently fought valiantly og defenders of our | Froodom, Tha TIndgnuatan poople wad Led by tha (ilegal Communiat Party In those abruryles,.. “The mlaery brouvht by the Japanoue tauolats had algo strengthuned the will of the people to be free and independant, It waa this powerful mntted will oof the forded of the poopie owhloh ed te the pre: tamtton Sof dil peadenee of indonenli and the eatabbidhsay of the Dacor dan Ropublic on ‘ug. LY, 1945., "After the war, the Duteh came back with the help ef the Inytigh and. Amectean imperiallata, Sukarno and Hatta beaamea puppets in the hindg of thete Pateh and Amer toa boadan., By order af the Amertoanu, thede two men apreed to gtart an fanti-Head drive! in. 1948 qnd many of the leaders ‘of the Natdonal People's Front wore arroatod and executed, === [PDF page 3] === Struggle Growlng Stronyor: "Hak a pete a kh agatvemeebd de bw Gli (hile Gnd Ame tows Vipera dad ta ti ond the revetlonary Hatta group, tho otrugglo tor independence de growing ateongor and atronger. lolyding.upen the magaes and ospeocially “upon the | peadanta, ou guerrddia fighters work during the day dn the flelda, They are strong becaue they live. anony the people dn the villaged, thorotora Jt la very diffioult for the Dutch to oateh them "In one hospital, all servants, Inoluding tho wemen, Joined tho guerrillas after a fight. In the Duteh Army, thore were misaing soldierm who had -in fact devorted to the Indonesians. In thle struggle for liberation,. tho women of Indoneata did their duty. - Our women defended thomael ves and thedr ahtldren ogadnet the enemy, Dutoh roporta todd about miteh woldtora who woro torrdbly agtonished to find women with thoy children - on thoir backs holding weapons in. their dead hands on the battlefield.. Women work in the distribution kitchens to feed illegally those who | come from the mountaing for nows and communication. Besides, democratic “wonen have mtarted organisations. roobed Jn the nmases. At the Laat conrodd bold tn dog Jakarta ln September 14, the mont tinpor tert quostion progonted by the progressive women was the fulfillment. of an — Indopondont, ‘freo, domooratio Indonosian State, which will bo ruled by and for the Indonossan toiling pooplo, “Tho oatablishment of the Ropublie of the people's democracy of China, under tho Leadoruhip of Gomrado Mao Tae-tung and daspired by the miyhty Soviet Unton and Comrade Stalin, glvos us, the poople of Indonoata,; a brilliant examplo of gaining the viatory. Only with a front of all democratic forces of Indonesia under the leaderahlp of the PKI ‘ean we win the battle againet the imperialistic enomy. With. the help of the Honoorntda forada of the world, and aupeatatly with the help of the fomooeatio workers of Holland, viatory will be aura. “Tho Putch and Amorloan warmakora and thelr Indonoatan puppets may make aroemonty and hold conferonces, to give Indonesia independence on paper. But the Indonesieng will decide for themselves about froodom and ronal ~ - Indopendonco and will Light for thodr fulfilment,"