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GA-02607 1966-11-05 relevance B public

Airgram A-218: The Army Takes Hold in Central Java, 5 November 1966

Airgram A-218: The Army Takes Hold in Central Java, 5 Nov 1966

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US Embassy airgram A-218, 5 Nov 1966, on a Central Java trip showing the Army's 'ironclad grip': roadblocks, meeting bans, ID checks, prison numbers and ex-prisoners as pariahs. Women appear only as the Army lieutenant's wife in village pacification.

Airgram A-218 Kedubes AS, 5 Nov 1966, tentang perjalanan ke Jawa Tengah yang menunjukkan 'cengkeraman besi' Angkatan Darat: penghadangan, larangan pertemuan, pemeriksaan KTP, jumlah tahanan dan mantan tahanan sebagai paria. Perempuan hanya muncul sebagai istri letnan dalam 'pasifikasi' desa.

People

SakirmanMbah SuroE.L. Barber III

Organisations

Communist Party of IndonesiaIndonesian National Armed ForcesArmy Strategic Reserve CommandArmy Para-Commando RegimentIndonesian Students' Action FrontIndonesian National Student MovementAnsor Youth MovementUS Embassy in Jakarta

Places

YogyakartaSurakartaGampingCentral Java

Topics

arrests and detentionNew Order1965 coup and aftermathUSA and UK

Tags

stigmalife after release

Details

Date
1966-11-05
Creator
US Embassy Jakarta
Document type
government record (declassified diplomatic airgram (political section trip report), confidential)
Language
English
Perspective
Intelligence/diplomatic record
Source role
primary
Country
USA
Period
1965–1966
Access
National Security Archive (George Washington University), Electronic Briefing Book 'Indonesia Mass Murder 1965: U.S. Embassy Files', published 17 October 2017 alongside the declassification of some 30,000 pages of US Embassy Jakarta files (1964 to 1968) held at NARA (the briefing book URL and EBB number should be re-checked before citation). Open access PDF scan downloaded from nsarchive.gwu.edu; retrieved 2026-10-13. The PDF ends with an NSA colophon page that is not part of the original document. NSA labels this item 'Document 34'; the NSA file name calls it 'telegram 218', although it is Airgram A-218. Open access source: file can be shown on the website.
Citation (APA)
U.S. Embassy Jakarta. (1966, November 5). The Army takes hold in Central Java (Airgram A-218, confidential; drafted by E. L. Barber III; signed Green) [Declassified airgram, Document 34]. In National Security Archive, Indonesia mass murder 1965: U.S. Embassy files [Electronic Briefing Book; documents declassified by NARA]. National Security Archive, George Washington University. https://nsarchive.gwu.edu/briefing-book/indonesia/2017-10-17/indonesia-mass-murder-1965-us-embassy-files
File
01 Primary Sources/1.6 US, British and Dutch Government Records/US Embassy Jakarta files (1965-1967) - Indonesia Mass Murder 1965, briefing book documents (National Security Archive EBB 2017)/US Embassy Jakarta (1966-11-05) - Airgram A-218, The Army Takes Hold in Central Java [NSA EBB doc 34].pdf
OCR / text
Fair (0.869) · proof-reading: whole text (Claude, Oct 2026) · translation: not needed
Collection
01 Primary Sources › 1.6 US, British and Dutch Government Records › US Embassy Jakarta files (1965-1967) - Indonesia Mass Murder 1965, briefing book documents (National Security Archive EBB 2017)
Summary basis
condensed from full annotation

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