Tossed Down by the Rising Waves (Sudjinah, prison memoir)

=== [PDF page 1] === [Handwritten title page, transcribed by eye] Tossed down by the rising waves! by Sina [?] [Library barcode label: CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY 3 1924 091 188 551] === [PDF page 2] === Closing notes, Year after year parsed,Nearly seventeen yeare havw gone by since I sterted to breath the air of freedom after being swallowed by darkness during 18 years, Only im the year 1997 the obligation to report mo tally to the Military Authority since medio 1983 “ee was stopped But for the political detainees/pzisoncrs,although tuey have recchee she age of 60 years they cannot get clife-long identity card like the cthera,Every three years they heve to apply for new identity ca&as, Birbag the first yeevs of Independence efter 1945 I experienced the earned ctinizzle against the Dutch Colonielists, although only as c courier for the geurillg—troups arowid Solo, in Central Java, Late on when peace prevailed I was active within the women's movenent which led me to stey in Germany at the Headquarter of The Women's Inte national Democratic Peleration (W,IeDF.) I got also tac duty to attend conrresses in several comtiries in Furops like Frence Switzerland, Denmork, Ireden, Sovyet Union also in China, Train eye, Under the old order Jed by Presider Sukarno I was achive also as ajournalist vutil 1955 when the 30 September Movement occurred, When the New Omiex under the regime of President Suharto started, in the framework of ‘enti+conmunisn’ a mossuuiter was Lunched killing about 2 million membexs of the Cemmunist Party and its massorrenisations 1s well, as its slipevisers, Also tc apply for a job one hus to ohtoin 3 statement of "clear environment",it meens mo one in the famiby cmd relatives is involed with the 'l-tent dange: of conmmamism’ as they ere considerc as ‘dirty! ox ‘not clean’, === [PDF page 3] === [Unreadable] The suti-commmisto vhobis hes been pressed dow in echools,beginniy~ ‘fron the elementary schools up to the universities,sp this | generation hap been educated that commmisn 19 a latent ganger. Although President Suharte was forced to resiga by the masse demonstrations ineluding students, still the New Order continved with Prosident Habibiey 8 one year's rule, | he economic/eitmation 13 still very doanverd with a huge lamovnt cf foreign eid, Neexiy twenty million poople live in deen poverty. Such sitvarion has been inherited by the rth peevens President Ibdnitrchman Nehid with the National Unity Cebinet, With the duet! of Gus Dim yna Memcwati Sukamgnuteri os Vice IA AA 5,, 5 President it ie exnected that a total xeform: tion could be realiged, The court ofeirst cozruptlon,collusion 2nd nepctism soveiied KEE.) of former President Suharto and his cronies shovld be carried out 28 soon as possible, Wrepoziticel Kena omtas AMetainees heve already the courage to set up a masi -dreenisation naned PMORBA (Peguyuban Korvan Omie Boruk Solitarity Union of Kew Orter-Vic bims on the 15th of September 1999. . We hope thet the new nillenium vill bring uew hopes for our/ be loved caowmiry..; === [PDF page 4] === TABLE OF CONTENTS, 43 Ininpduction, 9; Underground work 3, Capture. 4, Living in gsolaticn, 5; he children and. hunger behind bers, 6, Cultural activities. 7; Visits of the Internationsl Red Cross, 8, Together with vomen criminals. 9; Brought te Court, 10. Movimg to Tengereng Women Prison. 41; Release in 1985. === [PDF page 5] === L. #4 KODUGTTION, In Inconesicn history an imposiant but teagic event hacmencd on the 3Oskh cf September 1965, usucliy calicd the 34st September Moveme af Tic CPT during the 32 youn regime of Pwencent Sukceta { 186 4996 YX. Zt rma state? at thet tine 4 thas tae Get wu “cps & & Soup dfetes against vae Govermment, wrrdescing 5 + ey oc Tatan C$ Lunung ange c, Sows of Fuchu er thet nn Precious Subomo wee stil te. powers situs 16 chee 64 Trenigent Sukurne slvere 2ermalmed for s us tionalist, the theee adeolsles in Indones SGa0 ily ypeptip us babatun. 3 FIDL We 3 HE fizstly Hoole ane SE eta Doa ve GOV IPT nes me Ie oS Jok ma [Unreadable] Ree thee gita car we un nanah KKG Hiu (LE), th: mu Lomente viovarens CUENCATVY 1 Pires: acon : 2 te J women £ + whee eet abs aa = ma a PIK sentana LT PECL és Presnkic & “cut, Peondets Tar. F3-Lenesite Sotautictcotibier (rar) ve anes) “is Lee, cel EE at Lio het mi cekliling Mos ees | Nests ae 3 Ker NS aa i.. Marta ageng wirdicat weds, tony Ba sera juin, mont. tas. those fecedes to. beat claet ea LOY luy iuveawig¢ toa 4 She vas Bas ep ecg oaie LELANG UG the overtinwe.: of Dresiiont eA dele aku IP Sea nota” Aint ws ove OG WIT VASs OT AR LM OA Ali uokdiowecn cml cunperters of Eresidcent Suka vere chisel md ayesey toe IG IE yee bey? me, 3 TT ec Tan 7 5 OI Ae 14 LG See S32; A September 196 8 7 Gour ay cxuperiones a kerut “2a ops. Shiwg YeettBe nn aa i SU SE ee === [PDF page 6] === _, XE. UNDERGROUND WOiK. In Septrmber 1965 I was acdiwe at the Headguerters of the. ' Indonesian Women's Movement working as translater. At the seme time as pert time journalist for some newspapers, I wrote articles and short stories especially about women problems. The organisation was active in verious fields like the Defence of Women's Rights, children's right, for social welfere, training women cedres etc, - At that time the organization hed its branches on nearly all islends of the archipelago with abouts obe million members. Yogcether with many women's orgenizetions in the Indonesian Women's Congress (KOWANI) wex held trainings of volumteers in the struggle for the return of West Irian into the Republic of Indonesia { Trikore). Before that, therere was also such struggle for the return of North Kelimantan against Malaysia ( Duikora) e Such was the sitvation at that time, demending women yolmteers totake part in mi itary troisings. Such wes the case in 4985 at Lubang Buaya « At tha came time we were prepering for the holding of the forth Congress in December 1965. - I stayed with ny friend lemy,who was a secretary of the Women's Movement, in @ vented smell house not far from the office, But many times »when we had to findéh our duties, we hed to stay overnight at the office with the driver and e housemcid, who prepared our meals. In the early morning of October 4st, '65 we started our duty as usual, 4s most activists were at the sama time also housewives, they, used to cometo the office a lit.le later, “st was a great shock for us in hearing the information from one of our chairvomenm, who came very warly. She told us thet 6 generals were kiduapped and murdered at Lubang Buaya the day before, in the framework of the 3gst September Movement === [PDF page 7] === It wes Ane plcce of volunteers' training in porticuler of members oft whe People s Youth, Women's Movement, Trade Unions etc as usual. | ‘We decided to look ariund in the city,»s we didn't know enjthing before, F, In front of the Communist Perty Headquarters we witnessed the Yurning of the buildings end people plurdering. Arrests were done everywhere, Anybody cunsl dered 28 communist or if syupatysers was caught, We stayed overbignt in a friend's house, put we hed to leave the following da: Fortmately a relative of mine hed merried 2 certain colonel,who was elready retired, I knew thet he wes a supporter of President Sukexno amy also knew him since the time of the geurilla fight in East Java agianst tije Dutch iroups, We were welcomed heartily. He gave us some funds to continue our siug,le. We decided not to be together ail the time, Only et night we returned to that place, I started to connect another friend who hed gone abrovud wi to attend the International Federation ef Trade Unions. | Lanny hod heard that our leaders of the Women's movement us members of Perliament got ithe opportunity to stay for awhile at the Senzyan Sport Hell Sompler, because their hones were raasacked by the mob$ together with the apperates, We decided to know about their whereabdts, Th colonel's driver took w to that place. But approaching the cppertments we stopped ata small cafeteria,just tog be vigile mt, The ovner emotionally Baid 3" Ah. at night all the women inside were tekan away by the military troup. Vhat should they have done to be trated like erimmlais,, ah such olga women,.!" Ve guikly left the place, It must be naive to fall into the trap of the authorities, We tricd to meet other frinnds if possible, Lany hed to meet one Fiend and I mother one, === [PDF page 8] === once morc i connected Sri the women le: of the Tndoms Fderstian of Trede Uniens (BSI), I woe hee nee Tentu ter when We women GetAbion. cttentled an Internatiousl Congeesa of woWel: Woticery it bukavest, fmenic iu 19536 His husbind was amon an Go usersene. § sang, Bi See Joma Fae aaa TTC! LP SS el OTIS’, Sec ines h vb wave OF eh Enda So - ae ran bu, ae, Wee % oo, wh arees of karang KT of sm exer, we teh toe.. 20, 7 wale ™ 4 aes be: 4 ne = os ee Wa { WoOLehcerted ly te cum chive Garang e* * NN 7s elec Vee any Ee gd ghsts 4 kode Ona & ee gl” A, “el ee ‘wiley 36 PUM Lag SGB sat ala, Ca KB gpPevoovecy : Lt nii Laser ual Utes" U2Lon OACa Get === [PDF page 9] === ree several tes from Jin »to Rin, Erma, Lina etc. We could do.so at that, time, as long 66 we ned sufficent funds For in charge. passed, What made us emotionally tense was big letters on posters or written in big letters with chalk or charcoal on the streetvalls staing Gerwani members doing sadistic activities against the Generals at Lubang Buaya. Pulling fheir eyes off, or cutting their penises. Also the massmedia published all those slenders, Even mentioning that some Gerwani leaders were prostitutes. Tt was certainly ehgeneered by the present authority under General Suharto, who arrested President Sukarno until he pessed awey in 1969. Fe was considered as loyal to communism as his slogan was the Unity among the three existing ideologies in Indonesia at thet time | the nationalists, "ne yerigious people and the commmists (NASAKOM) He never agreed to bon the Communist Partye In our bulletin published in dhe begiming of 4966 when President Sukarno was legelly still President, we stated that we had to fight against the fagistic regime of Goneval Suharto viho inconstitutionelly took the power, Our aim vas to retum President Sukarno into power efeine I got the duty to widespread the Bulletin also t9 Loregen Imbassies. I dia it guietly in the evening just £lingeing them in the muiboxes along the main street of Imas Bonjol, Diponegoro etc Such was our daily activities. Before being avare nearly one year had passed moving from one pluce to the other Well, we had still a lot of friends and supporters and sympathiser3, who assisted us with their activities, mentally ag well as financiallyses.! === [PDF page 10] === BL CAPTURE Before being aware, we had been doing underground vork for more than one year, during the last months reprotueing and spreading the Bulletin in support of President Sukarno called P.K.P.S ( Supporters of President Sukarno's Command). We had a veproduction machine in the xented house o- Sri, wy f<ie.d from the Netional Cowmecil of the Indorssian Trade Unious (SESSE), Bosether with Herti from the Herners' Union tne three of us used to come together resulerly to ciscuss the situation and futhv activities; I received the monthly bullerin from Lany, wie goe% it from another thvoew sensons! group 2bove. Us. Tt was &udiceted ucainst President Suherto,vho Hotes declared hinsei? Presilent inconstitunelly, We knew that President Sukexmo wos held as captive wmtil hepassed away in 1969. it was September 1966 vhen I gov shocked by but ait thot time the inloemmution tint my two fciends were ixrested. TE moont that they wexe Looking for me tos, Capture exter canture took place, For me end my friend siny wee eproblem not to be cought. ke Gisburuel oacocves with diffrent nomec end appanence|d I ind to cut wy long black hair chaging it inte bream cucls or eventually bery short like a jomboy. Puvtunately citiccicnocds couie be ‘obtained’ as far aa one could py a hich price. But ginaliy on the 77th of Febcusry 49% Launy cad fo wer cavent one by ene ond also another frined Biz frow Jifforemi spots, It nust be a traiter Who Imew us prccisely in suite of. our discuises, We wece brought to Cunmg Sihork Street inc Zormec Uhinese School, I understood date why the plnce vas Kei ~elorvei to as tthe Ghoet Mouec*, IT ud Biren tn e neveow cell Lull of bloodspots on the wall, I heard cries of vein outside in tue big intervogevion space, My friend Lamy was First inverro goted, then ty turn came. & team of intemvogaicks in strived uniforms were standing around me. The Chief called Acep esrinned at me + “Ai,,ai you tiny diri! How dare you to spread oamphlets supporting the fowmer President against the New Order, Heh { ice you one of the generals mulerers 2! Din pan KARENA and tell ne where your other friends zre 'V === [PDF page 11] === 24 | He called some soldiers,who dr.gged me into a jeep next to ghe driver, They took. me around asking me where ny other frineds were staying < I. vlosed my eymixfixmity my mouth firmly. Tey shook my arms shouting me to anwere,.But I just closed my eyes too, behaving as if I was on the point of fainting. One s oldier layed his ear on my breast to listen my heartbeats I held my breath as if I was anconscious, ‘Ai, Ai..if you die here,I '11 got trouble..." So he returned to the Headquaerters at Gunung Sahari, and reported, that I did'n want to utter a word; He put me on a chair in front of the commander, I kept silent,looking at him without flickering; I felt my eyes tense without being able to close them, "How dare you tu bugee out your eyes at me like thant?!" Acep shouted angrily. Hecalled two solders next to him, They took off my clothes and there I stood completely naked in front of those grinning 'ghosts', "Come on, open your mouth,..or!" and they beat me with log rotan sticks all over my body, About eight of those 'ghosts' in striped uniforms green and yellow, I closed my pges feeling the blows down on my naked stomach, breast, face and arms;,Blood spilled from my mouth, When I oped. my eyes for a while I saw beaten men lying around the corners, many of them unconscious, They dragged my around the small ygara "You see,.you will be thrown in that hole and buried if you don't want to tell us anything" I just shut my eyes again; Why should I tell them the secrets of our undergr ovndwork and betray my friends,it finally I would be killed anyway!!. flashed in mu mind They could beat me to detah,if they wanted,but I should not become a traitepx anyhow; They took me on a chair to look at the beatings of other detainees}; A young man I knew was pushed into fa bambpo-basket, which they kicked around the yard? When he tried to “ free himself he hot more kicking uccompanied by laughter at the "show"zOne of the soldiers opened the basket and bit one of the ears of the detainees It fell off in a shower of blood, === [PDF page 12] === agein + chut my eyes. "Were they humenbeings or real ‘ghosts with such segistic inhwe peharior 71° ¥ j ax coulz mot dpm My Ldece at Terstmess coule 20% p ve X Finsily they considercd thet harsune mouth; The comondes petted me, *Be a good girl, nere., tke om your clothes end have sone talk 1" : Ye brcusht me into a cetl, tplease be rational,,if you tel me ghoet your work,.vour leader and weere he etays, you. wll be Freed I still kept silent, When hs come near ep cimest touching Ty cheeks,l felt disgusted. My stone: seeaecd to meved un and I vonitied alt the Liguid from uy stom ch.,ejuet on nis tece Jantan Agndoh & Yuger with the feeling of the greatest dicgwt, he. 2 KA. Ban BATA » abusemauis ed dreggel me atonz tee pig vom,wRile other Bold °. ers yith totten sticks jmtil i really Le meonsci cus beat me again I didn't know for how lone KEncurh se ONES WALL hov,e.l wink sie hes Ww pe broug:t to court with the others? It seemed thet the newcome> Was of = hight antes 2 *T heare a mew voice suCUling. rt yy dct, 1 rT = rahkh thynfthentorergerye wis clcoo biwivet thooncthost hex 3 0. Se os 4 - | iv I was then trancfcred to anot er plece, it socmed a eatin che Tey 3 TA op Ta = FOROGL Vite 252 wate: CLE LL 2 mek Sem atu tome Kan ell of ws Sinai Lorem severe peating.:, Urops ni biacl wens seen on the thir mete wheee wo were pluhed together, Hore then Eoriy vou ai giris,among other chinese onli. Sao verve trully acul crying. A chincse sAtth var urung She yos inter: a aad Niken she retnea’ “co cpedke aha got el Ai) enécke” Hes feiWexplein/ Aorore the yarg ta Say a nothar AC clasirocm were the men dcteincs vare “Zeot thao coucesed, mey 40 of them in one »ocm, et mani I ere. omeap - “ I looksi mand, Slicers wove come: older vomwen,whon D knew, « mostly maabers af? the Infonesiun Youngs: ti Hovewent, io Peonle's [Unreadable] Youth or he Inuonesian Peonle's Un wrua beapu e end yome Chiziece suwmewis assuneg as sellicd to the ¢,P,I, Once & day they gave ué some Food, In This centre of detest ues: the nights were more awful, because Just at night some actainces | eithet from the men-side oB somect us weulA be celled up for inter. vgetions it the 'G@iosts'House' the plece of sardistic toxmests See ma am ~— === [PDF page 13] === Manan $$$ sma Upon return in the morning they were wounded and some of them Gied during interrogation; I rubbed my own face, which was swollen from the beatings and my lips were inflamedz In any case I was still alife...! At that time there was no other feelings than trying not to be nervous during interrogajionss Although my heart see-ned tu burn with fire, my head had to remain cool and not to loose my mind, I did'n 't want to dge now, even I had to pass prsionjlife: finally someof us were transfered to another camp and our turm came; Lamy and I were called up and transfered to a building in the centre of the town » It was NATTOW, men and women detainees were pushed together, nearly hundred of “he women squeezed in one room: while the men. sleeping on the terrace in a row close to each other: But still life was going on, The young students were playing cards while making fun, A group made efforts to study languages or accupuncture from experts, In June 1967 we were moved again to another camp. This time also overcrowded, so that we had to sleep in turn, It was just an ordinary house for one family, but we were nearly hundred. We met here our two other friends, Sri from the Trade Inion and Harti from the Farmers'Union, So the four of us were complete, I 1#stened to the story of their capture in September 1663 Sri was severely beaten: {She was actually well built with. yellowish skin and big breasts; So when she had to stand neked in front of the soldiers at the "Ghost House", she was greatly humiliated~ Fot some time she lost her mind staring mindlessly in front of her;Harti told} Some friends who studied accupuncture tried to cure her by massage and reflexology. Although in such horrible situation we triedto use the days as best as possible, Some groups were learning from others various skills and knowledges’ === [PDF page 14] === sa Dad Of course when the guard was not in sights: I spoke with. a wellkown poet (Sitor Situmorang), who tried to remain calm and humorous in the worst moments in our lifes: Chatting was better tham being depressed’; I met were a we}lknowm lawyer, journalsists, enterpreneurs and ordinary ex-activists of leftist massorganizations,once so powerful with millions members throughout the archipel,. ae Again we were investigated in turn. Although no forms of tortures like imi the "Ghosts'House" were used,but still if the military interrogator was not satisfied with our answers... He just slapped: in my face like a naughty schoolgirl decades ago IE st hurt me more mentally,feeling deeply humiliated’ Sweat. drops fell from my face, when I returned to my place at the corner, I just fell asleep:. My friends tried to cheer me up. In fact we had to comfort each either in order not to feel depressed. I smiled when a friend told the group how to practice meditaion or "yoga", the Indian way to keep caim in any turbulence.. Other friends tried to make pipes from chickenbones, etc, I saw a friend going from one corner in the morning to another corner and returning to his sleeping corner mn the evening as if coming 'home' from office, The space was just several meters long, The episode of living in a narrow Space like fishes in a tin, finally came to an. end, when one by one or in groupS, we were transfered into the prisons, Our turn came..a group of men detainees among them a lecturere of the University,a journalist and some activists entered then bus and they called us:- the four women’ The bus sped to the big prison at Salemba, I still remembered our friends, thin, pale and in ragged clothes, while the military === [PDF page 15] === guards shouting powerful, when they saw them flickering towards us, the women, im like saying goodbye? All what we had, especially notes, papers, any books were cllected and burned We regretted the ndtebooks with meditaion lessons of Yoga::a method to obtain peace of mind in the chaos of worldly tumult. Finally all the women detainees were ordered to get into the bus again and we sped up to the Women Prison of Bukitduri': OEz.how big and sturdy was that building, Later I was informed that it was built during the Dutcli colonizl time for rebellious (ingenious' people or ‘inlander'; Some were sentenced to death and m many others were banned lifelong to Boven Digul in West Itian, Onee I read wbout those heroes, the fighters for independence many decades ago‘ == yt turned out that the big building was devided into two sections, the left one for the women criminals and the right section for the political detainees, In the centre was a big hall used for gatherings or celebrations and in front was the office of the guards: Unfortunately the four of us were not brought to the right wing together with the political detainees, buti so1ted in one room: among the criminal deyainees <The guard said ‘it would be just for a certain time as my friend Lamy was needed as witness at the Court of a Communist Leader,who participate/d in the Sukarnoi ist Group issueing the Bulletin Supporting President Sukarno, Ye didn't have the opportunity to coantact our friends at the poltic cal Section:In thebeginning we were rather afraid amidst the wo - Men criminals like murderers, thieves,kidnappers, cheaters etc, But soon we understood that they were mostly kind to us} Probably the y felt sorry for us,as we were completely isolated day and night Even our door and windows were al the time shut/¢ === [PDF page 16] === Once, during a rainy day we heard someting falling from the high window near the ceiling, It turnedbut to be a package of fried cassave, smelling deliciously; It seemed, that behind the wall (On the kitshen of the criminal prisoners’ Ok:,how kind they veres.. Ke When on the 27th of July ‘64, Lamy came from the Court | The second time was, when somebody opened our window to clean it, but at the same time tossed down some fried fishes inside. We thanked them guietly in oreder the guard would not see it, | We were really among sympathetic peoples More than one month | we were theres Even socalled 'criminals' had a human heart, feeling sorry for us,who were isolated day and night without enough food's Session of the Communist Leader Sdm, she told that the latter was sentenced to death just on that day,which was accidentally his birthdays Another friend from Surabaya was also brought as witmess 7Sne was captured in Palembang and brought to Jakarta and stayed in the room next to ours's: Finally our days in the Criminal Section of Bukitduri were finished and we were returned to our 149 Detainees' Camp: We told our friends there about the frirféaly women criminals,who many times smuggledpome delicious snacks for us, Our friend the humorous poet remarked "Ah..certainly there are a lot of themes to write about...It's a pity I am not a woman!" of course everybody laughed. Afyer several days the four of us were suddenly called up Tn Ta to Bukitduri Woemn Prison, This time we entered officially the Section of Political Detainees at the right wings === [PDF page 17] === -8tt was a lot of hugging and kissing, as most of them: we Knew already $ such as the leaders of the Indonesian Women's Movement and activists of all the mass organisations »with whom we have worked together many years before 19659 We were put at Block C,again in gisolation as this Block was suppsed to be prepared for those marked as "dangerous '« We as Epilogue activists belongec to this group because when the organisations were banned we still continued our activities, Others in this Block were the young. teenagers arrested at Lubang Buaya, they were members of People's Youthz;But during our underground work we read that they were members of the Indonesian Women's Movment participating in mrdering the Generals‘. Ihs,Iater we would know everything about the truth? In any case,we WEE now far from tie "Ghosts'Houese", the interrogation centre with inhuman tortures,. | For the first time since our arrest -nd in various camps I could preatk: relieved and tried to sleep’ What would tomoprow brigh for us, ve had just to wait and see «.! i amp ana === [PDF page 18] === happy student ycars in the early Tittpert:T LIVING IN ISOLATION ye were out in Block ¢ in One big cell? Block O was dedicated for th” the tjangecoust detuinees, The socalled epilogue-activists like who contwmsued votive Wes he banning of all retfict orp. nis tions. ‘kG ELBO 4yose youn girls exrvested at Dubeng Ruava » Mey stayed [Unreadable] bo oux,but we could not spesk With them es ine GOO Wes vile yh Locked The other fri AS, whe peka NST icolated <i ay Ya hara ooh i reves pow le & pe nang samotanes Approuchecus & tie wialowa 20 hrs ahad jar toraliyg when ix. Gi ght. Aller bom WOTWS We Wore Vee ma, ath oF th. OTe, in one small cell af aboyt 2 2 4 metana at © oon meta Mandi yua. thout mawar, DT Let down on a tin Nat, delle the ale was LAMP ac fiers closed day end ai mt, Yan ons wis,i oy VIB 2 shed by the other Wc Leng how af Loneliness 0207 ) “anted to Yoeame SENe&ucs *@ pogun duyarecani.e To kt jass Aida, IA an imopirmry voxle pg outivities in the Peet Eavor tne crys OOD glue bick like ¢ valu being revinds mm ada Thivercoi yy In Sopgnkexte until 1953. kt thet visre I joint the Indoresii nh Vormisslovenent, Josye brenhh Byun IT mrviripsieg ot, the Pixet Concress in far teie in 19Et Ire te th Unit 755 ite masters had become hundred Shouson7e in th we all 71 tes it ves tec cirst tind Intemigioneal Youth Festival in Vertan, Poi === [PDF page 19] === upon returning to Indonesia I started working as translater in the Headquarters of the Indonesian Woemn's Movements In 1963 I got the duty to join the Women Workers' Delegation to the Congress of International Women Workers in Bukarest, Rumania. tts chairman was Sri who was the chief of the Bomen's Section od the Indonesian Workers'Federation ( BSI) Ohs ss Like rewinding a film I still remember those faces of women from various countries, white or yellow skinned, brown or black wi with: hair like gold, blond or black, and eyes of brom, blue Or yellowish. colours’ 0 All of them united in one aim.:: to defend women's rights. Every fight has its consequences. SE older friends, who experienced i the Dutch colonial time and fought against colonialism, were banned to Boven Digul in the 30-ies ( West Irian) stated, that every fighter to face tne 3 B (Buang, Bui,Bunuh) to be banned, to be imprisonea oF to be killede.... ind now I was heres.. isolated in the prison, Bujin my case I had to be thankful, thant tT I was till alites Wnere there is life, there is hope,isn't it By ececees LK I tookea around in my small cell. _a friend had given me A pillow containing no soft cottonwool hut a collection of pieces OI textile pieces, 35 her mother was a dressmaker. 1 opend the pillow,collecting the various colorful pieces « I started. to make dolls, the faces with embroidered eyes, nose and red lips. Te hours passed away On daytime we could borrow SCiSSOTS, knives and threads but those things had to be collected in the evening for danger of suicide with those sharp thingsm, they saids === [PDF page 20] === I sew foreign countries end met young people from all over the world, I started to write letters to a friend in Jakarta, | The sery of letters was entitled ¢ I saw a new world » | It turned out, that my friend published them in the People's Daily « @ left wing daily; It was the beginning of my cerrier as journalist, Wien the Youth Festival wes over I got the duty to join the Women's Internctional Democratic Federation (Ww. I.D.F) as the Indonesian Women's Movenent was one of its members, Its office was in Berlin, Germeny, It was very interesting I worked together with representatives of many comtries, such as Beatrix from the United States, Madeleine Rossi from Italy, the ch: irwomen was Medame Cotton from France, I lived together in @4p yxtments along the Orankestresse with Bulais from Iraq, she was at the same age like me,about twmty five yeers,Next door was Shahnaz from Iran end in another room wes Mevd from Sweden, Didi from India end another friend from Spcin. Our office was at Unter den Linden, in front of the Tumiolit University, We were like 2 global family interested in the | defence of Women's Rights in the shole world. We attended internctionul Conferences like those held in Helsinki (Finland), Leuscnne, Siiss, even in China, i/Several national orgcnisetions invited us at their Congresses kh Like Didi and me to attend the Congress of Femme Francais in Paris, Vienna, Austria and Oslo,Sweden. It vas really an interesting period of ny life bcing im deily conta contact with women from verious nationalities. I spoke about the fight for independence in my country nd the position of women vhich was still lower then that of the men in most Asiam African countris, For three years I stayed there, traveling many times | +o other cowtrie8e. AAA tebel, pam ee -_——— 3) === [PDF page 21] === gnthousiastically I produced dalls wi th various national dresses of diffrent countries as well as from various provences in Indo nesiar In the evening when I looked at them especially the doofis' eyes, 1 felt like having company, not just completely alone® Also my yearning for the outside world with sceneries of pafmtrees waving at the deal was somehow reduced by doing patchwork making pictures of coconut trees along the beach with. waves of the blue seat I was fortunate to have studidd painting during my student years,. when sedfe my handicracts my friends started to like them and excanged Ga with tea, sugar and snacks,whih they received from tnebr families, Even they encouraged me to produce more to sell them. via their visiting relatives. Only two of the four of us received family visits,althougn rareiI did n"t have contact with ny family as they lived far away in Solo, Central Javars Once a day the four of us were brought in front of the guerds' office to have one hour ‘sunbath', although strictly ardedz Even going to the toilet or taking our paths, we were guar ded. Tn 196% new detainees entered the prison, They ‘ceme trom Blitar after a failed revolt against the regime, They were also isolated. + so happened that there was daily only two guards doing their duty in turn, They entrusted their esponsibility of -rontroling the blocks to the socalled 'block-chiefs' choseb from among the detainees supposed bo be loyal to the guards, After certain perioéé they were changea's: === [PDF page 22] === once we got & block-chief who could play a double role, intelligent enough to seem obliging thcmiliary guards but at the game te violating thier rules to relieve our suffering, especial jy for the isolcted detainees’, ‘She dared to open pur lockedd doors es soons as the guad left jhe blocks to retum to his office ini yeas about several hundred meters from the blocks We the/could freeby associate with our other friedss, Apert from the teenagers of thePeople's Youth there were some reak kids of two to 4 years old brought along by their respective mothers, “sually their feathers were also arrested so nobody could ‘tcke cere oft them, Our v,Jockchiet Yus taught the children like Yoyo ot Tetty a special | children's song and upon intruction they sang it when the guerd left the office approaching our blocks. tus would cuickly push the isol. tion detaine es into our own cells and Clock! the Goor was locked again. me other friends returned so their daily routine jobs as tailors,er clustered in the yards while doing their work like crocheting, knitting, orembroidering waiting for the inspection of the gura. During my life alone in the cell, I tried to write poetry just to push away every thought uhich might lead to stress, Some of those were the folhowing % 4% Peace in my heart! 23 A whisper of hope! aa ara === [PDF page 23] === A whisper of Hope In the deepest darkness of the night i Knocked down by a gulf of sorrow Painfully squeezed beyond comperison During years of glowing firev.. In, the silence behind walls Piercing through the iron bars ThoBe whispered a string of words Full of hope in future peace How dark the night might be and dreadful the storm could be Once the storm would cometg an end Fresh. and bright the sun would shine In the deepest darkness of the night I hear a whisper ol kope Coming from HIM, whose love embraces us ell Who do not daubt in His power eae tt === [PDF page 24] === Peace ib ny heart!. ° Walls and bars Are witnesses of all turmoil ma grief in my heart Days became moths Years were' quickly flying Like a very long Nnigu: Sinking in freezing nothingness Silent and quiet Locked up in my cell | Ear away from the noises | In complete Loneliness‘: A41 turmoil in my heart Quietened in the tremple of peace In Full belief in HIM The Grator of the Universe. Walls and bars | Became witnesses Of the Deepest joy Thrilling uh my heart in full belief..! === [PDF page 25] === I THE CHILDREN AND HUNGER BEHIND BAR - se re me Years have peseed since we were throm into Bukitduri Women’ ‘Prison in the Southern Part of Jacaria in 1967. We vere considered as Epiloque detainees, those who after 4965, the vanning of dll leftist orgenisations, were still active: Therefore we were assumed as ‘dangerous’ and had to be isoleted in Block C, We stayed together with a dozen youus girls cll of them teensgeis, eavsumed as dizectiy involved in the 50th September Movement, They rere arrested in 1965 ab huhong Broya, the place Ofuhere ih 5 Gencruls were murdered by a milit.xy unity After q while they were eager to tell us their stories; In the nedia tnd posters in ‘hose days they were considered as Gerwani members but in fact none of them were a member of the Women's Movement considering their age at the time of their errest; They were moabers of People's Youth who got militery treining - 4 Lubeng Bueyas in that period during the contlict between Indonesia and iteveiea ceallel Dvikoxe it wes usual to join militxy trelring by meesorgenisetions Jot only the commmist ellied mass orginisatione, but alse by the netionzlist and relirievs sroups. Imder President Sukarno the thre? ideologies thga thyeee th RAs: sa (NASAKOM) weve united in the fignt against imperi: lism About the 32 Sept,Move ent itself it has been expliined Dbcrore ms min ting was to use CGERVANI as the object of eccusation of horrible deeds of sadism agiaotst the 6 generals, Ind these girls were the victims of the essumption thet as members of the Women ils Movment they hed committed scdistic and pornogrephic activities at Lubang Buaya, === [PDF page 26] === [Unreadable] They were widely reported in the msemedia that they had taken off the eyes of the generals, cutting their penises after doing sex. Such horrible stories were published. One report stated thet these 'Gervani members’ had taken otf their clothes and nekelly they danced the socalled +4 Powe ig ext Power Iknce',I asked the children how was the truth. Fregr was thr These children were arrested ot Lubang Buaya y beaten,somc ov them even rupel Lik> #.Hhe becane men ta: tuxbea since than, Anf it was in Bukitduci Prison, were taey took teix clothes off in the meeting hell, were they had to juno and © Shows yhile being put in a video strip. Chis was belivated as the socalled Fragra Elower Dance‘ Dien dm Lubeng Buaye. There was also « young innocent housewife vhois husband owned the well in which the generals were throw, She noé been heavily beaten, she used to sit for hours stupificd alone. Aca now rere we were together in Block 5 We were ¢3 togewer about one humived imm.tes. Block Awas occupisi by women lesders and imprtunt personages like the wives of com ist Lenders, Block B was occupied by more or less ordiuery Gerweni or tra other massorgenisetionss members arves ved in he gress Of the verious Jacaris miliary Deirtricte, Some of them were also heavily beaten,even raped by the pnilitcy interrog: tore. The more we got the stories cf theix experiences durin § ‘ne sxrests, the more we heard horrible stries like the time we were axcested in February '673 Meany died du ving she interrogations ana beatings too, In aay case we were still alive, Dut hoWse. === [PDF page 27] === tn the beginning we got as aily food twice a day some rice,vegetabies ene & piece of fish; Never 2 preekfest during all the years, Latec on ix became rice-porridge some vegetebles end no fish, even wc worst wae Some grains of maiz,Somé vegetables, even uiihout salt, Hunger vas Our deily suffering. Especiclly for these yovng girls, uevelly colic tchiliven' Fort of them cid not gut Yemily Visi YO Ve terisi vc Gunvive CETAXG anything eeteble Ixow “he gewien ell minds of leaves usuclly nit to be eaten, ssfirr a8 they were not poiscnowse Even stems and geeen buds oi (lovers, ya ine solidarity amore Us jpmates wae highe anybody, tho + got akomily visit ma received Sone food, deviaci it Ww some CulGErs,especiclly those who were sicke Fox me,as 1 tk my teeth Guring Wc peatings at the time of my acrest, I hed to mike my food very soit by mingus zt wita a stone on the alun ka plates For us Low in “he isolation room, era gift iron the other friends meet a jot, as we were suttering from all kinas of gescases at the sftermeth of ovr tortures at ont arrests, As two of our imm.tes were forme? medicel doctors, the y suggested that the weakest friends should get goiltf one giless of the fluid after boilirs tne tegetables. Usuelly it was thrown awaye rt must still contain the vitemines of the yoegcter les, al thovgh it «sted pitter. Some friends who got the Guty to work in the garden took the inisiative to collect edible gnall3, alvgoven we nea never eaten such meat, “Still it is meat aeedust TY them 1" === [PDF page 28] === We did not have oil, £0 the snails would be half roasted on not stones in the garden Some of the inmates got visiturs from theor reletives, They told that ia the men prison in Salemba ing Tongerang they even ate mas meat instead of chicken oz wefetLo meat, Scme of the husbands vere wlso deteinees in the men pylcons. In fengereng prisoa, some km outside of Cacamte Wany aéfa from hwiger « oping thet hunger period at nigh’ we urd te hear the gizi. guyiug and showbing feeling oppyeasned, <° nobody Knev wien WOU & be the end, Shey vece crvested end accused of commitiiug suct noveible crimes, ich tctuaLly were complete Lied. when the fou of us vere brought to court in 4075, pefore mv defance 1 Staten vhy those chiiiren vere not btovght to court § in vase oF being yuguilty, they xed 0 be coon velmscé. But vot The Least 2ceponses Only unen were Wee en intemmatiouel ures TO free the thousand of detiinecs Tin 11y they were released in 197%. For those ehileren it mex rt Pouctecn years of wheir you WL weisted pohind the iron bare, without any evidence cf crimes. YWoen the hunger persisted some tines we exchanged some clothes,sone ploutes with a undful of food from the eriminel section, the left building in Bukitduri. Wo hrd to 80 it very corel uLly in omen mot vo be observed by the Evens. It happaies 7 thet our pethroom wee next to thot of the criminals Te well gdevicing the two parts of the Long, bethzroom hed an open, space above, 4hrough which we excnenged our clothes with pacckets of rice in bananalcaves. === [PDF page 29] === We used to hid the pecket in our tielely while walking reidly +o the blockss Still,day by day the hunger beceme worst. One of the girls, the youngest--she was only thirteen when she was arrested as tpolitical detainee', She was rather fat and short nicknamed Fatty avd used to meke jokes in spite of the tregic condition in the prison. Lo ime dace showied thas we weve Located just as goats with just meizg end leaves as duily flood, “he other girls agrecd ind st.rted togther mimicking the blisatine of gozte.." mBecek,. caveek..t Phe nert tome when the military gucid cn texcd to blocks fox ixepcetion ve herrd fron ell roong the bicating of goats in eli intone tLops. Tae Sve wngereteot directly whet it meont,..omly geuts got such KE ot food Seilr..I He bec.nc furious ona res in hi: Bece, showsing to.tep mh woking the bleating ef goucte fut 1% wim on, for 2 ¥hiie Then tne guerd lost nis potience and pushed every poly in the cells «£0 tockvi then, Kor tug Gaye eli sanad. were puaisied withost Zood in the iselition PIOLK ¢ Yet the older inn tes dia not becenc Any nyeincs "he neon anan OT Miu epilereng Tnstrod, Ty 4 ughel Later on still leughed renemvering he angry Buexrd white heering the Ihlesting 1 ol gn eC Laven a = » sii -. - » Nu. ey as Ah oo Ue chilarc. cad Yumger hain Gk bapa Ta oc: SS === [PDF page 30] === T-, Cultural activities, In spite our suffering from hunger and weiuval stress we tried not to loose our Spirit, While looking at the teenagers we as adults had to be more resolute and able to endure hardship? During those times we were again interrogated, this time not by military officers, but some civil prosecutors to take our verbal official report in anticipating the court session? But when would it be, it was just a question %7.! It was already nearly five years wlrce entering the prison,when! I felt really very weak from. lack of vitamines and daily food’. During one of the interrogation. by a prosecutor, I dian't tell the truth about our underground w ork as usual? He presented a written: statement of one of our women leaders who told everything about our underground work, telling everything concerning tht groups, even the names? 4h such a traitor!!! I was ultimately shocked, so that sudden:ly-I could not move my right arm, My nerves seemed to be cracked down by such a trairtory, ‘This disappointment wes a climax, for two years I coul not hear and could not move my right arm even until ten years later as going to see a doctor was a rarity for use Still we did not want to become hopeless, We tried to make our prisonlife as best as we could in spite of the poor food and medical services we could not obtain, The young teenagers liked to learn singing and dancing. They held various competitions of gymnastics and other sports in the yards Every morning we had to do morning gymnastics. Table tennins was allowed to be gone, even for us during our daily time of 'sunbath:"': [Unreadable] === [PDF page 31] === In that way the years passed, once Carmel Boediharjo,, who worked ath the Department of Foreign Affairs entered the prisom after Minister Subandrio was arrested and detained at Nirbaya? Carmel was once a representative of the British Stuéents'Union working at the Headquarters of the International Syudents'Union in Prague. he met the Indonesian representatiove of students,Budiharjo and finally became his,wife returning home to Indonesia with him’ Some of us formed a group to study English conversation with. her; In turn I taught the teenagres elementary English. We were lucky, jhat Yus was still entrusted as block-chief, so that the opening and closing of isolation doors became her daiilt routine, We,. the isolation detainees were still forbidden to communicate with the others, We also performed plays in a rather wide space between the blocks, Of course some friends hd to take the duty to monitor the guardss As soon as one of them ieft the office to approache the blocks, we had to stop quickly our activities and did the the daily routine of embroidering, sting etc, while the isolation detainees like us,had to rush to our cells and locked. XW friend Lamy and I used to write the plays, mostly about the geurilla troups fighting for independence against the Dutch. colonial troups.. We hed a lot of rememberances about the tome between 1945 -- 1949, when we were teenagers. I was at that time a courier of the geurilla troups, making contacts beween the ‘villages and the city of Solo, Central Java.. I got the duty as playdirector, chooisng the suitable players === [PDF page 32] === Is Dutch soldier I asked Carmel to play the role as ave was | the only European,, tall,, whteskimed, with a straight nose, the exact type of the Dutch figures Ge did it very excellent, but sometimes she just mumbled " Wow... I have to play always the loosing one! ' Of course all of us laughed, We used to stage such plays approachinh IndependenceDay, the 17th of August to give the youngsteres some imagess of the struggle of the older ones. Once it happened, that our friends who had to monitor the guards seemed tp be too much engaged in watching the play and the code-song was heard rather too late, We rushed to our isoletion cells quickly and "click* the door was locked? But it was not quick enough for Carmel to change her "so ierts" clothing: So the other friends just dragged her into one of the nearby rooms and covered her with a big biankets,. The guard was inspecting the rooms. "She got suddnely ill,, probably influenzia' told amah + At that time there was an epidemy of Hongkong -Flu spreading over the country, So the guard quickly obit + the blocks, afraid to be contaminated; The guards never pid attention,if enyboay got Sick, 5. 1 We were lucky that the guard did nof have any suspicion/ What if he knew, that Carmel was insoldiers' dress with a pistol in her pocket... of course just for playing! Since that time on we continued our English studies. We also held competions in. singing,dancing and poetry readibg. === [PDF page 33] === weil us ' Sometimes, it happened that we got the order from: the commander to stage a play formally for the occasbn of Independence Day, Christmas or Lebaran. Day (the end of the fasting month) It was then. staged: in the big hall in the middle of the two wings,, the lefy for the criminals and the right wing for us, poltical detainees, Many guest from outside the prison were invited. They were quite impressed by our play, singing and dancing, Yeszzwe had to make our prison-;ife as sustainable as possibt8, We didn"t know, when. would be the end, But we should not loose our spirit and hope in the future!!! === [PDF page 34] === we Visite of the International Red Cross. Some years-later for the first time we got a visit of the Intesastioal Red Cross delegatton, one from Switserlabd and another one from. Germany, They didn't bring a transleter with theyy As the guards didn't speak English, they askei us who among us could do it, As I was known as an ex-translator, I was chosen together with my friend Tibi, who was a former lecturer ot the Indonesian University before? While walking around, I told the Red Cross deleation about our sufferings, the lack of food and medical care, If anybody became ill, she was not directly brought to a doctor, The lcst time Rumind died from weakness,symptoms of high blood-pressure without doctor's control. in the office I obligedly transicted the questions and answers, "How many times a day Go the cetainees get their meals and how much?" The gverd answered " Well, ceriteinly three times a day, rice soup and dishes, enover for thea I thel:, Look they ere healthy!" T trangizted his answer fully and loudly, but cddai in a whisper, " He lies, we don? get enough, mny timer only once end not even vice, but maiz or cassave us It seemed that Tini said the same to the other delegates, We hede to look seriously so that the guard would not be suspicious about our translution even contrery, — The delegates noted everything down, We showed the rooms; the sleeping ocmented 'bedst without any mttress cnd blankets. Many friengs just slept on the damp bare floors, and when it rained,it could be incgined how we felt. mena === [PDF page 35] === AW.. Zz [Unreadable] It conteined a nice bl; nket, nice clothes and chocolates y atin't taste such delicious chocolates for many year, The packet was accompanied by a letter from a Dutch woman introducing herself as a friend who knew my condition and woyuld continue to contact and assist us: For the other three, each of them got also a packet with a moving letter of friendship, The third time we met another I,R,C delegation was in 1980 during our stay at the new Zangerang Women Prison, where we were moved from Bukitduris It vas some kilameters away away from teh capital of Jacarta, It was just on time, as I suffred from allergy for several months and was not brovght to the hsspital for medical care, How happy we were like meeting old frineds,. How beautiful ard nice was international sSosidaxity Il... === [PDF page 36] === A when the second international Red Cross delagation came after two years in 1974, the four of us were already transfered to the left wing among the criminals; But the ddlegates insisted to meet the four of us after they finished their visit to the political section, They had our nemcs and urged to meet us. pera crn ea The officer in command was obliged to take them to us after pessing severel closed doors until the left wing, We were surprised end happy, This time they brought their own translater along; When the guard left us for a while they told us thet for each of us they hed found a special group of Amnesty Inte:netional supporters,mostly in Europe. For mf in Nethe-lend, for Herty in Wwiss and for the other two friends in Britain and Germeny: Oh... we were not forgotten, we still hed friends, yho fought for hume rights. This time the delegc tion presented us all detainees each a mattress to sleep on. Already so many Says we dia't feel the soft mattress. UK When we for the first time tricl to enjoy sleeping on the mattress, we sometimes woke up startled when ovr fingers _ felt the softness of the mattress containing cottonwool. My friend Harti got the idea just to put our usual siraumat on the mattress, In that way vhen in the middle of the night we woke up and our fingers touched the strawmet, we felt relieved and continued sleeping like usual, Oh, how funny it was | After a little while efter the visit we got a pecket from the Internetionel Rei Cross, The ra orficer did not dere, not to send then to us, because the govecrmment had en agrrenent with the T,R,C, === [PDF page 37] === vit. Zogether with women-crimin-1s starting from 1974,when the International Red Cross Centre delegation met us for the second time, ve were already iransfered to the left Section of Bukitduri prison amindst the women-criminals in blue uniforms, Although for several years ‘the four of us still lived in one cell, but ovr fcllow prisoners used to apnroahh us the windows and tela us their stories freely. when efter our couxtsessions the door was finally mocked during daytime, we covlé communicate with our neighbors more intimately. as they were mostl$ yowms girls or women, they called us tmumyt, wherea the women-guards they adrressed as ‘ibu' (mother or medam)s S0 tmn! was more Intim te, I began to know the criminal worké, the Life of pickpockets, Swindlers, thieis, kignappers, drugtraders or snugrlers, and mumerers, They were ysvally considered as ‘soci. 1 garboge'. But were they really Brbce? yeren‘% they hupanbe ings too,vho were unfortunate cnd hed reasons in doin# their crimes? I became the more interested day by day while listening to their storics, < remembered my years before 4965,vhen I worked <s transl:ter for foreign joumelists, including a Pravaa journalist from the Soviet Thion;.At the same time I wrote ertivies and short stories for various newspapers and megazines, At those times we interviewed high officials, even ministers in Presidential Palace. But now I was here and hai the opportunity to t write the life stories of the Lowest class citizens tossed down in the prison, i iiti but I began Of course I could not justify commiiting crimes; © egan ‘ a the motives behind variou to mdertsand the reasons why &D ia Mm es of crimes, === [PDF page 38] === Sem For instance there was Targfy a sweet darkskimei young woman from Indramayu, a region at the Northern beach of West Java, wellknown for its sevte poverty, She didn't know her father,who died from hunger and tuberculosis yhen she just a small kid, Her mother worked in the m-rket cerrying loads of vegetables ané cocomuts piled up on her hark When she ceme home she used to collapse from exhavstion, Asa little girls Tarsem wanted to work as childowrker in a sig-wet factory to help her mother feeding her vounge> prother and sister, although she earned only very little. faysem told me haltingly " We used met to eat cassave or mis, as rice was very expensive for us, One day a neighboring girl Minem, vho used to work in tacarta, came home, She persuaded me to go to Jacarta in order to be able to send ¢ nough money for my mothcr, I joined her with great expectations, But what happened? Minm brovght me to 2 brothel caclled ‘Sweet nights’, She hes worked tire for yeras as prostitute end 39 became I too, I hea no choice, For three years I worked there. for Iwas just a 'pay thine’ with 2iviceet huchends every night Of course I had dreams cf being loved by an, I yoernet to finish with this: life somhov, Once My roommate stole some jewelry ond a ict of money from a customer and fled.So I hed to De inprisoned in her place Ahsssin any cose I can sleep quietly nov 1, she smiled mother one was Keliug,a pickpocket "People were shouting,.thie?..thief!" I was canght stealing redhended a few cans of serdines in the morket, I was beaten acress may face, head and bodys I bit ny lips amA hole back the pain, I didn! shore & tear, That was vhy I ceme here, mummy | I was bom benerth 2 bridge across the Ciliwung river in down town Jacarta, I did't know my perents.I was brorhnt up === [PDF page 39] === A io Tas fot bt Het Iseh a/hible fingered middle aged woman vho was 2 D pickpocket neredit; Sie had some maternal feelings tow | ards me, When I was smay » She used to carly me on her hips ~ She wes formally a vegetable trader, But she freoucbtly stole anything from the shops, 4nd when she was Caught and sent to jail I accompanied her as I was too smell to stay on my own, Mat Isch PR me the skill of pickvocketing; ThatSs how I h-ve ee for years just like the other pickpockets and thieves, dae curled Up Hert to my friends near the piles of vegetebles in the market or in the doorways ef some shons nearby, also under the bridges when the vater was not high, My ae Udin end I were the best in stzalin ng, We were not allowed /to beg, Ma'’isah didn't like it, Tc her stealing or pickpocketing is 2 dangeroue 'profession' with consequences te “be ¢ cavght, vhereas begging is just for the Iozy and desperate koma Wen 1 met a schoolgirl in uritorn carry Ang books under her arms, i sometimes hcd the veculins: of CNWTeee aa évay with such thoumts | there wes awell between ticir worlsd and Oto! But a pickporket hes cerisinly Irene, you know! When I became alittle older.i*isch tock encther Ta oot * - Orphonared youkh bey as her adoped son, I vac heppy to get a brother vho wee some years older them me, -ho covid defend me when I got troubles, His neme was Eopeng or Peckmurked, As years pesced Bopeng became a sturdy young man,uho could eesily heul dewn huge wights “Of ice down from the trucks into the warenouses, That was his 'official' profession. At other times he used to cteal cCarespotlights vhich vas his specility,just as eal) of his friends had their own specialitu in stealing, === [PDF page 40] === fe i 4: la Like ag frin Dedeh fo ada yr example used to chet animetely with the young men ‘and snztched? their wallets cleverlys When she shouted "pickpocket,.pickpocket 1" together with the others x obody suspected her, in ny community to be a prostitute was considered ov a lower stctus than a thief. We entered and left a prison,but continuad our ‘profession’, is years pessed Bop ong saowed not crly brotherly sEfection, put the beginaing c£ love, which ect full res yoke decp in my heart. Mat Isch vas happy thet Bopeng and I lovei each other. who ayat, wt love is um orly for those who heve house and much money Bl... Ma'Isah had the dream to mariy US tofficieily' ia her' 'home-villere one day. So she arifei Bopeng and me to collect enough mony, although by stealing 2nd picerpocketinge But you sec..now IL ga here, elthouvh I Pik just Lor some months and Bams it in the men prison, - Hc will De velaased sooner than ZI ema of course he will vifigs mc thn 1° Keling’s ex s sparkied goilye mother type was a middle aged worn nicko- med “Drusule" as ee she hd mie fow persuns during gevered murng 9 She dida't show any feeling of regret. Once che told me, © ct ine IMC could not control her deeds, Phen ghe quest! 4 or hed a grudge against soncbody. But in everycey life she vas kind and helpful toverds the other prisners. I thoyght she must be suffering of 2 certain psychological device. se sho be, handled by 2 psychiatriss there. === [PDF page 41] === Not only poor peaple entered the womeneprison; There was a peautiful wealthy youmg Chinese women named Yang, who was ante a far t ane.. sentenced for sch years inprisoonment,beaause she had midered hw nusbend/ Nth,.it was a tragedy, I regret it,but too late, We were married several years amd got a son, But I fommd aut inothe took a mistress in Singapore; Sone friends from Singepore told mk it to me, [Unreadable] I went to Singspore to find out wether the rumor abovt my husband wes true, He sonctimes didn't come home for a tong ine, J didn't meet him thcre, but the neighbors ensured ag that a the house of my Busbend and his twite', It so huppeucd, that lH Jekarta, I took pert in « shooting lesson -S @ sport as it was common anone the elite, Sof & know ii how to handle a pistol and shoot, Khea IT oturned to Jecar'k.,I made the gruesoxe plan to kill 1 husband, At night when wy husband was vest aslcep 1 took my pistol and shot him on his heart, Ne aicg immediately, I xdortea to the police and vas detained and brought to trial, It was all like a nightmare, But I relly wopmet it as my little son ceontinvously accuses me Uaganny, wir Gid you kill daddy,m7 eris® But as she was 4 millionaive in thore tines she was able t# bribe the authorities, Her officiel sentence wae ten yeers long,bvt during thet period she woe allowed to go home now end them of course by poyins MLELE SUS « Ind tinclly on the pase of various ortivics of the Lew sh £ 4, at oe 3 wears. got many yeers reduction md was released atter 3 yerrre === [PDF page 42] === fs. Mag op 7 = [Unreadable] ike other murderers, \, 2 Hot Lil Ta ma 3, who hed to be inprisoned for the | sof + ta vhole period a the sentence, even some of them were to thei ppeianen on Nusekambangan island at the south a ern South lof Central Juva, Murder eee were usvelly committed d@ to betraiyels of the husband, yhe object was usually the husband or the PN se nira womn', Ijah even cut her husbend's yenis to death said. ‘ ae = ag. 4 In 1974 two students of the University of Indonosia, ln rue cculty of Criminology cameto stay with us to meke @ thesis about woarn eriminels, I introduced them to my fellow so that the other worn Could not get it, she prisoners ma said thet they were our Gaughters, “ho psid attention to thc fete of vomm criminals, later they became jectuterers Or (ewixolosy 2t the Ipiversity. In the meantine I continuel writing short stories of those women criminels, who weve pushed aside by the tcivilised' society. Somchor ve could not £co1 the suffering in the prison owselves as we Vere in the midst ot human su fering of my Leklow prisoncrss who mostly didn't have the opportuni ty to live a normal life before, due to the deep poverty, leck of education ett At least all four of us didn't experience auch Life before, oven we hai the opportuni ty to be sent abroai a5 activists of tae wonen's note ant Or krade Mion. Everywhere we were weLconed end honoured by ovr foreim friends. I continued my writing about roboers, swin'ler® » arugseller i trusted 2 womeneguerd who Wes penticularly kiri to US to send the stories home, Bulet Ora men I would be relssed Some time, I wovld Luke them back agains === [PDF page 43] === [Unreadable] It turned out that her husband was also a polical prisoncr sent to Buru Island and died there; She did not tell her superiors; Otherwise as the wife of a polical detainee,she could be expelicd from her job at that time, === [PDF page 44] === TX ngga Brought to Court, : time came, wh Finally the ame, en we had to prepare ourselves to be prought to court in 1975. From the nearly hundred political prisoners in Bukitduri,only ine four of us were sent to court, They told us, that they got suffifient evidence of our 'tcrime', tmcmely the publication nf and spreading of pamphlets supprting Presdent Sukarno We did it in 1906, when President Sukerno was officially still in power, but general Suharto tried to shake it in order to obtain the power in his hands, Only in September 1966 President Sukarno was officially turned down at a Keneral Assembly of the Parliament, He was then kept in arrest until he passed away in 1969. Our court was 6 years later after the death of President Sukar o and President Suharto got the full power. President Sukarno was accused as being loyal to communism as his slogan was unity among. the three ideologies: nationalism, relizion, and communism (NASAKOM). Te new order of President Suharto boasted itself as being conseguent anti-communism, engineering the 30st September Affair, imtructing the mass-murder of more than one million communists, sympathisers, and members of the allied messorganisations. Everything connected with Sukernoism (01d Order) was considered as a crime, Approaching our appearance at the Court our friends lent us nice batik blouses arm syawls to look presentable before the Court; A big prison carriage took us out, It was open at the back sa that we could See the people on the streets. When we pessed thmarket, it was asurprise, that many streetventers waved atas us enthousiasticslly From the prison carriage they knwe, that we were detainees Oh probably, they were also like our prison-mates! pickpockets or thiets etc and considered us === [PDF page 45] === as weir friends, We smiled and waved back: A, In front of the Court Building at down town Jacarta a wiole crowd gathxered < They musl be informed by the media that four women political detainees would be brought to court on that day. The four of us sat neatly in a row in front of the judges, consisting of one male and two female judges in their plack toga uniforms, On the left the team of prosecutors and on the right the team of defenders from Jan Apul $ Associates, One defender smiled and nodded his head welcoming us, It was the first time in years that somebody welcomed us so kindly and ready to defend us. Mh, my heart started to beat harder, As I looked at the three judges I suddenly remembered that the one on the left was my former classmate Yati at the Senior High School in Solo and also my fellowstident at the Gajah Mada University in Jogya, My self-confidencr returned. Why ¥.2 didn't do anything wrong. 1 spoke freely in my difence, In a flash JI rememberered the 'children', now Slreay teenagers amrested in 1965 as Gerwani members although they could not be members of a women organization yet, put members of People's Youty. They were accused as having mutilated the generals at Lubeng Buaya, teken of. their eyes; cutting their penisses, which vas complete lies, But for years written as headlines in mewspapers and posters pn the wills to provoke the society in order to hate everything connected with communism and its allied organisations. I saw the bare lies along the streets during my underground perios in 1966 - 1967. | "onourable Juages, I know the Lew has to be applied | all the ‘time, Once I nave studied Law at theGajcr Maga University My fellow detainees, still kids prom the People's Youth, who vere arrested in 1965 a still inprisoned after 10 years, should be the four of us " 7 also brought to court and set free, not only === [PDF page 46] === inted to the judge 4,who was my former fellow student: ny am speaking the truth, please ask her! SukarmO, who was Still in function at the ti tne pamphlets in Merch, April and May 1966 vas certainl not a viola tion of the Law; But this court is held a. eight years of our arrest and Sixyears Supporting President me we published after President Sukarno pass passed away, According strict regulation » a detainee shovld pe brought to court after six months of his or her arrest After 8 years of our arrest we are brought to court, Is not that violation of the Law @1!" I spoke emotionally: The Chief of the Judges, Asmara, got red in his face, He banged the hammer amd stopped the court session, Some one took the loudspeaker in front of me, sothat the audience, especially the crowd outside the building could not hear us anymore, The session was then postponed until undeterminated time, One session upon another continued for months, Finally the sentence, was deternined, he hammer fell, sentencing us inprisonment during in secuence - for Lamy 20 years, for me 18 years and for Sri and Harti each 15 years withouth reduction of the period Since theg day of our arrest, And that was eight years, by the vay 1 Our defender Yan Apul from the Association of Indonesian Aavocated (PERADIN) suggested us not to accept it and go to Higher Court; Also our prosecutor did not accept it as they demended .. 5 + needed life sentence, It semmed that the process in Higher Cour s of vases awaiting, they told us Some years,as there were lot lete isolation as usual... We just waited ».and in comp u ical section In 1976 our friends from the poltical sect On the right wing were suddenly moved away’ === [PDF page 47] === a former leprosery rehabilitation centre: Finally the Higher Court issued the sentence i. which was the same, but with reduction of the inte tne arrest. We wanted to accept it, but this time the team. of prose (itors disagreed and went to the Supreme Court: puring the time of waiting, bargaining between the -— we were still locked up as usual. amidst the criminal als? When the guards + were not around, they approached us at the window, c#hadting, pitying us,. giving us sometimes anacks and cheering us Up with their jokes. 4h... they were our closest friends during those dark days! political Due to international pressure in 1979 all/dteainees in Indonesia were set free, but not those who were glready sentenced. We could read newspapers smuggled carefully by our friends the women criminals. Te nearly 10.000 poltical male detainees on Buru Island were released after 14 years of detention without ridence of their guilt.or violation of the law, But our status was just in between, We were no detainees anymore, because we have already been brought to Court and had still to wait to become formal prisoners. The final sentence from the Supreme Coury came in the beginning of 1980, We were officially released from isolation and were free to communicate with our fellow prisoners wearing the same got the same guties, like cleaning the le clothos® and knitting blue uniforms, We also blocks in turn, sewing and embroidering tab in the work centre led by 4 woman guard. ‘On celebartions of National Days we Sang in a choir togther. I tangat erformed on the stage. got family viists. who was just released thme some dances to be P During all those years we rarely Once I was visited by MY younger brother; from prison after 8 years in Solos: He told me that our parents activist had passed away several years ago. He was formerly 2 === [PDF page 48] === He was formerly an activist of the People's Youth in Jacarta ang worked at the Netional Front. gn old church activist regularly visitea us throughout the years, We wre really grateful to Mrs ine Franz for her attention and assistence and from her we got informathons about our other friends in different prisons: ee es eee === [PDF page 49] === x Moving + g g o Tangeran Women Prison ( At the ena of 1980 ) one day we were informed that the next day we ha to Tangerang Women Prison, Tengerang is a wens oe Jacarta. 48 the inmates of the Rightwing of geet tien * were trasfered to Central Java in 1996 Bukitduri Peis nee zoo big for us. Actually the building was built ng Dutch Colonial Time more than two hundred years ago, L md freedoom fighters were jailed there, even my were executed. We saw ‘the iron guillotine, where they were hanged at that time Now the building became rather brittle and the ceilings were Likely to break down.. We had to collect all our belongings, namely some clothes, towels etc in one bag: Early in the morning probably at 3 O'clock we had to get into the buses and off we went., It was really 4 long journey to the north, passing ricefildis, villages and sceneries, we hadn't seen in many years. We stopped in front of a sparkling new building, the Tangerang Women Rehabilitation. Centre, Ir the same town there were prisons “for men, for delinguen? you ang also one special for children. The Women Rehabilitation Centre consisted of several round puildings 1 atoht f one in the front for the office. Two on the left and right +or work-centres and a few others for sleeping places.. For us, poltical prisoners, they reserved one round building. We got more inmates, one from Lampung, South Sumatra, who wes sentenced for lifes Two others from Cianjur, 1 was giving 4 communist leader from Vest Java, 2 mother and daighter, whose "crime: Bandung to stay overnight for a few days. They got respectively 16 years and 22 years sentences Inother one was Tati from Purworejo » Central Java, who 60% 15 years: er in one round building. So the eight of us were brought togeth LE a === [PDF page 50] === me media reported that the new Women Prison was the best e bes - the whole Soth East i i in th Asia, In our opinion it eas the most secured, because each was shaped round and the middl ml e space was the post 65r the women-guers overlooking all rooms around, The doors were not made of wood, but iron bars, so that even at night the guards could control what the inmates were doing. During daytime we got the duty in the Work Centre, just like in Bukitduri, sewing,knitting, embroidering togther with the /, women criminals. As I did't have enough patience to do handicraft I told the guards that I could draw desingns for table clothes,or handcherchiefs for embroidery, At the same time I could put aside some peges of poper to continue my writing short stories; I had to do the writing at night in the toiletroom'in order not to be seen by the guards. Sometimes we had to do gardening as around the buildings there was anough land to plant vegetables and flowers. In the beginning we hed to prepare the inauguration of the prison which would be done by; the president's wife, Tien Suharto. We gob a teacher to teach us playing the gamelan orchestra and “ singing traditional Javanese songs. Each of us got a nice lightbhue blouse with flower designs, but only just for that occasion, Whereas everyday we had +o be satisfied wearing our dark blue prison uniforms As there were frequently visitors from several [Unreadable] insti ti ocial organisations chu F journalss ts qd, eo te reports about the new prison, the food w better than in Bukitduri, . where we suffred we received was someho: from hunger. I gob the opportunity to smuggle my writinss out of the prison via a young female yournalist, Doris; She pretended to be student === [PDF page 51] === of te Technical Institute interested in the desi pris and wanted to study it in detail: gh gn of the new 5 « She got the permissi aa. ion to enter the buildings unaccompanied by the guards: e saved my writings and returned - sh them to me after my release, met here some international fi i We igures in the criminal world: e was ag italian girl,a me i i Jan, mber of a syndicate in morphine trade. cling drugs to Bali Wnen Ae g 8 ali She was caught, Jane didn't speak Indonesian well, so she used to come to me chatting freely about her eeperiences to pour all the burden in her hart, | Here is her story 3. "yes, I am an adventutess, I have besmirched my coun iry's good bane « I started as a model in a big fashion company in Paris. 1 came from a Simple family near Rome, On the age ot 16 I had a great ambition to become rich: and joined a group of girls trying fortune in Paris, In the glamorous world of luxuruous fashion I forzot my life ih the village, My first love was a feudal prince from Germany, We called him just Baron, Some time later this Baron took me to elite restaurants in Champ Elisee near the Eifel tower, I felt like Cinderei La. ly friends warned me "Be careful with your prince in order not to be betrayed later!" But I just didn't pay attention. My prince took me onee to 2 small island, Banana island south of France at he nmediterranian Sea. It was called also the 'nudists' island as people were sunbathing completely nude at the peautiful peach. Oh..it was like heaven on earth!. , ree, anes used To this islandg European millionnaires, big business men to rm away from the tensions of the pig cities to live & trange heres sen that Baron was not s = "free! life for some time, It seemed. === [PDF page 52] === ed wetheril was hi: Nobody ask x is wife, We haa +. o enjoy life, Baron al ways gaid 28 nobody knew, when would be the end: ap ter 2 while he told me a K ite to take more money, aie ne had to return. home for a Cars in my eyes I told him that the Man G5 Ban Love Maa Sprung,,,that I was pre 5 gnant,. -ust comforted me sayi He ju ying that he would be back Soon, Days and months passed, but Baron didn'+ appear yas really betrayed 7Fortun 3 " 5 1 Pan ma a BBS 2AM ately aunt Rosa,may former housemaid k cered 1 idn't have any child of her own, a birt gi men I gave birth to a baby-girl, she took it in her arms like a grandmother and named her Violetta or Letta, We earned our living by selling souvenirs made of sea-rocks ans shells, After some time Peter, a friend of Baron came to send me some money: He told me that Baron had to marry the only daughter af and heirress of 2 rich Prince, a relative of his mother, As Baron's parents were impoverished and had to poy loads of debts, Baron agreed te save the family, ing I,,, without anybody on the amall islend had to care for his daughter, Frustrated I AdeTamay all the money to nan No,.no better finished with all this 11 I became a drugseller like many others on the beah and got alot of money, An international syndicate uf drugsmus/Aers rk to many countries,in perticuler hey thought, thta 1 was tries accompanied used me to widespread the netwo in Asiaz. I became a real adventurdek a beutiful rich girl, traveling to different coun by handsome partners like Henry, Joe and some others. g the linings of ny brassiere. when a big 108 was sme jumped arny preast, I kept the morphine tablets amon 1ling But in Bali the accident happened, around, He must be trained to fina drugs,He s suspected already,as I came Wiile barking loudly. Probably 1 wa to Bali many times: === [PDF page 53] === q was arrested with a lot of morphine tablets as evidence Now here I am,.mum.! I don't know what the future 11 Will be for me!" As for o its other inmates in Tangerang were mostly small fishes: Pyckpockeks, Swindlers and husband murder ers Two girls from Singapore were after a certain time we faced form of the prohibition to go gold smugglers, some negative treatments in the to the hospital when we were ill? Rhere was a case Of an wnm:te running away while going’ to the hospital.Although She was accompanied by a guard, she mangaed to slip away from the backdoor of the doctor's room During that time accidentally I suffered from a kind of skin allergy, itching gravely when I was emotionally yense.. One day the chief told me that I got permission to see a skin dockor, I was rather surprised, but the only skin specialist was at the leprosery, There I saw the victims of leprosery pushed aside from the sciety: Oh..certainly there were people who suffred more then us...! It turmed out thet the next day 2 delegation of tha International Red Cross came to visit us. It was the third time thst we were visited by the IRC delegavion. We welcomed them and seretlytold that I was perm teed to go to the skin doctor the day before as the chief knew that an IRC delegation would visit us, In 1981 it was the time for our W cntence after getting arted from us o friends Sri and Har to finish their 15 years long s some remissions. With tears in their eyes they oe soners. the remaining six oltical pri |: her daughter and Tati “hen the three others, Munny Ubed, wre in turn relased. 3 5 i tence gs ae baka of us,; Lamy, I and Geri with her life senten remained ¢ === [PDF page 54] === eee -6kecording the regulation of the Criminal Lam after two thiri of the sentence we could appeal for parole (relased under control or in with some amount of money to be psid, Dutch Voorloping in vreiheid stelling! VI) but usually Lamy and I didn't have any money, even our families in Central Java could not afford to visigt us, the more to pay four our paroles. So the only solution was to wait until the time of pzR,t (Pre Release Treatment) meaning » certain period of time before the date of the exact release,But under strict control of the local military district command until the ate of release. formal 4 I jearned to breath the free air outside the prison walls’ debt === [PDF page 55] === LAOS coor" ame Py beekiage 08 21e / ly nephevs Widodo, ot ber 14 yecr Reieassé in 1985, no be re lees ea nNeeied somchoay to be responsible fox Tm Cena toe Pe 3 oi TT ta " -. 1 wes yeoky me » the wife of e distant cousin Widodso, sometimes pit Me in Singerong, Her husband was mmely -also detained a4 years & ead. benmer on Buru Island, Iv vas she, vho declared nerselt sesponcib Le for wy request vor P,2,1 (Pre telecse Treatment) Ty we 2? hg Guning tac time of PRE in my c.ce two joars More, in case pane tw tron vey and didn’t sepert to the local military coma.kd, dhe a be errested An "yr niece 1 ece, wows I thonked bom heartily, vhen Fincliy mo picked Ne Bp OF Ka 47H, 1953 afyer 16 years of irnvis nent. wv relievee 1 felt it Ondce a week I had to report fo the roeri 23 -peiots military command, Bus it didu't matter, I was then free to 9 ony. at VEL x ci ESE e oF ere ha My niece verse a smell 26 an annurb weril ler Krom dare n snburban sevenul km trom Tresna In RA BU ree aa CITA Gz au yilige ecileai “om ile since teal “hi 2 Ark CLIVE € wmeever Twcnt to ton in a smell public v hicle, even are hepiy inhcisns tne fresh eir of freedom. as i Saal Ras AE MDS LE: n Brec..,.ceupieteiy free 1" was the song im ny best, = ron 1 3 SANGE Nes. 1 2 prang years ome frase time withis = tocked cell during y eon Toten EB geet 1. uan Wes otsuret ak PLP areeee t . - nig) 1 ay TT + forced Levoue ot prob: ae hes = couls & nob ocr nis living. 7 12 Ee; enor al teu hed end cous’ on tat. CVS Gc. = “J a we ae tery ot a ork nerd during meny years « secre VET} otAnet tine me So wy niece Lud to ¥ as. womn lundowner to CAT tic livirg for the 5 ae The eldest son snd pis sister Were elreay D two song had z4 ta Z0 to coLilesee Tan «Mane Sp Diy 5 19 tna poy so ects BY to others 5 === [PDF page 56] === [Unreadable] fs tyes 6 trancliter about ergy - Ina ‘Lome 1965 resen tied +o obtsin new cou "Gificetes in ‘foreign lens "hen tly " _ Enswescs, otherwise 0. ee very diffierd £ f it vould be very ilificult to get a jobs in thie overcrowd cd netopoli ten, city of Jacarta Ly BES tle told me 1 tra Lanalan 2. 3 aan 3 Frou el BY tangangen I krew, naneiy Dutch, Semen peste au Ll kab ToruA to mester it meen Fo lam: thi: gince TALON OL EM a sevch Colonial time | I studieg in ‘the weaves and two years at COUNT, kas Ociuplei by the ltr and for three ene n: LE yee we. tb to stvdy eo da lara Gea ag S0 “3 uy Du Fup. GCnivy in 7945 after the Proelsratian of Iriccomdcnce ve siviled the Iikonesian len HSUcke, coiled the Mnleyen Lenguege 2 (H,T,8) foz esven Se. the per Ou uy BO Vouzuse Wats V ayanese, ot» bhi Ta, Tore car wen 9 Gl atmus Suis, o Dutch Lu.uuse instutute managed Myer AR. Masi mS 1 sek mad » NOP Win tely 1 nii saved severel thousands rupichi. collected A, vom tmnelitieu: fces during the let perio Ai c wether long écily tip fcom Guiul Village to Abo Ugh & iT VER © DE YA 072, Mma ma OLI ATA aed ULL MALAS one PAs sox. times ° aoe SG OS 52 1 Ltute an de wnte Inget, Io emierw it wry much Me Tasti 2 & o 5 psuing beutiful samaritan, vicefields cud pln orcherds berore eaterin: the city with nuge buildings naa seye 5 sasa Man N 1x tant ‘i e: Ker several mon ths of heed study IT wsc tie final vest cull laude, : sb hp house Hy icacher & Duteh ILdy, Jokanna, offreed ms to vork bee Sous i anon pt the Univer- * nestedins er husbur, sho wee a Dutch leetuveren ft the Unive , Sa, tp mae TELO I didn! kn sity of indoz he NotureLly I was ready ve cccepe + Only I was on ex-political how her recetion would be if I acknewlage ae #; pilyoner, “ito Bet still te anne resulerly « Uas Towel or tuo ysans Id "3 rogers Weekly cea 3 said, ‘concer could nox WK job comnected military Smee. tect en omenalitisal ml an [Unreadable] “: ve 2 ere — Na nahan cis aa J mat #6 Veaore” gers Wath whe conmeebtyp, Sab. ae ven? Te us tt accept rdividusas === [PDF page 57] === z gnrted +o work as trenel- ter st her house, a ene a pa befor shani, Befors KAS = hed to study operc 1565 we diin't heve Cowputers yet, an EX-politiccl prisouer, who still hed kanan weekly at the military come MEA, tears im her eveyes and steted thet it Ih Qs ane wes we ds, srt 42 4 was ciright 22 Ane wes comected with the Inter. ti in London, ulthouga not oponlyw meh hugz Re With tvimmel ames ty So 1 sovtinved working tor her cor about tow: veers long, there were imeiicc tion abuut her activit ot a eet =: 4 nanda eta.. 2. Lo 2 acwiVWLtLIS, LI AN Kit Sime sre ausrected that To Shot Mug vhea tke family bed to leave as the Inclicn Iemgeote Teo 2 AI 7 he ate % I vezisterel as wuatuient athe Inglish Imgunse Institute ene Ea Dy the Indoncsimdbu.ric Fricngi bip League {L,i,4 ) you Kaien, Ue Fat thaw vine onything cenmmectet with Amczics was Fos - es com kanan EL best, SD +t sould os cure tat Boving & certificate ng Tusdish tecciow trem LIA woul? be @ lieerer so & Aithoush thone wero a reetriction for ex- tenols to 2 oy? eats 3 mua ya tet tart tf 3. 2 ae ta: a at" 5 weet Oe Lok owe teacher, jowwelist, civid sevwiw, TAG we wwe 2 After two yeors I got the ecadei.L sii vement ef release = aa > o the wacic 16 yeors pouely From 1967 up vo 1965, on the weeds I Yew» How I dignt+ need to report weekly, but like the a a eon CAPS 15 endec dctainees I hea to renort monthly during mony TOP ( in 1997 ) isi tA hn. rove me a ta eren to Fetherbond, ns fe then ny Dutch employer ud to van © 2 rot manan tb 7 - 1? Poa -% heen tani get 1 --e turer NEON oe SO ty Wr sd hi - md aid 1 he YEE aa + we dah MA WATE x) bea. 77. 2a B ADUS 9 Haha Ma eet ee ey od ty of Tr Loken ira yo. . ai misgsaliga? Luse I became. eagued vel vita name Kusus; a fm es eagy Uni neh Like Prog Ho beri Jelita rom Konsen VP” A fi th os te — 1 i wer ENG powers Be vonen leeturers, “ho were VET) King Ve o' pees im 2 * +o ai Pe Gi Cz 1 a t 135 ths aq seeps OF ex. ap 92150 === [PDF page 58] === Par 4 “4 - yor several years I workea 4 thexe | the time cme tat he hed Lo hea clycag 3 = aay my centijicai vw, the meee 2 | CaS COS i a tama va GOT Contacts vith aouc 2 aa aIning +t T seat 8 TIOLKING ST ETA, Ss the bo LET, Do kusus / maka TC mer harga, 2 Sar 1 Seis el aCe. eek $ no Usueliy moh int sites ° = Ate wah Las 1 an Let. SOTK LOL Il Ws, Gani [Unreadable] OU bni BE Repo wb Pel 9 Since ny release I used wnt EO VEN ES ee eee ey “37 7 mena BALI ng IL SOE sime: 7363:nd bovis con nig aotivists tea ‘i ann “5 oa! oe Stee = sa 7 bs SI ML mnta tee ve ‘wit? acid Gl th we abt: air wee Tice FP emas ak Germ. sie Play te et Lesacers of whe Tata Pei w hd Dae uan menu bag | Wl “ 5 tentets Venom tie Party wore Exvun lea LO vere uct clounl 20 years Fate et Me eo oll. ‘ine OLLULG Sond deee ten Gr the guna an gama amet wis yp ae toh BA UG ee ee Al. WC 3G: ra a) SI EL LES. vu F Zz = Co eee “ oe. at te 7 a Bag EA 2 4 Gade Silam Uu Pori we ae cw Led uu UK doumecli ox tae Lu Glee, Ea Suhu oo Toping. Dag te ON os jexnds from Comesvie georns, didh!t get rerpense yet. Some vere rcleased, pnt still meny diau't| cholition 2s they igek vere considered es allied do tytent comemist Zonger'. sition in 1955 Bhat is the present noliticl IT hope there vilell yoliticel ‘geisoser eat Ss Yi Ka gly 5 = WLLL bo soy TPE.s rara PA === CORRECTED KEY PASSAGES (proof-read by Claude, Oct 2026) === --- [page 5] --- [Unreadable] the overthrow of President [Sukarno] [Unreadable] [Unreadable] and supporters of President Sukarno were [Unreadable] September 196[5?] [Unreadable] [Unreadable] === [PDF page 6] === I. UNDERGROUND WORK. In September 1965 I was active at the Headquarters of the Indonesian Women's Movement working as translator. At the same time, as part-time journalist for some newspapers, I wrote articles and short stories especially about women's problems. The organisation was active in various fields like the defence of women's rights, children's rights, social welfare, training women cadres etc. At that time the organization had its branches on nearly all islands of the archipelago with about one million members. Together with many women's organizations in the Indonesian Women's Congress (KOWANI) we held trainings of volunteers in the struggle for the return of West Irian into the Republic of Indonesia (Trikora). Before that, there was also such a struggle for the return of North Kalimantan against Malaysia (Dwikora). Such was the situation at that time, demanding women volunteers to take part in military trainings. Such was the case in 1965 at Lubang Buaya. At the same time we were preparing for the holding of the fourth Congress in December 1965. I stayed with my friend Lanny, who was a secretary of the Women's Movement, in a rented small house not far from the office. But many times, when we had to finish our duties, we had to stay overnight at the office with the driver and a housemaid, who prepared our meals. In the early morning of October 1st, '65 we started our duty as usual. As most activists were at the same time also housewives, they used to come to the office a little later. It was a great shock for us in hearing the information from one of our chairwomen, who came very early. She told us that 6 generals were kidnapped and murdered at Lubang Buaya the day before, in the framework of the 30th September Movement. === [PDF page 7] === It was the place of volunteers' training in particular of members of the People's Youth, Women's Movement, Trade Unions etc. as usual. We decided to look around in the city, as we didn't know anything before. In front of the Communist Party Headquarters we witnessed the burning of the buildings and people plundering. Arrests were done everywhere. Anybody considered as communist or its sympathisers was caught. We stayed overnight in a friend's house, but we had to leave the following day. Fortunately a relative of mine had married a certain colonel, who was already retired. I knew that he was a supporter of President Sukarno and also knew him since the time of the guerrilla fight in East Java against the Dutch troops. We were welcomed heartily. He gave us some funds to continue our struggle. We decided not to be together all the time. Only at night we returned to that place. I started to connect another friend who had gone abroad to attend the International Federation of Trade Unions. Lanny had heard that our leaders of the Women's Movement as members of Parliament got the opportunity to stay for a while at the Senayan Sport Hall Complex, because their homes were ransacked by the mobs, together with the apparatus. We decided to know about their whereabouts. The colonel's driver took us to that place. But approaching the apartments we stopped at a small cafeteria, just to be vigilant. The owner said emotionally: "Ah, at night all the women inside were taken away by the military troop. What should they have done to be treated like criminals, all such old women...!" We quickly left the place. It must be naive to fall into the trap of the authorities. We tried to meet other friends if possible. Lanny had to meet one friend and I another one. === [PDF page 8] === Once more I connected [Unreadable] the women leader [Unreadable] of the Indonesian Federation of Trade Unions (SOBSI). I [Unreadable] when we women [Unreadable] attended an International Congress of Working Women in Bucharest, Romania in 195[6?]. His husband was [Unreadable] [Unreadable] === [PDF page 9] === [Unreadable] several times from Jln. to Jln., Erna, Lina etc. We could do so at that time, as long as we had sufficient funds for transport. [Unreadable] passed. What made us emotionally tense was [Unreadable] big letters on posters or written in big letters with chalk or charcoal on the street walls stating Gerwani members doing sadistic activities against the Generals at Lubang Buaya. Pulling their eyes off, or cutting their penises. Also the mass media published all those slanders, even mentioning that some Gerwani leaders were prostitutes. It was certainly engineered by the present authority under General Suharto, who arrested President Sukarno until he passed away in 1969. He was considered as loyal to communism as his slogan was the Unity among the three existing ideologies in Indonesia at that time: the nationalists, the religious people and the communists (NASAKOM). He never agreed to ban the Communist Party. In our bulletin published in the beginning of 1966 when President Sukarno was legally still President, we stated that we had to fight against the fascistic regime of General Suharto who unconstitutionally took the power. Our aim was to return President Sukarno into power again. I got the duty to widespread the Bulletin also to foreign Embassies. I did it quietly in the evening just flinging them in the mailboxes along the main street of Imam Bonjol, Diponegoro etc. Such was our daily activities. Before being aware nearly one year had passed moving from one place to the other. Well, we had still a lot of friends and supporters and sympathisers, who assisted us with their activities, mentally as well as financially. === [PDF page 10] === II. CAPTURE Before being aware, we had been doing underground work for more than one year, during the last months reproducing and spreading the Bulletin in support of President Sukarno called P.K.P.S. (Supporters of President Sukarno's Command). We had a reproduction machine in the rented house of Sri, my friend from the National Council of the Indonesian Trade Unions (SOBSI). Together with Herti from the Farmers' Union the three of us used to come together regularly to discuss the situation and further activities. I received the monthly bulletin from Lanny, who got it from another [group] above us. --- [page 16] --- We thanked them quietly in order the guard would not see it. We were really among sympathetic peoples. More than one month we were there. Even so-called "criminals" had a human heart, feeling sorry for us, who were isolated day and night without enough food. [Unreadable] Session of the Communist Leader Sudisman [?], she told that the latter was sentenced to death just on that day, which was accidentally his birthday. Another friend from Surabaya was also brought as witness. She was captured in Palembang and brought to Jakarta and stayed in the room next to ours. Finally our days in the Criminal Section of Bukitduri were finished and we were returned to our 149 Detainees' Camp. We told our friends there about the friendly women criminals, who many times smuggled some delicious snacks for us. Our friend the humorous poet remarked: "Ah... certainly there are a lot of themes to write about... It's a pity I am not a woman!" Of course everybody laughed. After several days the four of us were suddenly called up [Unreadable] to Bukitduri Women's Prison. This time we entered officially the Section of Political Detainees at the right wing. === [PDF page 17] === It was a lot of hugging and kissing, as most of them we knew already, such as the leaders of the Indonesian Women's Movement and activists of all the mass organisations with whom we have worked together many years before 1965. We were put at Block C, again in isolation as this Block was supposed to be prepared for those marked as "dangerous". We as Epilogue activists belonged to this group because when the organisations were banned we still continued our activities. Others in this Block were the young teenagers arrested at Lubang Buaya; they were members of People's Youth. But during our underground work we read that they were members of the Indonesian Women's Movement participating in murdering the Generals. [Unreadable] later we would know everything about the truth. In any case, we were now far from the "Ghosts' House", the interrogation centre with inhuman tortures. For the first time since our arrest and in various camps I could breathe relieved and tried to sleep. What would tomorrow bring for us, we had just to wait and see... === [PDF page 18] === [Unreadable] happy student years in the early [Unreadable] LIVING IN ISOLATION We were put in Block C in one big cell. Block C was dedicated for the "dangerous" detainees, the so-called Epilogue activists like [us] who continued active [after] the banning of all leftist organisations. [Unreadable] those young girls arrested at Lubang Buaya. They stayed [Unreadable] next to us, but we could not speak with them as [Unreadable] was locked. The other friends [Unreadable] isolated [Unreadable] [Unreadable] approached the window [Unreadable] [Unreadable] After [some weeks?] we were [Unreadable] in one small cell of about 2 x 4 meters [Unreadable] with a mandi [Unreadable] without [Unreadable] I lay down on a tin [mat?] [Unreadable] closed day and night [Unreadable] the hours of loneliness [Unreadable] wanted to become [Unreadable] [Unreadable] in an imaginary world [Unreadable] activities in the [Unreadable] --- [page 23] --- How dark the night might be and dreadful the storm could be, Once the storm would come to an end Fresh and bright the sun would shine. In the deepest darkness of the night I hear a whisper of hope Coming from HIM, whose love embraces us all, Who do not doubt in His power... === [PDF page 24] === Peace in my heart! Walls and bars Are witnesses of all turmoil and grief in my heart. Days became months, Years were quickly flying Like a very long night, Sinking in freezing nothingness, Silent and quiet, Locked up in my cell, Far away from the noises, In complete loneliness. All turmoil in my heart Quietened in the temple of peace In full belief in HIM, The Creator of the Universe. Walls and bars Became witnesses Of the deepest joy Thrilling in my heart In full belief...! === [PDF page 25] === III. THE CHILDREN AND HUNGER BEHIND BARS Years have passed since we were thrown into Bukitduri Women's Prison in the Southern Part of Jakarta in 1967. We were considered as Epilogue detainees, those who after 1965, the banning of all leftist organisations, were still active. Therefore we were assumed as "dangerous" and had to be isolated in Block C. We stayed together with a dozen young girls, all of them teenagers, assumed as directly involved in the 30th September Movement. They were arrested in 1965 at Lubang Buaya, the place where the 6 Generals were murdered by a military unit. After a while they were eager to tell us their stories. In the media and posters in those days they were considered as Gerwani members but in fact none of them was a member of the Women's Movement, considering their age at the time of their arrest. They were members of People's Youth who got military training at Lubang Buaya. In that period during the conflict between Indonesia and Malaysia called Dwikora it was usual to join military training by mass organisations, not only the communist allied mass organisations, but also by the nationalist and religious groups. Under President Sukarno the three ideologies, the three [forces] (NASAKOM) were united in the fight against imperialism. About the 30th Sept. Movement itself it has been explained before. [Unreadable] the aim was to use GERWANI as the object of accusation of horrible deeds of sadism against the 6 generals. And these girls were the victims of the assumption that as members of the Women's Movement they had committed sadistic and pornographic activities at Lubang Buaya. === [PDF page 26] === [Unreadable] They were widely reported in the mass media that they had taken off the eyes of the generals, cutting their penises after doing sex. Such horrible stories were published. One report stated that these "Gerwani members" had taken off their clothes and nakedly they danced the so-called "[Unreadable] Flower Dance". I asked the children how was the truth. [Unreadable] These children were arrested at Lubang Buaya, beaten, some of them even raped [Unreadable] [Unreadable] traumatized since then. And it was in Bukitduri Prison, where they took their clothes off in the meeting hall, where they had to jump and [Unreadable] shows while being put in a video strip. This was [fabricated as] the so-called "Fragrant Flower Dance" [Unreadable] at Lubang Buaya. There was also a young innocent housewife whose husband owned the well in which the generals were thrown. She had been heavily beaten; she used to sit for hours stupefied alone. And now here we were together in Block C. We were together about one hundred inmates. Block A was occupied by women leaders and important personages like the wives of communist leaders. Block B was occupied by more or less ordinary Gerwani or other mass organisations' members arrested in the areas of the various Jakarta military districts. Some of them were also heavily beaten, even raped by the military interrogators. The more we got the stories of their experiences during the arrests, the more we heard horrible stories, like the time we were arrested in February 1967: many died during the interrogations and beatings too. In any case we were still alive, [Unreadable] === [PDF page 27] === In the beginning we got as daily food twice a day some rice, vegetables and a piece of fish. Never a breakfast during all the years. Later on it became rice-porridge, some vegetables and no fish; even [the] worst was some grains of maize, some vegetables, even without salt. Hunger was our daily suffering. Especially for these young girls, usually [still] children. --- [page 44] --- Approaching our appearance at the Court our friends lent us nice batik blouses and shawls to look presentable before the Court. A big prison carriage took us out. It was open at the back so that we could see the people on the streets. When we passed the market, it was a surprise that many street vendors waved at us enthusiastically from the prison carriage. They knew that we were detainees. Oh, probably they were also like our prison-mates, pickpockets or thieves etc., and considered us === [PDF page 45] === as their friends. We smiled and waved back. In front of the Court Building at downtown Jakarta a whole crowd gathered. They must be informed by the media that four women political detainees would be brought to court on that day. The four of us sat neatly in a row in front of the judges, consisting of one male and two female judges in their black toga uniforms. On the left the team of prosecutors and on the right the team of defenders from [Unreadable] & Associates. One defender smiled and nodded his head welcoming us. It was the first time in years that somebody welcomed us so kindly and ready to defend us. Oh, my heart started to beat harder. As I looked at the three judges I suddenly remembered that the one on the left was my former classmate Yati at the Senior High School in Solo and also my fellow student at the Gadjah Mada University in Jogja. My self-confidence returned. Why? We didn't do anything wrong. I spoke freely in my defence. In a flash I remembered the "children", now already teenagers [sic], arrested in 1965 as Gerwani members although they could not be members of a women organization yet, but members of People's Youth. They were accused as having mutilated the generals at Lubang Buaya, taken off their eyes, cutting their penises, which was complete lies. But for years written as headlines in newspapers and posters on the walls to provoke the society in order to hate everything connected with communism and its allied organisations. I saw the bare lies along the streets during my underground period in 1966–1967. "Honourable Judges, I know the Law has to be applied all the time. Once I have studied Law at the Gadjah Mada University. My fellow detainees, still kids from the People's Youth, who were arrested in 1965 and still imprisoned after 10 years, should be also brought to court and set free, not only the four of us." === [PDF page 46] === [I pointed to the judge,] who was my former fellow student: "[Why] am I speaking the truth, please ask her! Supporting President Sukarno, who was still in function at the time, we published the pamphlets in March, April and May 1966. This was certainly not a violation of the Law. But this court is held [after] eight years of our arrest and six years after President Sukarno passed away. According to strict regulation, a detainee should be brought to court after six months of his or her arrest. After 8 years of our arrest we are brought to court. Is not that violation of the Law?!" I spoke emotionally. The Chief of the Judges, Asmara, got red in his face. He banged the hammer and stopped the court session. Someone took the loudspeaker in front of me, so that the audience, especially the crowd outside the building could not hear us.