US State Department Cable 1978-175687 (State 176631): Weekly Status Report, 'Mrs Aidit to face trial'

=== [Page 1] === Title: US State Dept (1978) - Cable 1978-175687, Dr. Sutanti Aidit to be tried Source: Internet Archive, https://archive.org/details/StateDeptcable1978-175687 Date retrieved: 2026-10-19 OCR text (_djvu.txt) Sheryl P. Walter Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014 Message Text CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 01 STATE 176631 ORIGIN EA-06 INFO OCT-01 ISO-OO ONY-OO /007 R DRAFTED BY EA/TIMBS:STAFF:CCH APPROVED BY EA/TIMBS:REFRITTS DESIRED DISTRIBUTION EA ONLY 130055 131623Z/43 FM SECSTATE WASHDC TO ALL EAST ASIAN AND PACIFIC DIPLOMATIC POSTS CONFIDENTIAL STATE 176631 LIMDIS E.O. 11652:GDS TAGS: XC SUBJECT: WEEKLY STATUS REPORT - THAILAND, INDONESIA, MALAYSIA, BURMA AND SINGAPORE AFFAIRS INDONESIA SUHARTO VISIT TO EAST TIMOR (CONF) THE ACTING SECRETARY TODAY SIGNED OFF A TELEGRAM AUTHORIZ- ING CHARGE PAUL GARDNER TO ACCEPT AN INVITATION TO ACCOM- PANY PRESIDENT SUHARTO AND A NUMBER OF DIPLOMATIC CHIEFS OF MISSION ON A VISIT TO EAST TIMOR, SUBJECT TO AUSTRALIAN PARTICIPATION. AUSTRALIAN AMBASSADOR CRITCHLY HAD ALREADY INDICATED TO EMBASSY JAKARTA THAT HE IS DEFINITELY GOING. MRS. AIDIT TO FACE TRIAL (LOU) CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 STATE 176631 FBIS JULY 10 QUOTES KUALA LUMPUR INTERNATIONAL SERVICE OF JULY 8 TO THE EFFECT THAT A SPOKESMAN FOR THE PROSE- CUTOR'S OFFICE IN JAKARTA HAS ANNOUNCED THAT DR. SUTANTI AIDIT WILL BE BROUGHT TO TRIAL SOON ON CHARGES OF COMPLI CITY IN THE 1965 COUP ATTEMPT. MRS. AIDIT, WIDOW OF FORMER PKI BOSS D.N. AIDIT AND IN HER OWN RIGHT A MEMBER OF THE Sheryl P. Walter Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014 Sheryl P. Walter Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014 CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE PKI'S WOMEN'S AFFILIATE GERWANI FOR TEN YEARS, HAS BEEN LISTED BY AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL AS A "PRISONER OF CONSCIENCE;. A NUMBER OF AI ADOPTION GROUPS HAVE BEEN ATTEMPTING FOR SOME YEARS TO OBTAIN HER RELEASE AND TO HAVE THE USG INTERVENE ON HER BEHALF. COLT INDUSTRIES REPS VISITED EA/TIMBS JULY 1 1 AND REPORTED THAT DEFENSE MINISTER JUSUF HAS INFORMED THEM THAT HE WANTS TO HAVE A SIGNED CONTRACT BEFORE AUGUST 17, INDO- NESIAN INDEPENDENCE DAY. COLT IS DRAWING UP ALTERNATE CONTRACTS FOR PROJECTS FOR 150,000 OR 300,000 RIFLES (AT MONTHLY PRODUCTION RATES OF 2,500 OR 5,000) AND WILL PRE- SENT THEM TO THE GOI ABOUT JULY 26 OR 27. COLT REPS FOUND THE BANDUNG PLANT WELL EQUIPPED AND IN GOOD SHAPE AND SAID THIS WOULD REDUCE THE SIZE OF THE CONTRACT BY ABOUT 2.5 MILLION DOLS. A SIGNED CONTRACT IS NEEDED BEFORE DSAA CAN BEGIN THE CONGRESSIONAL NOTIFICATION PROCESS. ADB DOMESTIC AIRPORT TA LOAN (CONF) USADB HAS NOTIFIED US (MANILA 1 1486) THAT THE ADB HAS SCHEDULED FOR APPROVAL A TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE LOAN FOR PROJECT PREPARATION FOR SEVEN AIRPORTS IN SUMATRA, JAVA, KALIMANTAN AND IRIAN JAYA. WE ANTICIPATE SOME DIFFICULTY CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 STATE 176631 IN PROCESSING THIS LOAN OVER THE H.R. HURDLES AND ARE ASKING THE EMBASSY TO PROVIDE POSSIBLE JUSTIFICATION ON BHN GROUNDS. IN VIEW OF THE LIMITATIONS AND DIFFICULTIES OF COMMUNICATION IN INDONESIA, IT WOULD APPEAR THAT A CLOSE LINKAGE TO GENERAL DEVELOPMENT AND MEETING BASIC HUMAN NEEDS COULD BE ESTABLISHED ESPECIALLY FOR SOME OF THE OUTER ISLAND AIRPORTS. MALAYSIA PM HUSSEIN'S NATIONAL FRONT WINS BIG (CONF) THE RULING NATIONAL FRONT (NF) COALITION WON AN OVER- WHELMING VICTORY IN THE JULY 8 FEDERAL ELECTIONS IN PENINSULAR MALAYSIA, TAKING 94 OF 1 14 PARLIAMENTARY SEATS AND WINNING CONTROL OF ALL TEN STATE ASSEMBLIES CONTESTED. ALL MAJOR NF LEADERS WERE RETURNED TO PARLIA- MENT, BUT THE NEW CABINET WILL NOT BE KNOWN UNTIL AFTER JULY 22 WHEN THE EAST MALAYSIAN RESULTS ARE COMPLETED. AN IMPORTANT ASPECT OF THE ELECTION WAS THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE SPECTRE OF MILITANT ISLAM WAS DISCREDITED AT THE POLLS. PM HUSSEIN ONN HAS SECURED A STRONG ELECTORAL MANDATE AND Sheryl P. Walter Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014 Sheryl P. Walter Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014 IS IN A POSITION TO PURSUE HIS FIRM BUT MODERATE PROGRAMS WHICH THUS AUGURS WELL FOR CONTINUED MALAYSIAN NATIONAL SECURITY, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND COMMUNAL TOLERANCE. THAILAND ABRAMOWITZ SWORN IN (UNCL) MORTON I. ABRAMOWITZ WAS SWORN IN AS AMBASSADOR TO THAILAND BY VICE PRESIDENT MONDALE ON JULY 11. BILL GLEYSTEEN WAS SOWRN IN AS AMBASSADOR TO KOREA AT THE SAME WHITE HOUSE CEREMONY. NEW THAI AMBASSADOR TO ARRIVE JULY 14 (UNCL) CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 04 STATE 176631 THE THAI EMBASSY HAS INFORMED US THAT AMBASSADOR-DESIGNATE KLOT WISETSURAKAN WILL ARRIVE HERE ON FRIDAY, JULY 14. OFFICERS FROM PROTOCOL AND TIMBS WILL BE AT THE AIRPORT FOR HIS ARRIVAL. KLOT WILL BE THIRD IN LINE TO PRESENT HIS CREDENTIALS TO THE PRESIDENT, BEHIND THE NEWLY ARRIVED AMBASSADORS FROM BURMA AND AFGHANISTAN. AMBASSADORS WHITEHOUSE AND ABRAMOWITZ MEET EXIM BANK CHAIRMAN MOORE AMBASSADOR WHITEHOUSE PROVIDED EXIM BANK CHAIRMAN MOORE WITH CONCISE POSITIVE SUMMARY OF THAILAND'S CURRENT INVEST- MENT CLIMATE WITH SPECIAL ATTENTION TO NATURAL GAS PIPELINE DEVELOPMENT. HE RECOMMENDED THAT THE CHAIRMAN CONSIDER THE SIAM KRAFT PAPER CO. A CLOSED BOOK BECAUSE IT HAS PAID THE FIRST INSTALLMENT OF THE FINE AND IS MAKING A PROFIT UNDER GOOD SIAM CEMENT MANAGEMENT. EXIM SHOULD LOOK AT THE NEW INVESTMENT POSSIBILITIES IN THAILAND RESULTING FROM THE GAS PIPELINE AS THE BEGINNING OF A NEW ERA. THE CHAIRMAN SEEMED TO AGREE THAT THE UGLY PAST WAS WORTH FOR- GETTING. CHAIRMAN MOORE DESCRIBED HIS UPCOMING FIRST TRIP TO SOUTH- EAST ASIA IN NOVEMBER AND INCLUDED BANGKOK ALONG WITH OTHER ASEAN CAPITALS AS PLACES HE WOULD BE VISITING. (HE INDI- CATED THIS WOULD BE ANNOUNCED AT THE UPCOMING U.S.-ASEAN MINISTERIAL MEETING). MOORE BELIEVES HIS TRIP SHOULD STIMULATE INCREASED AMERICAN INVESTOR INTEREST IN THE AREA. HE ADMITTED THAT AMERICAN BUSINESS SHOULD TRY HARDER TO GAIN MARKETS THERE. BURMA CONFIDENTIAL Sheryl P. Walter Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014 Sheryl P. Walter Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014 CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 05 STATE 176631 AMBASSADOR MAKES INITIAL CALL AMB U HLA SHWE CALLED ON ACTING SECRETARY CHRISTOPHER JULY 12 TO PRESENT COPIES OF HIS CREDENTIALS. DURING THE BRIEF CONVERSATION, THE ACTING SECRETARY NOTED HE WAS GRATIFIED THAT THE BURMESE AND BANGLADESH GOVERNMENTS WERE ON THE WAY TO RESOLVING THE ARAKAN REFUGEE PROBLEM. AS PER US PROTOCOL, U HLA SHWE IS NOW AUTHORIZED TO CONDUCT BUSINESS WITH THE DEPT PRIOR HIS CALL ON THE PRESIDENT. A MEETING WILL NOT BE SCHEDULED UNTIL AT LEAST THREE AMBASSADORS ARE IN LINE. THE BURMESE IS THE ONLY ONE NOW WAITING, BUT HIS FUTURE THAI COLLEAGUE WILL ARRIVE NEXT WEEK. CHRISTOPHER CONFIDENTIAL NNN Sheryl P. Walter Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014 Sheryl P. Walter Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014 Message Attributes Automatic Decaptioning: Z Capture Date: 01 jan 1994 Channel Indicators: n/a Current Classification: UNCLASSIFIED Concepts: POLITICAL SUMMARIES Control Number: n/a Copy: SINGLE Draft Date: 13 jul 1978 Decaption Date: 20 Mar 2014 Decaption Note: 25 YEAR REVIEW Disposition Action: RELEASED Disposition Approved on Date: Disposition Case Number: n/a Disposition Comment: 25 YEAR REVIEW Disposition Date: 20 Mar 2014 Disposition Event: Disposition History: n/a Disposition Reason: Disposition Remarks: Document Number: 1978STATE1 76631 Document Source: CORE Document Unique ID: 00 Drafter: STAFF:CCH Enclosure: n/a Executive Order: GS Errors: N/A Expiration: Film Number: D780287-0539 Format: TEL From: STATE Handling Restrictions: Image Path: ISecure: 1 Legacy Key: Iink1978/newtext/t19780763/aaaacbfh.tel Line Count: 189 Litigation Code IDs: Litigation Codes: Litigation History: Locator: TEXT ON-LINE, ON MICROFILM Office: ORIGIN EA Original Classification: CONFIDENTIAL Original Handling Restrictions: ONLY Original Previous Classification: n/a Original Previous Handling Restrictions: n/a Page Count: 4 Previous Channel Indicators: n/a Previous Classification: CONFIDENTIAL Previous Handling Restrictions: ONLY Reference: n/a Retention: 0 Review Action: RELEASED, APPROVED Review Content Flags: Review Date: 02 may 2005 Review Event: Review Exemptions: n/a Review Media Identifier: Review Release Date: n/a Review Release Event: n/a Review Transfer Date: Review Withdrawn Fields: n/a SAS ID: 2018608 Secure: OPEN Status: NATIVE Subject: WEEKLY STATUS REPORT - THAILAND, INDONESIA, MALAYSIA, BURMA AND SINGAPORE AFFAIRS INDONESIA TAGS: PDEV, XC, TH, IN, MY, BM, SN To: EA POSTS Type: TE Review Markings: Sheryl P. Walter Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014 Markings: Sheryl P. Walter Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014 Sheryl P. Walter Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014