1951 mass arrests in Indonesia

November 2024 none 1951 mass arrests in Indonesia File:ANETA photo of Sarwono being arrested in Indonesian parliament August 1951.jpg grainy newsprint photo of an Indonesian man standing and smiling in a crowd while a military police officer beside him is also smiling. a group of men standing in the background look unhappy Parliamentarian Sarwono being arrested in Indonesian parliament, 16 August 1951 1951 08 06 1951 09 28 throughout Java and Sumatra August Raid Mass arrest, Preventive detention political repression Communist Party of Indonesia leaders and members, trade unionists, leftists, other politicians Government of Indonesia, Soekiman Cabinet, Indonesian National Armed Forces approximately 15,000 Mass arrests, primarily of communists and leftists, were carried out in Java and Sumatra in August and September 1951. Sometimes called the August Raid, or in Indonesian the id Razia Agustus (August Razzia), this was a move by the Indonesian government, led by the Soekiman Cabinet, to prevent a rumoured coup by the Communist Party of Indonesia (PKI) and its allies. The total number of detainees started with several hundred in early August and ended up as roughly 15,000 across Indonesia by October. Many were released without charge within days or months, but some remained in detention until the Wilopo Cabinet took power in April 1952. Background The coalition in power at the time of the mass arrests was the short-lived Soekiman Cabinet, which was mainly supported by factions of the Indonesian National Party and the Masyumi Party.Feith Herbert The Decline of Constitutional Democracy in Indonesia 1962 Cornell University Press Ithaca 177–224 Chapter V The Sukiman Cabinet It was faced by strikes and instability in the summer of 1951, violent rural banditry, internal political divisions, and tensions over the negotiations of the Treaty of San Francisco which would mean peace between Indonesia and Japan.REGIME IN INDONESIA FACING DIFFICULTIES. New York Times 13 June 1951 New York, N.Y. 7 en In June the Justice Minister Mohammad Yamin also unexpectedly pardoned 950 political prisoners, including Chairul Saleh and a variety of suspected rebels, without consulting the army and based on his arbitrary assessment of each person and not legal principles. The outrage over this forced Yamin to resign from cabinet. Although the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) was legal in Indonesia, it was not on good terms with the government. Strikes in the summer led to tensions between the PKI and affiliated unions, and the government. In one incident at the port of Tanjung Priok in Jakarta on 5 August, 150 armed men with communist insignias raided a police station and exchanged gunfire with Indonesian security services for hours, including police and members of the Brimob.Tembak Menembak di Tandjung Priok https://gpa.eastview.com/crl/sea/newspapers/snpo19510806-01.1.2 Sin Po 6 August 1951 Jakarta 2 id At least six people died, including three police officers, and a number of others were wounded.Tandjong Priok geïsoleerd Leger en politie voeren zuiverings-actie uit. https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=MMNIOD04:000095088:mpeg21:p002 Nieuwe courant 7 August 1951 Surabaya nl The PKI denied involvement. There were also rumours of secret planning for a coup between members of the Communist Party and representatives from the People's Republic of China.Mozingo David P. Chinese policy toward Indonesia, 1949-1967 1976 Cornell University Press Ithaca, N.Y 9780801409219 101–2 The incident in Tanjung Priok, and its possible connection to incidents in other cities such as a bombing in Bogor, led the government to widen its investigations.Aanval op Priok met rode vlag ONDERLING VERBAND ? https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ddd:010476143:mpeg21:p001 Het nieuwsblad voor Sumatra 7 August 1951 Medan nl The 1948 Madiun Affair, a conflict between the government and the Communist Party was also still in recent memory and was invoked as a reason for the aggressive crackdown.Herhaling van Madiun-opstand door arrestaties voorkomen? Regering spreekt van complot om ministers te ontvoeren Cordon om het parlement. https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ddd:011208555:mpeg21:p001 De vrije pers: ochtendbulletin 18 August 1951 Surabaya nlven der Kroef Justus M. The Communist Party of Indonesia 1965 University of British Columbia Vancouver 49 The pro-American, anti-PRC attitudes of the Soekiman cabinet and their desire to undermine their political opponents were also major factors. Arrests The plan for mass arrests was agreed upon between Prime Minister Soekiman Wirjosandjojo, one or two ministers, and the Public Prosecutor Suprapto following the Tanjung Priok events. President Sukarno seems to have agreed to it as well. The first round of arrests was of people accused of participating in the Tanjung Priok shootout; the district was closed off to the public and roughly fifty were arrested in the days following the incident.500 SEIZED IN INDONESIA: Soldiers and Policemen Arrest Troublemakers in Sumatra. New York Times 15 August 1951 New York, N.Y. 4 en Police thought they had identified a ringleader but were unable to link the shootout to the PKI.Mr. Memet: Tidak tjukup bahan untuk menudah PKI https://gpa.eastview.com/crl/sea/newspapers/snpo19510809-01.1.1 Sin Po 9 August 1951 Jakarta 1 id Rumours were circulating of much wider arrests of communists, although it was denied by the government and it wasn't expected that the PKI would be banned.De Regering en de communisten "Merdeka": Vreemde invloed achter beweging tot stichten van wanorde Binnenkort arrestaties op grote schaal verwacht. https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=MMNIOD04:000095120:mpeg21:p001 Nieuwe courant 10 August 1951 Surabaya nl Sumatra On 11 August, the government enacted a curfew in Medan, North Sumatra under the pretext of military exercises, and started arresting hundreds of "troublemakers" in and around the city.Alle verbindingen tijdens actie stilgelegd. https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ddd:010864064:mpeg21:p001 Java-bode: nieuws, handels- en advertentieblad voor Nederlandsch-Indie 13 August 1951 Jakarta nlRazzia di Sumatera Timur: "Latihan" dengan penangkapan2 Tulen. https://gpa.eastview.com/crl/sea/newspapers/snpo19510813-01.1.1 Sin Po 13 August 1951 Jakarta 1 id Estimates of the first raid put it at 51 people arrested, including leading Sumatran communists Abdoe'lxarim MS and Jusuf Ajitorop and local PKI members, though the number was soon revised upwards to almost 500.Grote razzia's ter Oostkust Honderden arrestaties alleen in Medan. https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ddd:010476147:mpeg21:p001 Het nieuwsblad voor Sumatra 13 August 1951 Medan nlPenangkapan2 di Sumatera Timur https://gpa.eastview.com/crl/sea/newspapers/snpo19510814-01.1.1 Sin Po 14 August 1951 Jakarta 1 id S.M. Tari, editor of the paper id Rakjat was also arrested, as were many members of the National Party.500 Arrestaties in O.-Sumatra. https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ddd:010476148:mpeg21:p001 Het nieuwsblad voor Sumatra 14 August 1951 Medan nl The government denied that it was targeting any particular ideological group or party; these detainees (250 or so) were kept at Camp Helvetia near Medan. The majority of names of detainees were kept secret, however, and targeted arrests continued to take place in the Medan area and throughout Sumatra throughout August; the practice of closing towns while mass arrests took place was repeated elsewhere.De arrestaties in Oost-Sumatra. https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ddd:010864067:mpeg21:p001 Java-bode: nieuws, handels- en advertentieblad voor Nederlandsch-Indie 16 August 1951 Jakarta 1 nlNog dagelijks nieuwe arrestaties en huiszoekingen in Medan. https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ddd:010475360:mpeg21:p001 De nieuwsgier 16 August 1951 Jakarta nlRazzia ter Oostkust. https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=MMNIOD04:000095195:mpeg21:p001 Nieuwe courant 24 August 1951 Surabaya nlVeiligheidsactie in het Lampongse. https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ddd:010864074:mpeg21:p002 Java-bode: nieuws, handels- en advertentieblad voor Nederlandsch-Indie 1951-08-25 Jakarta 2 nl By 20 August some of the people from the original Medan raid were released, including Abdoe'lxarim MS, Mohamed Tahir Simatupang, Liem Tjian Tjin, Liem Kian Seng, Mohamed Junus Nasution, and so on. thumb|A photo of Indonesian parliamentarian Sarwono S. Sutardjo being arrested in parliament 16 August 1951 Jakarta The most high-profile arrests began in Jakarta on 16 August, the day before Indonesian Independence Day, which the PKI had threatened to boycott. Military police carried out preventive detention of roughly 100 communists and leftists, including sixteen members of the Provisional House of Representatives, some of whom were arrested at their homes early in the morning.INDONESIA ARRESTS 100 RED SUSPECTS: RED REPRESENTATIVES WHO WILL DISCUSS BUFFER ZONE. New York Times 17 Aug 1951 New York, N.Y. 1 enPemerintah Undjuk Kekuasaannja https://gpa.eastview.com/crl/sea/newspapers/snpo19510816-01.1.1 Sin Po 16 August 1951 Jakarta 1 id Soekiman gave a brief statement in the House on the 16th, promising more arrests but refusing to go into detail for operational reasons. Information Minister Arnold Mononutu also kept the charges secret and alleged the a foreign power was preparing a coup in cooperation with local Communists. Among the arrested parliamentarians were Mudigdo, Tjudito, and Djokosoedjono of the PKI, Mustafa of the worker's bloc, Pandu, Syono and Maruto of the Murba Party, Sarwono S. Sutardjo of the id Partai Kedaulatan Rakjat, Sidik Kertopari of the Peasants Front of Indonesia (BTI), and independent member Siauw Giok Tjhan.Arrestaties te Djakarta. https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ddd:010476150:mpeg21:p001 Het nieuwsblad voor Sumatra 16 August 1951 Medan nlRegering grijpt in Belangrijke arrestaties in de hoofdstad. https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ddd:011208554:mpeg21:p001 De vrije pers: ochtendbulletin 16 August 1951 Surabaya 1 nl PKI leaders Alimin, Lukman, Njoto and D. N. Aidit managed to escape arrest, but further raids detained Aidit's non-PKI father, Abdullah Aidit, as well as PKI leaders Peris Pardede, Tan Ling Djie, Karsono Werdojo, and Sakirman.Durdin Tillman INDONESIAN LEADER SEES REDS SET BACK: Sukiman Says Arrests Have Crippled Leftists--Is Sure Japan Pact Will Be Backed Communism Not Popular New York Times 18 August 1951 New York, N.Y. 5 en Alimin escaped to the PRC's embassy and was given asylum, whereas Lukman, Njoto and Aidit stayed in hiding for months.Hindley Donald Communist Party of Indonesia, 1951-63 1964 University of California Press Los Angeles 69–75 Rustam Effendi, an Indonesian-born Dutch communist who had represented the Communist Party of the Netherlands in the House of Representatives of the Netherlands from 1933 to 1946, was also in Jakarta and was arrested. The Ministry of Labour was also raided; senior officials Hadiomo Kusumoutojo, Suprapto and Abdul Rachman were detained. Many of the Jakarta-area detainees were kept in the Cipinang Penitentiary Institution. thumb|left|Front page of Sin Po on 16 August covering the arrest of its editors Journalists were also arrested. Five editors from Sin Po were brought in: A. Karim, Tjia Tjo Soen, Lieng Jing Chen, Lee Swie Kee and Oen Tek Hian, as well as the director Ang Jan Goan. The arrested parliamentarian Siauw Giok Tjhan was also editor of Harian Rakjat; the editor Kasan of id Indonesia Raya and Lie Kit of the Chinese magazine Cheng Lim were also rounded up. Also arrested was the freelance journalist and former chairman of the Persatuan Tionghoa Indonesia Liem Koen Hian, as was the chairman of the Journalist's union (id Serikat Buruh Pertjetakan Indonesia) Suhardjo. Military police also raided the offices of the Central All-Indonesian Workers Organization (SOBSI, a communist-affiliated union) and of the PKI, a well as the private homes of some PKI members. Chinese community leaders were also arrested. East Java Arrests in East Java seem to have started on 16 August as well.Razzia di Djawa-Timur. https://gpa.eastview.com/crl/sea/newspapers/snpo19510818-01.1.1 Sin Po 18 August 1951 Jakarta 1 id Several hundred had been arrested by 19 August; initial accounts counted 35 in Surabaya, 40 in Bojonegoro, 50 in Madiun, 20 in Kediri and 15 in Malang.De arrestaties in Oost-Java Politie vond bij een arrestant 35 kilogram goud Aangehoudenen reeds naar elders overgebracht. https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ddd:011208556:mpeg21:p002 De vrije pers: ochtendbulletin 20 August 1951 Surabaya nlDe arrestaties in Oost-Java. https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=MMNIOD04:000095127:mpeg21:p002 Nieuwe courant 20 August 1951 Surabaya nlINDONESIA ROUND-UP NETS 200 SUSPECTS. New York Times 20 August 1951 New York, N.Y. 3 en News reports debated whether Dutch and Chinese citizens had also been arrested, as well as a smaller number of non-leftist Indonesians. Many journalists were rounded up in the East Java raids, including Go Tjing Hok, editor of the Java Post, Goe Po An, editor of id Trompet Masjarakat, and others.Arrestaties in Oost-Java uitgevoerd Verschillende journalisten door politie aangehouden: Surabaya https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ddd:011208555:mpeg21:p002 De vrije pers : ochtendbulletin 18 August 1951 2 nlPenangkapan2 di Djawa Timur. https://gpa.eastview.com/crl/sea/newspapers/snpo19510820-01.1.1 Sin Po 20 August 1951 Jakarta 1 id Among the political figures who were rounded up in Surabaya were Oloan Hutapea, chairman of the regional PKI and editor of Bintang Merah, Roeslan Kamaloedin, general secretary of the Surabaya PKI, and many other local members; Soebardi, Soetomi, and a number of SOBSI leaders; and Soepardi and Cholil of the id Rukun Kampung Kota Surabaya (RKKS, Surabaya City district association, a communist-affiliated neighborhood association). Heads of local Chinese organizations were also arrested, including Djie Tjhiang Than of the Red China-Indonesia Friendship Association and a number of headmasters of Chinese schools. In subsequent days other communist and left-wing leaders of youth (id pemuda) organizations were located and arrested in Surabaya.Arrestaties in Soerabaja. https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ddd:010893823:mpeg21:p002 Algemeen Indisch dagblad: de Preangerbode 22 August 1951 Bandung 2 nl West Java 100 or so people were arrested in Cirebon, West Java on 17 August, with the support of a Mobile Brigade unit from Bandung, though none of the figures were high-profile political ones.Onveiligheid in het Cheribonse Evacuatie van politieke figuren uit Indramajoe. https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=MMNIOD04:000095150:mpeg21:p002 Nieuwe courant 22 August 1951 Surabaya nlPolisi Tjirebon undjuk gigi https://gpa.eastview.com/crl/sea/newspapers/snpo19510815-01.1.2 Sin Po 15 August 1951 Jakarta 2 id The military police portrayed the detainees as a mix of criminal gangs, Darul Islam rebellion supporters, members of the paramilitary id Barisan Sakit Hati and communists. They denied any link to the mass arrests in Sumatra. Another 50 were arrested in Bandung, West Java on 20 August; again, the PKI and SOBSI offices were raided, with a list of local party and union leaders sought by police. Another 100 were arrested in West Java on 28 August, bringing the total to around 2000.INDONESIA ARRESTS RISE: 100 More Seized in West Java-- Total Is Near 2,000 New York Times 27 August 1951 New York, N.Y. 4 en This time non-leftists were also arrested, including Muhammad Isa Anshary and members of the Masyumi Party.ARRESTATIES IN WEST-JAVA. https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ddd:010476009:mpeg21:p001 Het nieuwsblad voor Sumatra 27 August 1951 Medan 1 nl Three Dutch citizens were also arrested: Koops, F. Alewijn and W.F. van de Woestijne, leading to a diplomatic inquiry from the Netherlands. Central Java Raids in Central Java province started on 19 August.Massa-arrestaties in Semarang. https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=MMNIOD04:000095150:mpeg21:p002 Nieuwe courant 22 August 1951 Surabaya nl The PKI office in Bojong in Semarang was raided and the police spent a full day going through its archive; most of the local trade unions were raided the next day. In the raids, prominent union leaders were arrested, including not only SOBSI, but the Oil workers and Cigarette factory worker unions, local PKI leaders, left-wing city councilors, and leaders of the Murba Party, id Partai Rakjat Indonesia and others were detained. Chinese organizations and schools were also raided, but arrests were not made, but ten members of the id Lembaga Indonesia Tionghoa, a Chinese-Indonesian friendship association, were arrested.Wie in Semarang gearresteerd zijn: Bandung https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ddd:010893827:mpeg21:p002 Algemeen Indisch dagblad: de Preangerbode 27 August 1951 2 nl On 20 August raids were conducted in nearby Salatiga as well, where 9 SOBSI, BTI and Chinese organization leaders were arrested.ARRESTS IN SALATIGA. https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=MMNIOD04:000095183:mpeg21:p002 Nieuwe courant 23 August 1951 Surabaya nl On the same day raids took place in Yogyakarta In Surakarta; members of the local PKI secretariat were rounded up as well as staff at the Chinese General Association (zh Chung Hua Tsung Hui, CHTH) school and students at the Chinese High school.Penangkapan2 di Djokja. https://gpa.eastview.com/crl/sea/newspapers/snpo19510821-01.1.1 Sin Po 21 August 1951 Jakarta 1 id Local political circles tied to the government, including National Party members, supported the raids and said they must have some basis. 22 more were arrested in Surakarta on 22 August, including more PKI members, leaders of the Sugar Worker Unions and youth organizations.Arrestaties in Solo. https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ddd:011177280:mpeg21:p001 De locomotief: Samarangsch handels- en advertentie-blad 24 August 1951 Semarang nl The most high-profile raids in Java and Sumatra took place in August, but they didn't end then. Mass arrests continued into the fall, and by early November the government estimated the total number of arrests as being around 15,000.INDONESIA RELEASES 35 HELD IN RED PLOT. New York Times 5 November 1951 New York, N.Y. 2 en Reaction and release thumb|Soekiman Wirjosandjojo c.1950 Parliamentarians were very unhappy about the detention of their members and protested as early as 16 August, when Deputy Speaker Albert Mangaratua Tambunan sent a delegation to the Prime Minister to demand an explanation. Even right-wing members who otherwise supported the crackdown objected to the House being cordoned off and members dragged out in the middle of a session, and many members of Soekiman's own cabinet had been blindsided by the mass arrests.Durdan Tillman INDONESIA FACING COMPLEX PROBLEMS: INDONESIAN LEADERS. 14 October 1951 New York, N.Y. enSukiman motiveert arrestaties in besloten parlementszitting. https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ddd:010476151:mpeg21:p002 Het nieuwsblad voor Sumatra 18 August 1951 Medan 2 nl The indefinite detention of 16 or more members also meant that the House might not be able to achieve quorum (110 members) and carry on its business.Arrestaties brengen quorum in gevaar. https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=MMNIOD04:000095127:mpeg21:p001 Nieuwe courant 20 August 1951 Surabaya nl The PKI and SOBSI also complained that their offices had been searched and called the mass arrest of their parliamentarians an open violation of democratic and human rights; they complained that their party was a legal one and its members shouldn't be detained without cause.Tindakan pemerintah berdasarkan alasan2 njata. https://gpa.eastview.com/crl/sea/newspapers/snpo19510818-01.1.1 Sin Po 18 August 1951 Jakarta 1 id Later in the month, the PKI accused the Soekiman coalition of falling prey to a "rising fascist ideology" akin to that which Indonesians lived under during the Japanese occupation.P. K. I. CONTRA "FASCISME". https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ddd:011208562:mpeg21:p002 De vrije pers: ochtendbulletin 27 August 1951 Surabaya 2 nl Other parties supported the repression or were ambivalent. Masyumi, some of whose members had been arrested, still supported the campaign overall, whereas Sutan Sjahrir of the Socialist Party of Indonesia said communist or Darul Islam rebels were just symptoms of deeper economic causes.Masjumi betreurt arrestaties va Islamietisthe leiders. https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ddd:010893827:mpeg21:p002 Algemeen Indisch dagblad: de Preangerbode 27 August 1951 Bandung 2 nlWat Sjahrir ervan zegt Rangorde uit het oog verloren. https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ddd:010893829:mpeg21:p001 Algemeen Indisch dagblad : de Preangerbode 29 August 1951 Bandung nl The Indonesian Army was unhappy about the arrests when they began in August, because they had not been consulted about them and were expected to carry them out under a legally shaky state of emergency. The Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Casey met with his Indonesian counterpart Achmad Soebardjo in September and said he was pleasantly surprised by the anti-communist attitude of the Indonesian government.Minister Soebardjo naar Australië Casey aangenaam getroffen door anti-communistische houding. https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=MMNIOD04:000097229:mpeg21:p001 Nieuwe courant 15 September 1951 Surabaya nl The United States ambassador to Indonesia, H. Merle Cochran, was a close ally of Soekiman and also reacted positively to the arrests.Anak Agung Gde Agung Ide Twenty years Indonesian foreign policy 1945–1965 2018 De Gruyter Mouton Berlin 9783111558226 183 On the other hand, the PRC reacted badly to the accusations against them and China-Indonesian relations deteriorated significantly.Ang Cheng Guan Southeast Asia's Cold War: an interpretive history 2018 University of Hawai‘i Press Honolulu 9780824873462 63 The arrests were widely covered in the local and international press, not only via wire services and in the New York Times, but in the communist press, including the Daily Worker and De Waarheid.Amerikaanse pers over de razzia's in Indonesië. https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=MMNIOD04:000095195:mpeg21:p002 Nieuwe courant 24 August 1951 Surabaya nl The reaction generally fell along ideological lines, with leftist papers being outraged and right-wing papers supporting the measures.Kabinet-Sukiman heeft aan prestige gewonnen BRITSE VISIE OP ARRESTATIES. https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ddd:010476039:mpeg21:p001 Het nieuwsblad voor Sumatra 17 September 1951 Medan nl The mass arrests in August surprised the Communist Party and its affiliated organizations and seemingly neutered their ability to react.REDS IN INDONESIA QUIET ON ARRESTS: Expected Reactions to Roundup Fail to Develop Left, Groups Shift to Right Hundreds Released Fail to Understand Tactics. New York Times 15 Oct 1951 New York, N.Y. 3 en Aidit and the other leaders who were in hiding did spend the time studying Indonesian politics and revised the party's strategies. The repression also led to some trade unions to distance themselves from the Communist Party, although the majority remained affiliated; the PKI also remained politically isolated from the other left-wing parties in the House.Durban Tillman INDONESIAN LABOR LOOSENS RED GRIP: Communists Still Dominating Unions but New Defections Reduce Party's Margin Non-Reds Control Others Causing Stoppages New York Times 20 October 1951 New York, N.Y. 2 en By late August, many of the affiliated unions were holding protests against the continuing detention of PKI and union leaders.Protesten tegen arrestaties. https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ddd:011208562:mpeg21:p002 De vrije pers: ochtendbulletin. 27 August 1951 Surabaya 2 nl SOBSI later claimed that 3000 of its leaders and members were arrested in the sweeps.Hindley Donald Communist Party of Indonesia, 1951-63 1964 University of California Press Los Angeles 108 The PKI also moderated its agrarian policy and stopped supporting armed activity within Indonesia as a result of the arrests, but the detentions did not slow the rapid growth of the party in the early 1950s.Feith Herbert The Wilopo Cabinet, 1952-1953 A Turning Point in Post-Revolutionary Indonesia 2009 Equinox 9786028397155 103 thumb|left|Tan Po Goan, Baperki representative in the Provisional House of Representatives Some of the detainees were released within days due to a lack of evidence against them, but others were held without charge for several months or even a year. By late September, parliamentarians were tiring of the indefinite internment of so many citizens and an Interpellation was put to the government about it.VRAGEN OVER ARRESTATIES: Interpellatie-voorstel bij parlement ingediend. https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ddd:010864096:mpeg21:p001 Java-bode: nieuws, handels- en advertentieblad voor Nederlandsch-Indie 1951-09-22 Jakarta nl Tan Po Goan, a lawyer and parliamentarian representing Baperki who put forward the interpellation, noted that people who had been foot soldiers in the APRA rebellion in 1949 who had been held without charge for a year and a half and received an apology upon their release.Usul interpelasi Mr. Tan Po Goan c.s. https://gpa.eastview.com/crl/sea/newspapers/snpo19510922-01.1.1 Sin Po 22 September 1951 Jakarta 1 id He worried that hundreds of people had been held in Jakarta arrests since August and none had been convicted yet, due to the weak legal basis for their arrest."Onrust onder de bevolking" Interpellatie-voorstel in Parlement aanvaard "Honderden beroofd van hun vrijhei zonder krachtige rechtsgronden". https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ddd:010893853:mpeg21:p002 Algemeen Indisch dagblad : de Preangerbode 27 September 1951 Bandung 2 nl Soekiman formally answered in mid-October, replying that the government had to take those preventive measures to stop a fifth column from infiltrating and destabilizing the country.De interpellatie over de arrestaties Premier Sukiman: Wij moeten paraaf zijn voor vijfde colonne. https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ddd:010475458:mpeg21:p002 De nieuwsgier 17 October 1951 Jakarta nl Tan Po Goan found the answer incomplete and asked for a more detailed response from the government about the basis on which it felt entitled to act outside the law.INTERPELLATIE OVER ARRESTATIES: Regeringsantwoord niet bevredigend geacht. https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ddd:010864117:mpeg21:p002 Java-bode : nieuws, handels- en advertentieblad voor Nederlandsch-Indie 20 October 1951 Jakarta 2 nl He called their detention policies "Made in Holland". Soekiman replied once again that the government had to continue to act to stop destructive elements which were present in society.Premier Soekiman verdedigt de stelling: Regering dient niet steeds te handelen onder sanctie van wetsartikelen. https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=MMNIOD04:000099747:mpeg21:p001 Nieuwe courant 22 October 1951 Surabaya nl He said that circumstances were not normal, so governments could not rely completely on the law, but should instead use it as a guide. He claimed that anyone who was innocent would be released immediately and that the Attorney General had access to proof that had not yet been made public. He also noted that the detainees had been prevented from being committing any crimes during those months and asked the critical parliamentarians if they should just sit and wait for a coup d'état to take place. Facing further criticism, at the end of October Soekiman and his government began to claim that they had evidence of a plot to assassinate President Sukarno, Vice President Mohammed Hatta and several ministers. However, the lack of any trials for those suspected of the plots calls into question its connection to the mass arrests. Soekiman also asserted that detainees had confessed to planning a coup against the Indonesian Republic.PREMIER SUKIMAN: "Aanslag beraamd op Pres. Soekarno". https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ddd:010476176:mpeg21:p001 Het nieuwsblad voor Sumatra 30 October 1951 Medan 1 nlPremier Soekiman onthult samenzwering Moordaanslag beraamd op President Soekarno en Vice-president Hatta Acties tegen diverse toonaangevende figuren. https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=MMNIOD04:000099754:mpeg21:p001 Nieuwe courant 30 October 1951 Surabaya nl He denied that the government had committed any legal excesses, and offered to send the Attorney General to personally visit every single arrest site and punish any local officials who had gone beyond their mandate. He said that he regretted having had to arrest sitting parliamentarians within the House back in August, but that Indonesian government apparatuses were still emerging from a revolutionary period and had not yet reached a state of perfection. Following the speech, Tan Po Goan expressed skepticism and some of the left-wing parties tried to pass a censure motion against Soekiman, but were voted down.Mr. Tan Po Goan: Nog geen 5% van gearresteerden zullen voor gerecht kunnen worden gedaagd. https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=MMNIOD04:000099757:mpeg21:p001 Nieuwe courant 2 November 1951 Surabaya nlRegeringsantwoord over arrestaties goedgekeurd. https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ddd:010864128:mpeg21:p002 Java-bode : nieuws, handels- en advertentieblad voor Nederlandsch-Indie 2 November 1951 Jakarta 2 nl Upon the fall of the Soekiman Cabinet in early 1952, the release of August detainees was one of the demands of left-wing parties being asked to support an incoming new government.Hindley Donald Communist Party of Indonesia, 1951-63 1964 University of California Press Los Angeles 236–7 When the Wilopo Cabinet took power, it began to release the remaining detainees, and seems to have freed all of them during their time in power.Hindley Donald Communist Party of Indonesia, 1951-63 1964 University of California Press Los Angeles 245 References Category:Political repression in Indonesia Category:Human rights abuses in Indonesia Category:1951 in Indonesia Category:Anti-communism in Indonesia Category:August 1951 in Asia