{
    "success": true,
    "data": {
        "id": 1018463,
        "msgid": "independence-veterans-meeting-ends-in-turmoil-1447893297",
        "date": "1994-08-25 00:00:00",
        "title": "Independence veterans' meeting ends in turmoil",
        "author": null,
        "source": "JP",
        "tags": null,
        "topic": null,
        "summary": "Independence veterans' meeting ends in turmoil JAKARTA (JP): The gathering of veterans of the independence struggle ended in turmoil on Tuesday night when several delegates denounced the line-up of the new executive board that includes children, grandchildren and even in-laws of veterans. Twenty-two of the delegates to the Congress of the Association of Pioneers of Independence announced their intention to form their own group in protest, the Antara news agency reported yesterday.",
        "content": "<p>Independence veterans' meeting ends in turmoil<\/p>\n<p>JAKARTA (JP): The gathering of veterans of the independence<br>\nstruggle ended in turmoil on Tuesday night when several delegates<br>\ndenounced the line-up of the new executive board that includes<br>\nchildren, grandchildren and even in-laws of veterans.<\/p>\n<p>Twenty-two of the delegates to the Congress of the Association<br>\nof Pioneers of Independence announced their intention to form<br>\ntheir own group in protest, the Antara news agency reported<br>\nyesterday.<\/p>\n<p>The gathering was opened on Monday by President Soeharto who<br>\npraised the veterans and suggested that the younger generation<br>\ncould emulate the fighting spirit shown by the pioneers during<br>\nthe struggle for Indonesia's independence dating back to the<br>\n1920s.<\/p>\n<p>Indonesia proclaimed its independence on Aug. 17, 1945,<br>\nimmediately after the end of World War II to preempt the return<br>\nof the Netherlands' colonial forces.<\/p>\n<p>All did not go smoothly at the two-day congress attended by<br>\nthe few survivors of the independence movement, and some, despite<br>\ntheir age, were as critical as they had been in their youth.<\/p>\n<p>The association's strength has dwindled from an original<br>\n13,000 members to a mere 600 now. Their average age is 80.<\/p>\n<p>Association chairman Yusuf Mawengkang, who was re-elected at<br>\nthis week's congress, in his attempt to maintain the existence of<br>\nthe organization, proposed the inclusion of members' offsprings<br>\nin the board so they could take on the cause of maintaining the<br>\nspirit of the independence fighters.<\/p>\n<p>His proposal apparently did not go down well with some of the<br>\ndelegates, who said that the association would lose its \"purity\"<br>\nby allowing the younger generation to join in.<\/p>\n<p>The rebel members, in letters sent to several government<br>\nofficials, complained that Yusuf was authoritarian in running the<br>\ncongress and in pushing his concepts upon the participants. (emb)<\/p>",
        "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/independence-veterans-meeting-ends-in-turmoil-1447893297",
        "image": ""
    },
    "sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
    "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}