Nasution says he never intended to unseat Sukarno<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): General Abdul Haris Nasution, Indonesia's most
\nsenior surviving military figure, says he never had the slightest
\nintention of wresting power from president Sukarno during the
\npolitical turmoil of the mid-1960s.<\/p>\n
Nasution, 75 years old, said in an article that although
\nrelations between Sukarno and him had not been good since
\nNasution was ousted from the military hierarchy structure in
\n1962, rumors about his plans to grab power from Sukarno are
\nslanderous.<\/p>\n
It was simply \"unthinkable\" that he, or any other general at
\nthat time for that matter, would attempt to wrest power from
\nSukarno. Even if there was any notion for it, it would've been
\nimpossible given the situation before and after Oct 1,. 1965,
\nNasution wrote.<\/p>\n
The article, distributed to a number of press publications
\nthis week, is timed for the commemoration of the Pancasila
\nSanctity Day which falls today, on Oct. 1.<\/p>\n
It was on Oct. 1, 1965 that the Army, led by a young major
\ngeneral Soeharto, foiled a coup attempt launched by the
\nIndonesian Communist Party (PKI) the previous night.<\/p>\n
Six generals were abducted from their homes in Jakarta the
\nnight before and were brutally murdered. Their bodies were then
\nditched into a dry well in the Lubang Buaya (Crocodile Hole) area
\nin East Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Lubang Buaya is now a museum where every Oct. 1 the Pancasila
\nSanctity Day is solemnly commemorated.<\/p>\n
Nasution, a target of the abduction, managed to escape but
\nlost his daughter and his adjutant in the process.<\/p>\n
The PKI justified its action on the pretext that it was
\npreempting an attempt by a number of Army generals, led by
\nNasution, to grab power from Sukarno.<\/p>\n
Rumors<\/p>\n
Nasution recalled that in the aftermath of the Oct. 1
\nincident, Sukarno gradually stripped him of all remaining
\npositions of influence because of persistent rumors about his
\ndesire to grab power.<\/p>\n
He said he and the six murdered generals were victims of
\nbetrayal by the PKI.<\/p>\n
Nasution recalled that he and other Army generals at one time
\neven wrote to Sukarno offering to be put in a tribunal to answer
\nthe charges.<\/p>\n
He pointed out that the Army generals, including Soeharto, who
\nthen was in charge of the Army, continued to remain loyal to
\nSukarno until he was removed from power by the People's
\nConsultative Assembly in 1967.<\/p>\n
He underlined later the fact that the coup perpetrators,
\nduring the trials, admitted that allegations of a military power
\ngrab was concocted as part of their strategy.<\/p>\n
Describing the Sept. 30, 1965 event as a tragedy that nearly
\nwrought havoc on the nation, Nasution said it was only for the
\ngrace of God that the communist coup attempt failed, especially
\nin light of their carefully worked out plans and preparations.
\n(emb)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/nasution-says-he-never-intended-to-unseat-sukarno-1447893297",
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