Putting it in perspective<\/p>\n
Although the remark may seem a bit unusual, given the timing
\nand the nature of the occasion, there can be no doubt that
\nPresident Soeharto's most recent explanation of certain relevant
\ndetails concerning the events of September and October 1965 has
\ncome at a most opportune moment. For the benefit of those of our
\nreaders who are unacquainted with Indonesia's most recent
\nhistory, it may be useful at this point to recall that during the
\nearly morning hours of Oct. 1, 1965, this country was shaken by
\nan attempted coup d'etat, plotted and executed by the now
\ndisbanded Indonesian Communist Party (PKI).<\/p>\n
The putsch was crushed, but in its wake an uncounted number of
\nIndonesians were killed, mostly by sympathizers of the opposing
\nsides. Given the circumstances which prevailed at that time, it
\nis not surprising that recurring allegations have since been made
\nby scholars and observers of various leanings of the involvement
\nof, or the role, which the American Central Intelligence Agency
\n(CIA) was supposed to have played in the crushing of the coup.<\/p>\n
Most recently, assertions of such CIA involvement have come
\nfrom two totally unrelated sources: a former Indonesian diplomat
\nand politician Manai Sophiaan on one side, and the CIA itself on
\nthe other, as was headlined on our front page yesterday.<\/p>\n
Given all this, it is easy enough to understand why President
\nSoeharto has found it necessary to refute the allegations. The
\nCIA had nothing to do with the campaign to crush the coup and the
\nCommunist Party in 1965, Soeharto said. The operation to
\neradicate the PKI was accomplished by Indonesians alone and there
\nwas "not a grain of assistance" from the CIA.<\/p>\n
In all truthfulness we have no reason to doubt President
\nSoeharto's words, which sources in Washington seem to affirm.
\nHere in Indonesia it has long been an accepted fact that the
\ncrushing of the 1965 was accomplished by the Indonesians on their
\nown, without any outside help -- an phenomenal achievement, as we
\nbelieve quite a number of international observers will agree.<\/p>\n
If there is anything about Soeharto's statement that deserves
\nour observance, then, it may be the fact that he chose a meeting
\nwith leaders of the Muhammadiyah organization on Tuesday in which
\nto make his rebuttal. After all, the Muhammadiyah is an Islamic
\norganization committed to social work and its leaders had come to
\nreport matters relevant to their organization to the President.<\/p>\n
Of course, it could be that the President simply wanted to put
\nthe facts straight right away in whatever forum was available.
\nMost probably, he could have been concerned that the historical
\nfacts surrounding the event might eventually become blurred to
\nthe younger generation of Indonesians, or that the younger people
\nmight become disinterested.<\/p>\n
No doubt the White Book which the government recently released
\nprovides a valuable source of reference for those who want to
\ndelve into the facts surrounding the 1965 tragedy. The book,
\nhowever, confines itself to exposing only those facts and events
\nthat concern the coup itself. By doing so it limits its
\nusefulness to those who want to look at the event in a wider
\ncontext. Younger Indonesians, for example, might well ask
\nthemselves, why this sudden uproar about CIA involvement?<\/p>\n
The time may have come that we must start to seriously think
\nabout publishing a book that sets the dramatic events of
\nSeptember and October 1965 in a wider perspective. To be worth
\nthe effort, of course, such a book would have to be well
\ndocumented and historically straightforward.<\/p>\n
To those of us who belong to the older generation, it may be a
\nwell known fact that at the time the 1965 coup was launched in
\nIndonesia the Cold War was raging across the globe, the domino
\ntheory was in vogue and the United States was committed to a
\npolicy of containment against communism internationally. It seems
\nthe time has come that we share that knowledge with our children
\nand grandchildren in order that they may get a better grasp of
\nhistory.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/putting-it-in-perspective-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}