Family welcomes move to restore Dharsono's name

BANDUNG (JP): Andriana held back tears when asked to comment on the government's plan to restore the good name of her husband, Hartono Rekso Dharsono, a leading soldier-diplomat who died two years ago after spending five years in jail for subversion under former president Soeharto's regime.

Now ailing from Parkinson's disease, Andriana, 71, recounted how her husband tried to put a brave face on his incarceration. "How bitter it was, only he knew, because he never complained to us," she said here on Saturday after revealing to reporters that she found out about the plan to grant her husband a posthumous amnesty in the media.

"We tried to soothe his wounded feelings by visiting him in jail. Deep down in our hearts we could never accept it. How could we? He was innocent," Andriana said.

"We have not received any official notification, but if it is true, we hope it (the plan) will be carried out," Andriana said at her home.

She said she had yet to pass the news on to all of her six children. "Some of my children are still in Germany and Australia," she said.

After taking part in the independence struggle of the 1940s, Dharsono's military career peaked when he became chief of the Bandung-based Siliwangi Regional Command in 1966-1969, during which time he helped to establish Soeharto's New Order government.

He served as ambassador to Thailand (1969-1972) and Cambodia (1972-1975) and was secretary-general of the Association of Southeast Asia Nations from 1976 to 1978.

After retiring from public life, Dharsono, fondly known as Pak Ton, became one of Soeharto's staunchest critics. He was sent to jail in 1985 after being found guilty of attempting to undermine the government and inciting unrest by helping to draft a white paper on the Sept. 12, 1984, Tanjung Priok riot.

He was released for good behavior in 1990 after serving five years of his sentence. He died of cancer in June 1996.

Despite being awarded a number of service medals, his right to burial in a heroes' cemetery was denied and he was instead put to rest in Sirnaraga Cemetery, Bandung. Many of his colleagues, including Lt. Gen. (ret) Ali Sadikin, Lt. Gen. (ret) Solichin G.P., and Lt. Gen. (ret) Kemal Idris were outraged at this act.

Ali wept bitterly and even snapped at then West Java military chief Maj. Gen. Tayo Tarmadi over the unfairness of the situation.

However Dharsono's family accepted the situation more calmly.

"A burial place is a burial place," Dharsono's daughter, Rani, said. "What is more important is the restoration of his name because he was innocent."

"He was released before his time was up, but that's not enough for us. We want his good name to be restored," Andriana added.

She said she would never understand why her husband was blamed for a crime he did not commit. "It's the most hateful thing (Soeharto's) government did to us," Andriana said.

She described how before her husband retired Soeharto often visited Bandung and her family would do everything to welcome him. (43)