March 1, 1949 history corrected
March 1, 1949 history corrected
YOGYAKARTA (JP): A book was launched here yesterday to rectify
the history of the March 1, 1949 general attack in Yogyakarta,
wiping out the 32-year-old belief that then Lt. Col. Soeharto was
the initiator of the attack known as Serangan Oemoem 1 Maret.
According to the book titled Pelurusan Sejarah Serangan Oemoem
1 Maret, 1949 (The Correction to the History of the March 1, 1949
General Attack) it was Hamengkubuwono IX, the then Sultan of
Yogyakarta, who initiated the general raid.
According to all history books currently used at schools,
former Indonesian president Soeharto, initiated and led the
attack. Indonesian independence had been proclaimed at that time,
but Dutch colonial did not recognize the independence and still
ruled Yogyakarta.
The launching of the book, co-authored by lawyer, A. Budi
Hartono, Tataq Chidmad and Sri Endang Sumiyati -- both are
lecturers at the Janabadra University -- took place in a ceremony
in a space close to the Correction of the History of the March 1,
1949 General Attack Monument in the palace complex.
Hundreds of people including, freedom fighter veterans and
House of Representative's (DPR) member GBPH Joyokusumo attended
the ceremony.
The co-authors told The Jakarta Post that the book was merely
aimed at telling the truth and had nothing to do with any plot to
eliminate (former president) Soeharto's role from history.
"Many people have asked us if the book is intended to
humiliate Soeharto. Let me tell you, what we want to do is just
rectify history. We just want to honor Sultan Hamengkubuwono IX
as an Indonesian statesman," said Budi.
"Soeharto was also a part of the history of the March 1
general attack. He was the operator and no one can deny it. We
had found some new evidence, including the record of a BBC
interview with Sultan Hamengkubuwono IX in 1986, before we
concluded that the initiator of the attack was Hamengkubuwono IX,
not Soeharto," he added.
After Soeharto's downfall in 1998 many people, including
Soeharto's former close aide, Brig. Gen. (ret.) Marsudi, said
that the history must be rectified.
Marsudi testified that he accompanied Soeharto to meet
Hamengkubuwono IX one day in February 1949 and that the sultan
took the initiative to call Soeharto to plot the March 1, 1949
attack.
It was Marsudi who initiated the construction of the
Correction of the History of the March 1, 1949 General Attack
Monument. The monument was built last year. (23)