My role

I venture to write about Soebandrio and talk only the truth and nothing but the truth, and refrain from praising or condemning him. I am not commenting about clemency either, because that is the prerogative of the head of state.

I am of the opinion that Soebandrio is not a communist but an opportunist, a very ambitious man, who, being already at the top, wanted to climb higher. That Soebandrio is not a communist was also confirmed by the special military tribunal (Mahmilub) that sentenced him to death. He was an ambitious man who was unscrupulous in the way and means he used to fulfill his political ambition and get to the top.

In 1962, when I was a Consul General in Singapore, Soebandrio and I had a very serious talk about the danger of communists. Just between the two of us. Soebandrio asked me to keep everything secret for the time being and not to tell anyone else about this. Now I can understand his request because the PKI (Indonesian Communist Party) at that time was rising and rising and nobody knew where it would end.

He explained that one day China with its expansionist policy, which wanted to export communism and its inferior industrial products, would advance to the south. With a big army under his command, Mao Zedong would march southward -- not expecting meaningful opposition. The Chinese would march through Thailand and Malaya, and in no time would be in Singapore, and would knock at our door. This would create a very difficult situation for Indonesia.

The Indonesians had to find time to prepare to fight the Chinese. The only way, according to Soebandrio, was give the Malaya combat experience. With this combat experience Malaya would slow down the advance of the Chinese and the communists. But how this could be achieved?

The chance came when Malaya proclaimed itself Malaysia not according to the General Assembly Resolution No. 1541 principle 9. With this proclamation, Indonesia found its casus belli. Indonesia could infiltrate Malaysian territory, hoping to meet armed resistance from the Malaysian army. This is what Soebandrio meant by giving combat experience to Malaysia.

The idea of the Chinese communist advance was already discussed in a small intelligence circle in the late 1950s, under the topic Potential dangers faced by Indonesia. The conclusion of that discussion was that communist China could become potential danger No. 1, because of its expansionist policy, and potential danger No. 2 was Japan, which was becoming an economic giant.

Soebandrio, pointing out the danger of Chinese communism, and how to fight it, sufficiently proved to me that he was not a communist. Soebandrio once said "I am a socialist, how can I be a communist." What drove him into the camp of PKI was ambition.

I visited Soebandrio twice or three times at Cipinang prison a few years ago. He told me, that he had found solace in Islam. On one occasion, he said seriously: "But Mas (brother) Giarto, I have one wish and that is I want to die as a free man, even when it is only for one day, just before I die. Please convey this to Pak Harto."

I was touched and since this is an amanat (message) according to Islam I have conveyed the message to the proper authorities. I have done my duty.

SOEGIH ARTO

Jakarta