Nasution says he never intended to unseat Sukarno
Nasution says he never intended to unseat Sukarno
JAKARTA (JP): General Abdul Haris Nasution, Indonesia's most
senior surviving military figure, says he never had the slightest
intention of wresting power from president Sukarno during the
political turmoil of the mid-1960s.
Nasution, 75 years old, said in an article that although
relations between Sukarno and him had not been good since
Nasution was ousted from the military hierarchy structure in
1962, rumors about his plans to grab power from Sukarno are
slanderous.
It was simply "unthinkable" that he, or any other general at
that time for that matter, would attempt to wrest power from
Sukarno. Even if there was any notion for it, it would've been
impossible given the situation before and after Oct 1,. 1965,
Nasution wrote.
The article, distributed to a number of press publications
this week, is timed for the commemoration of the Pancasila
Sanctity Day which falls today, on Oct. 1.
It was on Oct. 1, 1965 that the Army, led by a young major
general Soeharto, foiled a coup attempt launched by the
Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) the previous night.
Six generals were abducted from their homes in Jakarta the
night before and were brutally murdered. Their bodies were then
ditched into a dry well in the Lubang Buaya (Crocodile Hole) area
in East Jakarta.
Lubang Buaya is now a museum where every Oct. 1 the Pancasila
Sanctity Day is solemnly commemorated.
Nasution, a target of the abduction, managed to escape but
lost his daughter and his adjutant in the process.
The PKI justified its action on the pretext that it was
preempting an attempt by a number of Army generals, led by
Nasution, to grab power from Sukarno.
Rumors
Nasution recalled that in the aftermath of the Oct. 1
incident, Sukarno gradually stripped him of all remaining
positions of influence because of persistent rumors about his
desire to grab power.
He said he and the six murdered generals were victims of
betrayal by the PKI.
Nasution recalled that he and other Army generals at one time
even wrote to Sukarno offering to be put in a tribunal to answer
the charges.
He pointed out that the Army generals, including Soeharto, who
then was in charge of the Army, continued to remain loyal to
Sukarno until he was removed from power by the People's
Consultative Assembly in 1967.
He underlined later the fact that the coup perpetrators,
during the trials, admitted that allegations of a military power
grab was concocted as part of their strategy.
Describing the Sept. 30, 1965 event as a tragedy that nearly
wrought havoc on the nation, Nasution said it was only for the
grace of God that the communist coup attempt failed, especially
in light of their carefully worked out plans and preparations.
(emb)