No relative of Tjakraningrat

I am seeking some clarification on particular points in the Insight column by Mulyana W. Kusumah (The Jakarta Post, June 23, 1995), dealing with the subject of pardon for political prisoners.

Among the participants of the 1965 abortive coup attempt, according to the author, is a certain Col. Latief Cakraningrat, commander of the First Division of the Jakarta Military Command.

The name Cakraningrat was, and is still used by several nobility and descendants in Yogyakarta, West Madura and perhaps in other parts of Indonesia also.

In Madura, the Cakraningrat dynasty ruled the western part of the island (Bangkalan area) from the 15th century until the 18th century, when they were defeated by Dutch colonialists. The last independent ruler, Cakraningrat IV, was captured and banished to the Cape of Good Hope, where he died in 1754.

Through extensive research, and enquiries among the surviving descendants, I found that there is no one with the name Latief Cakraningrat, and that the one referred to by the author is definitely not a Cakraningrat from Madura.

To verify the finding I suggest the author contact Col. (Ret.) Aboe Djamal, chief of staff of the Jakarta Military Command at the time of the coup, and Lt. Col. (Ret.) M. Tajib Sasraningrat, staff of Army headquarters. Both gentlemen happen to be related to the Cakraningrat family from Madura.

Another point for clarification is that, according to a knowledgeable source, there was never such a thing as First Division of the Jakarta Military Command in 1965. Col. Latief was a brigade commander stationed in Jakarta at that time.

I would appreciate very much the author's comment on the above information.

Thank you.

Mrs. R.A. SOENARISASI TJAKRANINGRAT

SOEHARI SARGO

Jakarta

Note: Mr. Mulyana W. Kusumah did not add Cakraningrat behind Col. Latief's name in his article, but the editor did by mistake. The editor based his initiative on a previous story on the matter, which appeared in this newspaper, which is a mistake in itself.

We deeply regret the error and sincerely apologize to both Mr. Kusumah and the Tjakraningrat family.

-- The Editor