Seminar on Sukarno's speech gains support

JAKARTA (JP): The seminar on the last public speech given by the late president Sukarno in 1966 should go ahead to reveal the truth surrounding his impeachment, a student leader in the 1960s said yesterday.

Siswono Yudohusodo, who is now Minister of Transmigration, said the seminar should be held while witnesses were still alive, Antara reported.

The seminar, originally planned for this month, has been postponed because of the controversy it caused since it was announced by State Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Hayono Isman last week.

Sukarno gave the speech, entitled Nawaksara (nine points), on the accountability of his administration to the Provisional People's Consultative Assembly (MPRS) in June 1966.

In the speech, Sukarno did not condemn the communist uprising of the previous year as was widely demanded, even by students who had taken to the streets in protest.

Sukarno's failure to condemn the communists led to his impeachment by the assembly and paved the way for Soeharto, then a young Army general, to rise to power.

Soeharto has consented to the seminar, saying that it would destroy accusations by some foreign analysts that he had risen to power through a disguised coup d'etat.

Several pro-Sukarno figures have criticized the planned seminar, while others said the timing, coming just before the general election, was inappropriate.

Siswono said the seminar interest young people because it would reveal the truth on what had happened in and around the special assembly session.

"It will be more valuable because there are lots of MPRS members still alive," he added.

Hayono announced Wednesday that the seminar would not go ahead until after the May 29 election. He has asked organizers to revise the seminar's topic and make sure that it did not humiliate Sukarno, or hurt people's feelings.

Siswono agreed with the decision to postpone the seminar.

"The political atmosphere is already heated," he said, acknowledging the emotional reactions that the plan had evoked.

Meanwhile, politicians said that foreign speakers should not be invited to the seminar.

Hari Soegiman, deputy chairman of Golkar's House members, said the seminar should only involve those directly involved in the affair or understood the process of power transfer.

"Those with no idea about the process would only express opinions based on emotions," he said.

Aisyah Aminy, an United Development Party House member, said the presence of foreign observers would confuse the discussion. "They will view Sukarno's speech from a Western point of view."

Hari Sabarno, deputy chairman of the Armed Forces' House members, said that even if Abdul Haris Nasution, the assembly chairman who impeached Sukarno, was unable to speak at the seminar, the organizers could invite others who were in the assembly.

"There must be other MPRS members who can explain the process. We should not force Pak Nas if he is not able to come," he said of retired general Nasution.

Indonesian Democratic Party legislator Sabam Sirait differed on the presence of foreign speakers: "There's nothing wrong with their presence. They usually have complete material for discussion." (imn)