Sukarno aide wants his good name back
Sukarno aide wants his good name back
YOGYAKARTA (JP): An adjutant of first president Sukarno who
was incarcerated for over a decade as a political prisoner is
demanding that his good name be restored.
Soekardjo Wilardjit, 71, told reporters at the Legal Aid
Institute office here yesterday that he was imprisoned without
trial between 1966 and 1978 and has since been denied his rights
as a retired lieutenant in the Armed Forces.
He recounted to reporters how he was arrested just minutes
after Sukarno signed the historic March 11 letter at Bogor Palace
in West Java in 1966. The letter effectively gave Soeharto a
mandate to restore order in the country.
His legal councillor, Budi Hartono, said they had sent a
letter to the Armed Forces Chief of Socio-Political Affairs,
demanding that Soekardjo be cleared of charges of involvement
with the now banned Indonesian Communist Party (PKI).
"As a veteran, our client should be entitled to his pension
dating back to the day he was arrested in 1966," Budi added.
Soekardjo said yesterday that he witnessed the famous letter
being signed and contended that Sukarno was forced to put pen to
paper at gunpoint.
He said that at the time he was assigned as a bodyguard to
Sukarno and was on duty when four generals -- the late Maj. Gen.
Basuki Rahmat, the late Maj. Gen. M. Panggabean, the late Maj.
Gen. Amir Mahmud, and Maj. Gen. (ret) M. Jusuf -- arrived at the
palace carrying a light red folder and demanded to see Sukarno.
Soekardjo said he knocked on Sukarno's bedroom door and
moments later the first president emerged in casual dress to meet
the four officers.
"Gen. M. Yusuf pushed forward the light red folder which
contained a letter which had to be signed," he recounted.
After a brief conversation between them, Soekardjo then
claimed that he saw Rahmat and Panggabean draw and cock FN 46
pistols and aimed it at Sukarno's chest.
"At that moment I too reached for my pistol because I was
responsible for the president's safety. But Sukarno told me to
calm down and proceeded to sign the letter," said Soekardjo, who
claimed to be standing about three meters behind Sukarno at the
time.
According to Soekardjo, Sukarno turned to him after the four
generals had left and said: "I have to leave the palace, and you
(Soekardjo) must be very careful".
"At that very moment," recounted Soekardjo, "I asked myself is
this what's called a coup d'etat?"
He said that about 30 minutes later all security guards at the
palace were arrested. "I never had a chance to talk to Bung Karno
again after that." (23/44)