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)