Sukarno and guerrilla warfare

In the articles entitled Recollections of Sukarno: Images of a national hero, written by Mr. Mochtar Buchori in The Jakarta Post's June 8, 2001 and June 9, 2001 issues, the writer expressed his disappointment that Sukarno didn't keep his word in leading a guerrilla war when Yogyakarta was invaded by the Dutch troops on Dec. 19, 1948.

To find out the reason, I studied a number of references, among others, an article by Mr. Roem: Letters from Sukamiskin prison -- Development of polemics published in Kompas on Feb. 23, 1981.

According to the account, Sukarno did not leave Yogyakarta because a decision had been reached in a morning Cabinet session on Dec. 19, 1948. The decision reads: 1) To give Mr. Sjafrudin Prawiranegara the authority to form an emergency government and carry on the people's struggle in the event the government under Sukarno and Hatta is incapable of performing its duties due to the detention of its leaders. 2) The government remains based in Yogyakarta.

Since none of the people in charge of running the government then had been given any instruction as to who would lead the guerrilla war, the decision was clearly meant for Sukarno, or at least construed to be for him.

The government also issued another statement urging people to continue their struggle, but, alas, the statement could not go on the air as the Indonesian Radio Broadcasting Service (RRI) station in Yogyakarta was devastated by air-raid bombing. When the Dutch soldiers reached the palace, they readied themselves to attack. Bung Karno ordered for a white flag to be raised -- a sign of surrender -- as it was feared that if a battle erupted, many palace members would sustain injuries and they could not hold the Dutch responsible for it. Moreover, the palace troops were outnumbered by the Dutch soldiers.

After their arrest, and having given the mandate to Mr. Sjahfrudin Prawiranegara, Bung Karno and Bung Hatta were no longer heads of government, but individuals and national figures.

Sukarno flatly rejected the appeal from Maj. Gen. Meyer when the latter asked him to instruct the National Army (TNI) and people to stop fighting the Dutch. After Col. Van Langen (who led the attack on Yogyakarta) reported to his senior, Gen. Spoor, that Bung Karno and Bung Hatta had been detained, the general abruptly said: "We have lost" (Solichin Salam: Sukarno-Hatta never gives up, Merdeka, March 16, 1991 and March 17, 1991).

Later, after war was waged with weapons and diplomacy, the Roem-Royen Agreement was reached. According to the agreement, the government of the Republic of Indonesia was reestablished in Yogyakarta. In the Round Table Conference in The Hague in late 1949, the Dutch recognized the Federal Republic of Indonesia as a sovereign and free nation.

JOHN ISKANDAR

Surabaya