The `mole' in 'Radio Australia'

Dewi Anggraeni, Contributor, Melbourne, Australia

He was once rumored to have been paid by the CIA. He was around when the country's first president, Sukarno, finally gave way to his successor, Soeharto. He also witnessed Soeharto fall from power, and B.J. Habibie take over the presidency then subsequently lose the election to Abdurrahman Wahid. He was again physically present when Abdurrahman lost out to the current president, Megawati Soekarnoputri.

Having seen how fragile power is, and how ephemeral a powerful position can be, probably made Hidayat Djajamihardja realize the utter importance of humility and integrity.

If Hidayat had to write a curriculum vitae stating only the names of his employers, he would only have two: High Level Operational Commando (KOTI) and Radio Australia. However, if he had to write down all the interesting assignments he had completed, Hidayat could write a book.

Since his time with KOTI was brief, if Hidayat looked at his life, apart from his wonderful and supportive family, everywhere he looked he would see the overwhelming presence of Radio Australia, though the scenes would be incredibly varied.

Some of the scenes would have him following rowdy election campaigns in different Indonesian cities at different times, or being told to stay put in Biak while being followed wherever he went, or having a rock thrown through the back window of the car he was traveling in, in Dili, or sitting working in a relatively peaceful studio at the ABC Center.

His work as a radio journalist has also brought various friendships and fall-outs with numerous personalities. One such experience he recounted happened in the then West Irian in April 1969.

In February that year Hidayat went to West Irian to gather information for his program. As soon as he arrived in Biak airport, he was greeted by former colleagues from KOTI who had been posted to Biak. In their excitement of seeing and chatting with him, his friends forgot to stamp his pass.

When the territory was closed on April 1 leading up to the Act of Free Choice, Hidayat realized he still had his unstamped pass. Having rung his boss in Singapore and told him he would be able to cover events in West Irian as he had a valid pass, Hidayat made preparations and left for Biak at the end of April.

The day he arrived there was unrest in Enarotali, where indigenous teacher aides, angry at not having received any pay, called for the non-indigenous teachers, mostly from Java, to leave. The atmosphere was ripe for confrontation, with Free Papua Movement (OPM) activists preparing to fly their own flags.

Hidayat, from his hotel, Hotel Biak, which was across the road from the airfield, saw (the late) Gen. Sarwo Eddie arrive with an his entourage, preparing to fly to hinterland Enarotali. Thinking that the general would still remember him from an exclusive interview they had done some time previously, Hidayat approached him and asked if he could join his group and go to Enarotali with them.

To his bewilderment, not only did the general have no recollection of him, but he subjected the young Hidayat to an intimidating interrogation, before telling him he was not welcome.

When he had recovered from the unsettling experience, Hidayat went to the Garuda office, where the previous day he had been told by an employee that there were plenty of seats available.

When he wanted to buy a ticket to Jayapura, the same Garuda employee told him the flights that day was fully booked. Hidayat asked him to check again. The employee made a show of disappearing into the back office to check, unwittingly leaving a piece of paper on his desk. Hidayat, bursting with curiosity, reached through the window, took the paper and turned it over. He saw his name written on it. He quietly replaced the paper.

When the employee returned from the back office, saying there was nothing he could do, Hidayat persuaded him to tell the truth.

The employee, who was also from Java, confessed that he had received instructions from the district commandant not to sell any tickets to the person whose name was written on that piece of paper.

The following day Hidayat received a visitor, a friendly police inspector, who revealed to him that the district commander had told him to keep Hidayat in Biak until there was a flight for Jakarta, and to make sure he was on that flight. "What on earth have you done?" he finally asked Hidayat.

Since there was only one flight per week, Hidayat was stuck in Biak. However, he was not idle. Most officials in Biak were his friends, and he had also been able to befriend some of the indigenous people, so he was able to get a lot of information from different sources, and was able to check and recheck that way.

He discovered that when the general's plane had arrived in Enarotali, they had been unable to land because the runway had been covered with bamboo spikes, and some indigenous police officers had shot at the plane. One of the general's aides had been injured in the leg.

The following day, on May 1, two B21 rockets flew over Enarotali, "apparently to scare them", said Hidayat.

He duly reported all these events and managed to sneak out the tapes despite being followed by an intelligence officer wherever he went.

Not long after his report went on air, the United Nations sent an envoy to verify the report that the Indonesian government had used B21 rockets to coerce the indigenous population.

In the meantime, in Jakarta, Hidayat knew he was under surveillance for a long time after that. And he also knew that he had entered the general's bad books.

Alan Morris, one of his seniors, laughingly confided to him that the general had warned him, "Be careful with that Hidayat fellow. He's on the CIA payroll."

Several months after the events, a position became vacant in Melbourne, for which Hidayat applied and got. A friend, Australian television journalist Mike Carlton, said to him then, "You know mate, you got that position because Radio Australia was anxious for you to leave Jakarta."

Hidayat does not believe that was the reason he was chosen, but he does not know for sure it was not.