The `mole' in 'Radio Australia'

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.