Review: September 30 Movement, 1965 Why and How dit It

Summary Record of the Tragedy

On October 1, 1965 at 07.00 Time of Jawa the Radio of the Republic of Indonesia in Jakarta broadcasted that a military upheaval had happened in the internal of the Army Service supported by a number of the members of the other Armed Services. The action was done by a military group described its identity as the September 30 Movement led by Liet. Col. Untung.

In the same day at 12.00 noon the Radio of the Republic of Indonesia broadcasted that it was formed the Revolutionary Council led by Lieut. Col Untung and the Cabinet was put in non-active status.

Meanwhile in the respective day people realized that six Army Generals and one Captain were kidnapped and killed by an unknown armed group.  Where were the victims it was still unknown.

On October 2, 1965 those seven kidnapped victims were found all dead, they were buried in an old well in the  non-productive rubber plantation in Lubang Buaya. This information was confirmed by May Gen Soeharto, Commander of the Army Strategic Reserve Command in his speech through the Radio of the Republic of Indonesia in Jakarta in late night.

This location was apparently the area of the military training of the Armed Voluntary group in the frame work of the Malaysian Confrontation.

Those six Army Generals were Lieut Gen. Akhmad Yani, Chief of Staffs of the Army and five Assistants of the Army Hq. One Captain, Piere Tendean, the ADC of General AH Nasution  was also kidnapped and killed, while Gen AH Nasution was likely successful to save from the kidnapping action. Captain Piere Tendean was incidentally to spent his rest of that night in the residence of Gen AH Nasution.
 
To prevent the leadership vacant in the Army, President Soekarno appointed May. Gen. Pranoto Reksosamodro as the Care Taker of the Chief of Staff of the Army, But on the later day May. Gen Soeharto  was appointed as the definite Chief of Staffs of the Army and promoted to Lieut. Gen.

President Soekarno based on his own consideration  to maintain the situation that could become confusing and chaos affected by what happened  recently in the country decided to form the extra ordinary security organization, namely "The Command of the Operation to Restore the Security, Peace and Order" under the command of Lieut. Gen Suharto.

The area of authority of this Security Command was all over Country. The main political objective of the foundation of this Security Organization likely was to prevent the country to plunge into the conflict among group in the society.

"The Command of the Operation to Restore the Security, Peace and Order" conducted its intelligent and security operation, completed with the implementation of the Legal and Justice Operation to solve the September 30 Movement legally.    

The first Court Session was conducted to bring for justice Nyono, who was the Chairman of the Regional Committee of the Communist Party of Indonesia of Jakarta. Nyono was one of the leaders of the Communist Party of Indonesia who apparently controlled the activities in the military training area of Lubang Buaya.

Nyono was apparently the Chairman of the Regional Committee of the Communist Party Indonesia of Jakarta who was also member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Indonesia.

Based on the information of this Court Session it was clear September 30 Movement, happened in 1965 was a conspiracy action organized by the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Indonesia covered as the internal upheaval within the Army Service.

The military training area of Lubang Buaya was the training area of the armed voluntary group who were mainly the communist youth  and it was utilized as the main base of the armed unit who kidnapped all of those victims on October 1, 1965 early in the morning.

This national tragedy was apparently to take place in Indonesia influenced by various factors, namely  the revolutionary doctrine of the Communist ideology, the impact of the Soviet Union and US cold war situation, political interest of Communist Party of Indonesia (CPI), latent hostility between TNI and the CPI, political situation of the country and the tactical situation.

The Development of the Communist Party of Indonesia after September 1948

On end of November 1948 the political and military coup of the Communist Party of Indonesia in all Madiun administrative area was totally crushed. The Government of the Republic of Indonesia utilized the great part of her best military power to crush this rebellion. President Soekarno had instructed General Soedirman and Col AH Nasution with all cost to eliminate the Communist rebellion.

Since then Communist Party of Indonesia considered TNI as the main enemy in its effort to communize the country of Indonesia. The Communist Party of Indonesia believes TNI has been willingness to eliminate the Communist Party of Indonesia from this country at any time.
 
DN Aidit, Lukman, Sudisman and Nyoto as the potential cadres of the Central Communist Party in September 1948 escaped abroad. After 1950 when the Unitary State of The Republic of Indonesia was founded, DN Aidit, Lukman, Sudisman and Nyoto returned to Indonesia and to rebuild the Communist Party of Indonesia becoming the third big Communist Party in the world after Rusia and China.
 
DN Aidit was elected as the Chairman of the CPI and concurrently was also the Chairman of the Central Committee of CPI and also Chairman of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of CPI. DN Aidit was considered as the brilliant politician and apparently to have strong and powerful leadership.

He was the most respected leader in the Communist Party of Indonesia (CPI). He was considered as the God Father of the Communist Power in Indonesia.
Supported by Lukman, Sudisman and Nyoto as the members of the Central Committee Party, Communist Party of Indonesia won the General Election in 1955 as the fourth strong political Party faction in the  Constitutional Assembly (MPR).

The establishment of the Special Bureau Party

The 29 th Brigade as the Military Wing failed to support the CPI in the political and military coup in September 1948 in Madiun, and could not be rebuilt. However DN Aidit was of the opinion that the existing of the Military Wing is important element within the Communist Party.

DN Aidit proposed to the Government the foundation of the Fifth Armed Force in Indonesia, consists of the Armed Peasant and the Armed Labor, beside The Army, the Navy, The Air Force and the Police.

The Fifth Armed Force will be actually considered as the Military Wing of the Communist Party of Indonesia. But President Soekarno decided to cancel the Communist proposal, because General Akhmad Yani, Chief of Staff of the Army strongly reject DN Aidit's proposal.
 
To compensate the impossibility of the foundation of the Fifth Armed Force in Indonesia, DN Aidit secretly formed the Special Bureau Party of the Communist Party of Indonesia, namely Sam Kamaruzaman, Bono and Pono to do the job.
 
The mission of the Special Bureau Party was to implement the third Strategy of CPI struggle, namely to influence the members of TNI to become secretly  members of Communist Party of Indonesia, afer the Peasant and the Labor.

The leadership structure of Communist Party of Indonesia  

CPI organization in term of the top leadership structure  could be described as follows:
• Chairman of the Communist Party of Indonesia as the top leader of CPI.
• Political Bureau of the Communist Party, led by the Chairman of CPI as the highest institution of  CPI.
• Central Committee of the Communist Party of Indonesia, led by the Chairman of CPI as the policy execution of CPI.
• Regional Committee of the Communist Party of Indonesia, led by potential cadre on the Regional level.
• District Committee of the Communist Party of Indonesia, led by local potential cadre on the district level.
 
The Communist doctrine to grasp the political power of the country

DN Aidit who was respecting Communist International (Commintern) under Rusian Communist and also Revolutionary doctrine of Chinese Communist Party decided to continue Muso strategy, that CPI must grasp the political power of Indonesia based on the  strategy of the "Revolutionary Way of Struggle".  
DN Aidit decided to implement the Three Strategies of CPI Struggle, namely to strongly influence the Peasant, to strongly influence the Labor and strongly influence the members of TNI.

DN Aidit believed the influence of the CPI among the members of TNI was big, because according to CPI research and analysis, the percentage of the members of TNI who choose the CPI in the General Election to elect the members of the Constitution Assembly in the general election of 1955 were big consisted of all level of the membership. Accordingly he believed the work of the Special Political Bureau  of CPI will be absolutely important.

The Political doctrine of NASAKOM

In 1959 President Soekarno declared that the Republic of Indonesia since July 5, 1959 returned to the implementation of the Constitution of 1945. The Political deliberation of this Constitution was among others the creation of the Unification of the Political Parties, namely the National Party, the Religious Party and the Communist Party in the new institution called the National Front based on popularly called NASAKOM principle (the unification spirit based the Nationalism, Religion and Communism).

This concept was greeted by the CPI because it was close to the Chinese Communist doctrine: The United Front Organization that is influenced strongly by the Communist Party principles.  
 
The Gilchrist Document

Gilchrist Document was a piece of paper looked like an official letter typed on an official paper with form and attribute of the British Embassy in Jakarta directed to the British Foreign Ministry in London reporting  that the British interest in Indonesia was safe because the British Embassy in Indonesian  to have the local army friend.  

The word local army friend was clearly interpreted by the society as TNI. The Gilchrist document was never covered up but it was believed as the black campaign to discredit the Indonesian Army.   

The sickness of President Soekarno

President Soekarno had likely felt very tired and  the Presidential Medical Team under the coordination of Prof Mahar Mardjono of the University of Indonesia suggested him to fully take rest. But Dr Soebandrio, minister of Foreign Affairs, who just made visit to President Soekarno in his bed room to have the impression that President Sekarno was seriously ill and urgently he informed his close political relation DN Aidit who was incidentally visiting China, about his conclusion concerning the condition of  President Soekarno.

DN Aidit without any coordination with the President Soekarno Medical Team in Jakarta brought a group of  Chinese medical team from China to Jakarta and DN Aidit asked them to check President Soekarno  health.

The Chinese Medical Team told secretly to DN Aidit that President Soekarno was in seriously bad health condition. If President Soekarno could survive likely he will be lame but possibly President Soekarno would die soon.

DN Aidit was startled because without the existence of President Soekarno the position of CPI will be in danger. He realized the hostility between the CPI and TNI was sharp and DN Aidit definitely believed TNI will crush CPI totally when TNI knows that President Soekarno was in seriously ill and possibly died. DN Aidit thought that a rapid action has to be done by the Communist Party of Indonesia (CPI) to prevent TNI to crush the CPI.

The Council of the Generals

DN Aidit as the Chairman of the Communist Party of Indonesia got a report of one of his Parliamentary member that a group of Army Generals to have formed the political group called the Council of the Generals with the plan to take over by force the political power of the country from President Soekarno.
   
DN Aidit realized that the information on the health condition of President Soekarno is still a secret  and the Council of the Generals did not know it, but the Council of the general certainly will move quickly when they know President Soekarno is seriously sick.

Apparently President Soekarno recovered and well. However DN Aidit believed it was only temporary condition and President Soekarno will be seriously sick again. DN Aidit believed that the Chinese Medical Team to do not made mistake in their observation. In the mean time the existing of the Council of the Generals was serious threat to CPI.
DN Aidit thought the Council of te Generals could not be neglected. CPI was in an urgent challenge that should be solved how was to eliminate the Council of the Generals urgently.

DN Aidit decided to move

He informed the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Indonesia (CPI)  that according to his analysis  CPI should make the decision to move early to eliminate the Council of the General. As usual everyone in the Communist Party of Indonesia is highly respecting DN Aidit  analysis and the concept of action.
 
Not much different as before all members of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Indonesia at last accepted the analysis and conclusion concerning the health condition of President Soekarno and to approve the further action that should be made by the Chairman of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Indonesia, DN Aidit, to eliminate the Council of the Generals.

The Special Bureau meeting to decide the armed movement

After the Political Bureau Meeting decided the Communist Party of Indonesia should move quickly and earlier than the possible action of the Council of the Generals, DN Aidit invited Sam Kamaruzaman to discuss the case. The meeting concluded that members of the Army who were the members of the CPI are strong enough to eliminate the Council of the Generals.
 
The concept on the Military course of action was agreed namely to kidnap all the members of the  Council of the Generals and brought them to meet President Soekarno for punishment to dismiss them  from their respective job in the Army, because they were not loyal to President Soekarno.

To catch all the members of the Council of the Generals and to bring them to President Soekarno  for punishment. The kidnapping action will be executed by a military unit under the identification of September 30 Movement as the internal upheaval within the Army Service.

Seven  Army Generals will be taken from their respective residence on early in the morning of October 1, 1965. Unfortunately likely there was no instruction that they should  not be dead or wounded.

The Political course of actions that should be done

DN Aidit thought after the dismissal of the Council of the Generals the Revolutionary Council should be formed and the Cabinet should be declared to be in de-function status. Indirectly the political power of President Soekarno to be taken over by the Revolutionary Council, that was secretly under the CPI control.
 
The result of the movement:
a. Brig Gen Soepardjo instructed by Sam Kamaruzaman to report to President Soekarno about September 30 Movement.
b. Brig. Gen Sapardjo met President Soekarno reporting the action of September 30 Movement to catch all seven Generals who were not loyal to President Soekarno. They want to be brought to in front of President Soekarno to be punished.
c. But surprisingly Brig Gen Sabur the Commander of the Cakrabirawa Regiment also reported that may be some of the kidnapped Generals included Gen. Akhmad Yani, Chief of Staff of the Army were dead.
d. President Soekarno realized that serious conflict may happen in the country. Accordingly President Soekarno instructed Brig Gen Soepardjo to stop the action of Sepember 30 Movement and President Soekarno was indicating he did not like to what had just happened.  
e. Sam Kamaruzaman reported to DN Aidit that he concluded the action of September 30 Movement to had failed and suggested DN Aidit to leave Jakarta. DN Aidit escaped to Central Jawa but finally he was caught by TNI and killed.

Conclusion  

September 30 Movement in 1965 was organized by the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Indonesia under directly the command and control of DN Aidit and implemented by the Special Bureau Party of the Communist Party of Indonesia, Sam Kamaruzaman.

The strong military operation by TNI to crush the political and military coup of CPI in September-November 1948 in Madiun had marked the beginning of the hostility between CPI and TNI as the strong Anti-Communist Power in Indonesia.

The Cold War Situation between the Communist Bloc Countries led by the Soviet Union and the Democratic Bloc Countries led by the US was the world situation that justified the revolutionary action of the Communist group against the non-Communist Group  anywhere in the world DN Aidit, Lukman, Sudisman and Nyoto were the key members of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of Indonesia who were leaning to Rusian Communist teaching and Chinese Communist doctrine for the revolutionary movement to take control of the political power of the country.

The political issue on the Council of the Generals who plans to launch a political coup to take over the Political  power of the country from President Soekarno was likely created by the third group to provoke the Communist Party of Indonesia to rapidly launch the revolutionary action against TNI leadership.

The secret information concerning the bad health condition of President Soekarno given by the Chinese Medical Team was definitely provoking DN Aidit to create the concept of conspiracy action to take over the political power of the Country in two steps  first to dismiss the Council of the Generals and second to take the political control of the Country.

The first Course of action has to be taken by Communist Party of Indonesia to dismiss the Council of the Generals would be done through kidnapping them and to force Pesident Soekarno to dismiss them from their job. To install the Revolutionary Council and to dismiss the Cabinet and indirectly President Soekarno political power.

September 30 Movement led by Lieut.Col Untung will be covered as the internal Army armed unit to detain the members of the Council of the Generals and to bringthe to President Soekarno.

When the Army has been powerless September 30 Movement will declare the installment of the Revolutionary Council and to de-function the Cabinet.

The establishment of the Command of the Operation to the Restoration of the Security, Peace and Order was definitely to prevent the existing conflict between the Communist and the Anti Communist Group to embark to become the Civil Warfare and to prevent the Country from collapse.
 
The court session of Nyono, the Chairman of the Regional Committee of  Communist Party of Jakarta was the true fact that September 30 Movement was the movement of the Communist Party of Indonesia.

Communist Party of Indonesia committed to two serious mistakes: first, criminal action namely to kidnap and to kill seven TNI members based on planned action. Second, criminal action against the  Constitution, namely to organize political coup based on planned movement.

Politically all the members of the Communist Party of Indonesia were responsible on the action of the Communist Party of Indonesia in the September 30 Movement in 1965 led by the Political Bureau of The Central Committee of the Communist Party of Indonesia.

Based on those facts, all the former members of Communist Party of Indonesia who are still alive  have to apologize to the Indonesian Nation because of the explosion of the National Tragedy created by the Communist Party of Indonesia under the leadership of DN Aidit.

Marxism inspired the rise of leftist radicalism and revolution, while Communist Party of Indonesia was definitely a traitor, so that both Marxism and the Communist Party of Indonesia must be dismissed eternally. Government should allow all effort to remind all of the Indonesian People in order to prevent the similar tragedy will not happen again in the future.

*) The author is an Indonesia political history observer. Residing in Jakarta.        .