General Suharto issued a decree in the name of Sukarno banning the Indonesian Communist party.
New York, N. Y. 10010. HP
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The reactionary nature of the military coup d'état could scarcely be made plainer. Nonetheless the decree cited alleged "underground activities" by the Communist party, including "slander, aggravation, threats, rumors and armed activity..."
All the evidence now points to a renewed and intensified blood purge in the unhappy archipelago where estimates of the number of victims slaughtered either directly by the army or under its instigation run as high as 200,000 to 350,000.
Thus Sukarno's desperate attempt to redress the balance on which he formerly maintained power appears to have come to an end. On February 21, Sukarno, who already seemed to hold only a semblance of power, suddenly dismissed Nasution, the general who seized the reins of power on October 1 and initiated the massive witch-hunt for "Communists." Reports from Djakarta indicated’ that Sukarno- had succeeded in splitting the generals. | |
With at least some power back in his hands, Sukarno sought to strengthen his left flank. He reshuffled his cabinet, bringing in figures opposed by the generals as “soft on Communism. " ‘Among them were Foreign Minister Subandrio and ‘Minister of Basic ‘Education Sumardjo.
This maneuver had no chance, ‘however, of finding forces on the left strong enough to counter the army. The Communist party was shattered as an organization during the months of blood-letting. The top