Njoto and The G30S Tragedy

By Arif Zulkifli et al.

He was different from communists in general. He was well-dressed and a good violinist and saxophonist. He enjoyed symphony music, went to theater shows and wrote poetry that conveyed more than mere “populist” and “fighting-spirit” themes. He removed The Old Man and the Sea—the film based on the novel by Ernest Hemingway—from the list of western movies banned by the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI). He comprehended Marxism and Leninism but did not regard everything “capitalist” as an enemy.

He was Njoto, a PKI leader on the other side of the history of the September 30 Movement of 1965. Apart from New Order books that incriminate all PKI members in the incident, most historians have found no involvement of Njoto in this revolutionary action. Njoto was indeed no longer within the inner circle of PKI Chairman Dipa Nusantara Aidit by the time of the 1965 crisis. He was sidelined for being too close to President Sukarno.

But the “official” history of 1965 shows, no communists were “half sinful” and “totally sinful”. In the eyes of soldiers, the victors of the struggle, there were only communists or non-communists. Therefore, sinners had to be exterminated. Njoto was among them. He was abducted and was never seen again. No traces of his death were found.

Writing about Njoto, 44 years after the 1965 tragedy, is an attempt to avoid being dragged into the indiscriminate-killing logic. PKI was not a whole entity. History has always kept distinctive individuals. Njoto is one of them.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tempo Publishing
• Release date: Sep 2, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301765652

Book preview

NJOTO AND THE G30S TRAGEDY

By Arif Zulkifli et al.

Published by Tempo Publishing at Smashwords

Copyrights Tempo 2013

Illustration on Cover: Kendra Paramita

TABLE OF CONTENT:

The PKI Leader of Note

When Lek Njot Goes Roller Skating

Batik Trader, Defender of the Republic

A Revolution of Three

Cast Out by an Ocean Ripple

A Perilous Love Scandal

Sukarnoism and a Russian Woman

Njoto’s Red Ink

An Uncertain End

Secrets of Three Decades

Memories in Jalan Malang

John Roosa : PKI Politburo, Njoto, and G30S

The Khong Guan Biscuit Romance

For the Sake of Being Faithful

An Ideologue’s Poetic License

Breaking the Rules

A Wife, Forty Years On

APART from New Order books that incriminate all Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) members in the September 30 Movement (G30S) of 1965, most historians have found no involvement of Njoto in this revolutionary action. Sidelined for being too close to President Sukarno, senior PKI politician Njoto is the other side of the history of the G30S. Abducted and never seen again, no traces of Njoto’s death have ever come to light.

SPECIAL REPORT TEAM OF TEMPO, OCTOBER 12, 2009

Team Leader: Arif Zulkifli Coordinators: Wahyu Dhyatmika, Budi Riza, Dwidjo U. Maksum, Agus Supriyanto Editors: Arif Zulkifli, Budi Setyarso, Hermien Y. Kleden, Idrus F. Shahab, L.R. Baskoro, Mardiyah Chamim, M. Taufiqurohman, Purwanto Setiadi, Putu Setia, Wicaksono Writers: Budi Riza, Yandhrie Arvian, Agus Supriyanto, Anton Aprianto, Bagja Hidayat, Dwidjo U. Maksum, Iwan Kurniawan, Kurie Suditomo, M. Nafi, Rini Kustiani, Sapto Pradityo, Wahyu Dhyatmika, Yandi M. Rofiyandi, Yuliawati, Arif Zulkifli, Bismo Agung Contributors: Akbar Tri Kurniawan (Jakarta), Edi Faisol (Tegal), Mahbub Djunaidy (Jember), Rofiuddin (Semarang), Sutana Monang Hasibuan (Medan), Ukky Primartantyo (Solo) Language Editors: Dewi Kartika, Sapto Nugroho, Uu Suhardi Photos: Mazmur A. Sembiring (Coordinator), Arnold Simanjuntak Visual Design: Gilang Rahadian (Coordinator), Eko Punto, Danendro, Hendy Prakarsa, Kiagus Auliansyah, Ajibon, Agus Darmawan S., Tri W. Widodo

The PKI Leader of Note

He was different from communists in general. He was well-dressed and a good violinist and saxophonist. He enjoyed symphony music, went to theater shows and wrote poetry that conveyed more than mere populist and fighting-spirit themes. He removed The Old Man and the Sea—the film based on the novel by Ernest Hemingway—from the list of western movies banned by the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI). He comprehended Marxism and Leninism but did not regard everything capitalist as an enemy.

He was Njoto, a PKI leader on the other side of the history of the September 30 Movement of 1965. Apart from New Order books that incriminate all PKI members in the incident, most historians have found no involvement of Njoto in this revolutionary action. Njoto was indeed no longer within the inner circle of PKI Chairman Dipa Nusantara Aidit by the time of the 1965 crisis. He was sidelined for being too close to President Sukarno.

But the official history of 1965 shows, no communists were half sinful and totally sinful. In the eyes of soldiers, the victors of the struggle, there were only communists or non-communists. Therefore, sinners had to be exterminated. Njoto was among them. He was abducted and was never seen again. No traces of his death were found.

Writing about Njoto, 44 years after the 1965 tragedy, is an attempt to avoid being dragged into the indiscriminate-killing logic. PKI was not a whole entity. History has always kept distinctive individuals.

Njoto is one of them.

**

When Lek Njot Goes Roller Skating

IT is 70 years ago. Little Njoto was fascinated by roller skates, which were comparatively a luxury at the time, let alone in Jember, a small town at the tip of East Java. Please buy me a pair of roller skates, was apparently Njoto’s polite request expressed to his mother, Masalmah. The child purposely avoided requesting his father, Raden Sosro Hartono, a Solo noble descendant, who was respected for his prestige. Njoto was actually closer to his mother.

In fact, Njoto had owned a new bicycle as a present from his father. On this bike, the only boy of three siblings every day went to HIS (Hollands Inlandsche School or primary school) in Jember. But it was not enough for him to go by bike. Njoto was eager to go sightseeing in Jember on the magic rollers that he might have seen in a newspaper.

Njoto’s plea for roller skates was heard by Raden Sosro. Luckily, this blangkon (head-cloth) and herbal drug businessman granted what Njoto asked for. Pak Raden bought a pair. He especially ordered two attendants of Yosobusono, the Sosro family’s batik shop, to watch over Njoto so he did not fall while learning to glide on the wheels.

So it happened that every afternoon after the shop closed, Njoto was ready to act. The two shop employees, relatives of Pak Raden, also moved along. They flanked Njoto, who was still wobbling. Lek Njot, as the boss’s son was called, couldn’t be allowed to fall.

After a while, Njoto could roller skate smoothly. He was able to do it only in one day, said Sri Windarti, Njoto’s sister, two years his junior. Sri lives in Medan with the family of Iramani, the youngest sister of Njoto, 18 years his junior.

*

THIS man of Solo-Jember descent was born on January 12, 1927 in the house of his grandfather, Marjono, a contractor with a three-storied building in Jember. As a child, Njoto was serious in character like his father. Reading was his hobby, as his father Raden Sosro had always reminded the three children of the need to read instead of wandering.

While attending HIS, Njoto stayed with his grandparents on his mother’s side in Tempean village, Jember. His younger sister, Sri Windarti, was with him. It was because Raden Sosro wanted his children to go to the Dutch school, with a better curriculum, rather than the primary school