NO TROUBLES AFTER SUKARNO’S REMOVAL

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31304, 25 February 1967, Page 13

NO TROUBLES AFTER SUKARNO’S REMOVAL

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright)

DJAKARTA, February 24.

Indonesia was relatively calm today after earlier fears that the deposing of President Sukarno would cause wholesale bloodshed.

Troops still boosted garrison forces in potential trouble spots but reports of trouble were negligible.

Congress is due to meet from March 7 to discuss another Parliamentary demand

for President Sukarno’s dismissal and that a judicial body be set up to try him.

The official Antara News Agency is already calling General Suharto acting President, although Dr. Sukarno is still constitutional President. Meanwhile, the Parliamentary Speaker, Achmad Saichu, said he considers Dr. Sukarno already finished as President. He said today: “The President is one who executes government, and if not it means he is no longer President.” Trial Advocated Radio Djakarta quoted the Director-General of Higher Learning, Mr Mashuri, as saying that the special session of Congress will no longer discuss whether “Bung Karno” (brother Sukarno) remains in office but will meet only to formally remove him.

He said Dr. Sukarno should stand trial for being involved in the 1965 abortive Communist coup, for being responsible for and being involved in several economic irregularities, and for being responsible for many “immoral incidents.”

eral Supardjo, former commander of troops in West Borneo, who is accused of being the military strategist of the 1965 coup attempt. He told a military tribunal that Dr. Sukarno was given a full briefing at an air base near Djakarta on October 1. 1965, after the mutilated bodies of six kidnapped generals were found at the bottom of a nearby well known as “the crocodile hole.”

The Catholic newspaper, “Compass,” today reported that Dr. Sukarno’s fourth wife, Madame Harjati, had been interrogated by the Central Investigations Office which assembles data on political figures likely to be tried. The trial continued in Djakarta today of Brigadier-Gen-

General Supardjo, aged 44, who faces the death sentence If convicted, said Dr. Sukarno remarked after the briefing that "this would happen in a revolution.”