Hartono Rekso Dharsono
Encyclopedia
Hartono Rekso Dharsono or more commonly known as HR Dharsono was a prominent General in the early years of General Suharto's New Order regime. He also held the distinction of being the first Secretary General of ASEAN.
and Jakarta
for junior high school before going back to Semarang to complete high school. Unlike his contemporaries, Dharsono did not seem to have considered a military career at this point and went to Bandung to attend Technische Hogeschool, the precursor to the Bandung Institute of Technology
(ITB).
on 17 August 1945, that Dharsono joined Indonesia's then fledgling army
. He enlisted with the Siliwangi Division
, which was charged with the security of West Java and which was then commanded by Colonel Abdul Haris Nasution
. During the Indonesian National Revolution
, Dharsono partook in the Division's famous exploits, which included its 1948 long march from West Java to Central Java as a result of the Renville Agreement
and its involvement in the crackdown on communists
in Madiun
, East Java
. For his part, Dharsono showed himself to have some military talent, working his way up as he became Commanders of a squad, platoon, and battalion in turn.
Once Indonesia's Independence was recognized and KODAM VI/Siliwangi was back in West Java, Dharsono was made a Chief of Staff of the 23rd Brigade. In this position, Dharsono assisted in the efforts to defeat the Republic of South Molucca (RMS) separatist group. After he was finished as a Brigade Chief of Staff, Dharsono was sent to the Netherlands
for further military education. Here, he attended the Hoogere Krijgsschool at Haag
.
Returning to Indonesia in 1954, Dharsono became a member of the Army General Staff and in 1956, he was transferred to Magelang to take on the position of Vice Governor of the National Military Academy. After serving in Magelang for 3 years, Dharsono finally returned Siliwangi to serve as the KODAM's Chief of Staff. In 1962, Dharsono went abroad again, this time to the United Kingdom
as a military attache before returning in 1964 to once again serve as KODAM VI/Siliwangi Chief of Staff.
. Beforehand, the G30S Movement had approached KODAM VI/Siliwangi Commander Ibrahim Adjie and had gotten assurances for him that Siliwangi would remain neutral. However, Dharsono would take matters into his own hand on 1 October 1965. When Kostrad
Commander Suharto decided to take control of the situation and move against what he perceived to be a coup attempt by the Communist Party of Indonesia (PKI), Dharsono decided to support him. Through unofficial channels, Dharsono told Suharto that he could use Siliwangi's Battalion 328 (Which was in Jakarta for the ABRI Day celebrations) against the G30S Movement. Suharto took up the opportunity, sending Battalion 328 in the operations to retake Halim Airbase.
Dharsono's support went unrewarded and when Suharto became Army Commander, Dharsono was appointed as a Personnel Assistant. There was a further reward in 1966 after Suharto received Supersemar
when Dharsono became Commander of KODAM VI/Siliwangi.
era and the second approach was propagated by Suharto who wanted a reform of the political parties (Which he achieved when the number of political parties were reduced to just 3). The third and most drastic approach was taken by Dharsono who wanted political parties to be abolished altogether. Dharsono envisioned that in place of political parties, Parliamentary representatives are to be divided into two groups. One group would support the Government and the other would play the role of Opposition. He also envisioned that these groups would not be guided by any particular ideology but will base their policies on the New Order's principles of development and modernization. In promoting this approach, Dharsono was supported by Kemal Idris
and Sarwo Edhie Wibowo
and the three of them constituted a faction that was dubbed as "New Order Radicals". The New Order Radicals' approach was viewed with hostility by political parties who did not like the prospect of being removed from politics. Finally in early 1967, with debates on political parties going into a stalemate, Suharto decided to place priority on a Legislative Election bill.
The issue of political parties returned again in 1968 after Suharto was finally elected as President. Dharsono once again returned with his proposal although he made some modifications so that it was more moderate in nature. This time political parties would not be abolished, they would all merge into two bigger parties. One Party would become the Government Party while the other would become the Opposition Party. This time, Dharsono's idea was moderate enough that Suharto took interest to the idea, but Dharsono's failure to convince the political parties to merge meant the idea was once again discarded.
Finally, in 1969, Dharsono decided to discard his moderate approach, return to this original idea, and impose it by force on the Regional People's Representative Council
(DPRD) in West Java. Suharto was not happy that Dharsono had gone off and done this. Dharsono was quickly discharged from ABRI and moved away from the central of power in Jakarta through an ambassadorship.
to Thailand
. In 1972, Dharsono was took on the Ambassadorship to Cambodia
while concurrently serving as Head of the Indonesian delegation to the International Commission of Control and Supervision
, (ICCS). Dharsono returned to Indonesia in 1975 to serve as an Expert on Indonesian Affairs for the Government.
In 1976, Dharsono was elected Secretary General of ASEAN but would not serve long due to domestic reasons. In early 1978, students from ITB published a pamphlet which in essence rejected Suharto's nomination for a third term as President. When Suharto chose to move against ITB by sending troops to the facility, Dharsono chose to speak in favor of the dissenting students. Suharto then took measures to have Dharsono removed as ASEAN Secretary General in February 1978.
instead of being neutral. Suharto ordered Widodo to disband the group.
In 1980, Dharsono was linked with the Petition of 50, agroup of prominent members of Indonesian society who criticized Suharto. For this Dharsono was forced to resign as Chairman of Propelat Corporation and he spent the next four years away from politics.
Dharsono made his return in September 1984 after the Tanjung Priok Incident, during which ABRI led by Benny Moerdani
and Try Sutrisno
ordered a crackdown on Islamist protesters. Dharsono's involvement came when together with some Muslim leaders and some members of the Petition of 50 signed a statement questioning the Government's account of the incident, which seemed to have lowered the death toll of the protesters.
In October 1984, Dharsono was arrested on the charge that he was involved with a terrorist attack on a Bank Central Asia
branch. In 1986, he was then sentenced to 10 years in prison which was reduced to 7 years after appeal. Dharsono served his sentence at Cipinang prison and was released in September 1990.
problems. Dharsono died on 5 June 1996.
Early life
Dharsono was born in Pekalongan, Central Java. He was the ninth child of Raden Prayitno Rekso, a civil servant working in the same town. After completing primary education in Pekalongan, Dharsono moved to SemarangSemarang
- Economy :The western part of the city is home to many industrial parks and factories. The port of Semarang is located on the north coast and it is the main shipping port for the province of Central Java. Many small manufacturers are located in Semarang, producing goods such as textiles,...
and Jakarta
Jakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
for junior high school before going back to Semarang to complete high school. Unlike his contemporaries, Dharsono did not seem to have considered a military career at this point and went to Bandung to attend Technische Hogeschool, the precursor to the Bandung Institute of Technology
Bandung Institute of Technology
The Bandung Institute of Technology or Institute of Technology, Bandung is a state, coeducational research university located in Bandung, Indonesia. Established in 1920, ITB is the oldest technology-oriented university in Indonesia....
(ITB).
Military career
It was only after the Indonesian Declaration of IndependenceIndonesian Declaration of Independence
The Proclamation of Indonesian Independence was read at 10.00 a.m. on Friday, August 17, 1945. The declaration marked the start of the diplomatic and armed-resistance of the Indonesian National Revolution, fighting against the forces of the Netherlands until the latter officially acknowledged...
on 17 August 1945, that Dharsono joined Indonesia's then fledgling army
Military of Indonesia
The Indonesian National Armed Forces in 2009 comprises approximately 432,129 personnel including the Army , Navy including the Indonesian Marine Corps and the Air Force ....
. He enlisted with the Siliwangi Division
Siliwangi Division
The Siliwangi Division or KODAM VI/Siliwangi is the name of a formation of the Indonesian Army. The Division was formed during the Indonesian National Revolution by what was then known as the People's Security Army...
, which was charged with the security of West Java and which was then commanded by Colonel Abdul Haris Nasution
Abdul Haris Nasution
In this Indonesian name, the name "Nasution" is a family name, and the person should be referred to by the family name "Nasution".Abdul Haris Nasution was an Indonesian general who was twice appointed Army Chief of Staff and who escaped an assassination attempt during the...
. During the Indonesian National Revolution
Indonesian National Revolution
The Indonesian National Revolution or Indonesian War of Independence was an armed conflict and diplomatic struggle between Indonesia and the Dutch Empire, and an internal social revolution...
, Dharsono partook in the Division's famous exploits, which included its 1948 long march from West Java to Central Java as a result of the Renville Agreement
Renville Agreement
The Renville Agreement was a United Nations Security Council brokered political accord between the Netherlands who were seeking to re-establish their colony in South East Asia, and Indonesian Republicans seeking to secure Indonesian independence during the Indonesian National Revolution...
and its involvement in the crackdown on communists
Communist Party of Indonesia
The Communist Party of Indonesia was the largest non-ruling communist party in the world prior to being crushed in 1965 and banned the following year.-Forerunners:...
in Madiun
Madiun
Madiun is a city in the western part of the province of East Java Indonesia, an agricultural centre. It is the capital of the regency of the same name....
, East Java
East Java
East Java is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the eastern part of the island of Java and includes neighboring Madura and islands to its east and to its north East Java is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the eastern part of the island of Java and includes neighboring Madura and...
. For his part, Dharsono showed himself to have some military talent, working his way up as he became Commanders of a squad, platoon, and battalion in turn.
Once Indonesia's Independence was recognized and KODAM VI/Siliwangi was back in West Java, Dharsono was made a Chief of Staff of the 23rd Brigade. In this position, Dharsono assisted in the efforts to defeat the Republic of South Molucca (RMS) separatist group. After he was finished as a Brigade Chief of Staff, Dharsono was sent to the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
for further military education. Here, he attended the Hoogere Krijgsschool at Haag
Haag
-Places:*The Hague, in the Netherlands *Several places in Germany:**Haag, Upper Franconia in the district of Bayreuth, Bavaria**Haag an der Amper in the district of Freising, Bavaria**Haag in Oberbayern in the district of Mühldorf, Bavaria...
.
Returning to Indonesia in 1954, Dharsono became a member of the Army General Staff and in 1956, he was transferred to Magelang to take on the position of Vice Governor of the National Military Academy. After serving in Magelang for 3 years, Dharsono finally returned Siliwangi to serve as the KODAM's Chief of Staff. In 1962, Dharsono went abroad again, this time to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
as a military attache before returning in 1964 to once again serve as KODAM VI/Siliwangi Chief of Staff.
Transition to New Order
It was during his second stint as Chief of Staff that the 30th September Movement (G30S) kidnapped 6 prominent Generals including Army Commander Ahmad YaniAhmad Yani
General Ahmad Yani was the commander of the Indonesian Army, and was killed by members of the 30 September Movement during an attempt to kidnap him from his house.-Early life:...
. Beforehand, the G30S Movement had approached KODAM VI/Siliwangi Commander Ibrahim Adjie and had gotten assurances for him that Siliwangi would remain neutral. However, Dharsono would take matters into his own hand on 1 October 1965. When Kostrad
Kostrad
Kostrad is the Indonesian Army's Strategic Reserve Command. Kostrad is a Corps level command which has up to 35,000 troops...
Commander Suharto decided to take control of the situation and move against what he perceived to be a coup attempt by the Communist Party of Indonesia (PKI), Dharsono decided to support him. Through unofficial channels, Dharsono told Suharto that he could use Siliwangi's Battalion 328 (Which was in Jakarta for the ABRI Day celebrations) against the G30S Movement. Suharto took up the opportunity, sending Battalion 328 in the operations to retake Halim Airbase.
Dharsono's support went unrewarded and when Suharto became Army Commander, Dharsono was appointed as a Personnel Assistant. There was a further reward in 1966 after Suharto received Supersemar
Supersemar
The Supersemar, the Indonesian abbreviation for Surat Perintah Sebelas Maret was a document signed by the Indonesian President Sukarno on March 11, 1966, giving the Army commander Lt. Gen. Suharto authority to take whatever measures he "deemed necessary" to restore order to the chaotic situation...
when Dharsono became Commander of KODAM VI/Siliwangi.
New Order Radical
In August 1966, Suharto held a seminar for ABRI Officers and economists in Bandung, during which matters such as ABRI's involvement in politics and economic policy. One of the matters that came up was political parties and three approaches came up. The first approach was the status quo which will kept political parties as they are under the SukarnoSukarno
Sukarno, born Kusno Sosrodihardjo was the first President of Indonesia.Sukarno was the leader of his country's struggle for independence from the Netherlands and was Indonesia's first President from 1945 to 1967...
era and the second approach was propagated by Suharto who wanted a reform of the political parties (Which he achieved when the number of political parties were reduced to just 3). The third and most drastic approach was taken by Dharsono who wanted political parties to be abolished altogether. Dharsono envisioned that in place of political parties, Parliamentary representatives are to be divided into two groups. One group would support the Government and the other would play the role of Opposition. He also envisioned that these groups would not be guided by any particular ideology but will base their policies on the New Order's principles of development and modernization. In promoting this approach, Dharsono was supported by Kemal Idris
Kemal Idris
Ahmad Kemal Idris , was a prominent Indonesian Army general during the 1950s and 1960s. He was an Indonesian guerrilla leader during the Indonesian National Revolution, who in 1949 was involved in continued resistance to the Dutch forces after they occupied Yogyakarta.Poncke Princen, the Dutch...
and Sarwo Edhie Wibowo
Sarwo Edhie Wibowo
Sarwo Edhie Wibowo was one of Indonesia's most famous Generals.-Early life:Sarwo Edhie was born in Purworejo, Central Java to a family of civil servants working for the Dutch Colonial Government. As a child, he learned silat as a form of self-defense...
and the three of them constituted a faction that was dubbed as "New Order Radicals". The New Order Radicals' approach was viewed with hostility by political parties who did not like the prospect of being removed from politics. Finally in early 1967, with debates on political parties going into a stalemate, Suharto decided to place priority on a Legislative Election bill.
The issue of political parties returned again in 1968 after Suharto was finally elected as President. Dharsono once again returned with his proposal although he made some modifications so that it was more moderate in nature. This time political parties would not be abolished, they would all merge into two bigger parties. One Party would become the Government Party while the other would become the Opposition Party. This time, Dharsono's idea was moderate enough that Suharto took interest to the idea, but Dharsono's failure to convince the political parties to merge meant the idea was once again discarded.
Finally, in 1969, Dharsono decided to discard his moderate approach, return to this original idea, and impose it by force on the Regional People's Representative Council
People's Representative Council
The People's Representative Council , sometimes referred to as the House of Representatives, is one of two elected national legislative assemblies in Indonesia....
(DPRD) in West Java. Suharto was not happy that Dharsono had gone off and done this. Dharsono was quickly discharged from ABRI and moved away from the central of power in Jakarta through an ambassadorship.
Diplomatic career
After he was discharged from ABRI, Dharsono became Indonesia's AmbassadorAmbassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
to Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
. In 1972, Dharsono was took on the Ambassadorship to Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
while concurrently serving as Head of the Indonesian delegation to the International Commission of Control and Supervision
International Commission of Control and Supervision
During the Vietnam War, the International Commission of Control and Supervision was created to replace the International Control Commission following the signing of the Paris Peace Accords on 27 January 1973.The Protocol...
, (ICCS). Dharsono returned to Indonesia in 1975 to serve as an Expert on Indonesian Affairs for the Government.
In 1976, Dharsono was elected Secretary General of ASEAN but would not serve long due to domestic reasons. In early 1978, students from ITB published a pamphlet which in essence rejected Suharto's nomination for a third term as President. When Suharto chose to move against ITB by sending troops to the facility, Dharsono chose to speak in favor of the dissenting students. Suharto then took measures to have Dharsono removed as ASEAN Secretary General in February 1978.
Opposition to New Order
After being removed from his position, Dharsono became Chairman of Propelat Corporation, a company with connections to KODAM VI/Siliwangi. At the same time, Dharsono also became Secretary General of the Army Study and Communications Forum (Fosko AD), a think tank set up by Army Chief of Staff Widodo for Army veterans to discuss the current political happenings. Like many others who joined the organization, Dharsono voiced criticism to Suharto for allowing ABRI to become partisan towards GolkarGolkar
The Party of the Functional Groups is a political party in Indonesia. It is also known as Sekber Golkar . It was the ruling party during Suharto's regime...
instead of being neutral. Suharto ordered Widodo to disband the group.
In 1980, Dharsono was linked with the Petition of 50, agroup of prominent members of Indonesian society who criticized Suharto. For this Dharsono was forced to resign as Chairman of Propelat Corporation and he spent the next four years away from politics.
Dharsono made his return in September 1984 after the Tanjung Priok Incident, during which ABRI led by Benny Moerdani
Moerdani
Leonardus Benjamin Moerdani was the ABRI Commander from 1983–1988 and also served as Indonesia's Minister of Defense and Security. He is famous due to his strong stance in many decisive situations in Indonesian political and social life...
and Try Sutrisno
Try Sutrisno
Try Sutrisno was Indonesia's sixth vice president from 1993 to 1998.-Early life:Try Sutrisno was born on 15 November 1935 in Surabaya, East Java. His father Subandi was an ambulance driver, and his mother Mardiyah was a housewife. After the Indonesian Proclamation of Independence, the Dutch...
ordered a crackdown on Islamist protesters. Dharsono's involvement came when together with some Muslim leaders and some members of the Petition of 50 signed a statement questioning the Government's account of the incident, which seemed to have lowered the death toll of the protesters.
In October 1984, Dharsono was arrested on the charge that he was involved with a terrorist attack on a Bank Central Asia
Bank Central Asia
Bank Central Asia is an Indonesian bank founded on August 10, 1955.The Asian monetary crisis in 1997 had a tremendous impact on Indonesia’s entire banking system. In particular, it affected BCA’s cash flow and even threatened its survival. Panic rush forced the bank to seek assistance from the...
branch. In 1986, he was then sentenced to 10 years in prison which was reduced to 7 years after appeal. Dharsono served his sentence at Cipinang prison and was released in September 1990.
Death
Dharsono developed respiratory problems while serving his sentence at Cipinang and as his health deteriorated, he also began suffering liverLiver
The liver is a vital organ present in vertebrates and some other animals. It has a wide range of functions, including detoxification, protein synthesis, and production of biochemicals necessary for digestion...
problems. Dharsono died on 5 June 1996.