Lubang Buaya
Encyclopedia
Lubang Buaya is the site of the murder of seven army officers during the 1 October coup attempt of the 30 September Movement
. It is located on the outskirts of Jakarta
near the Halim Perdanakusumah Air Force Base
.
called for the establishment of a "fifth force", in addition to the three armed forces and the police, to be made up of workers and peasants. This attracted strong opposition from Army commander Ahmad Yani
, but soon training commenced at the swampy region near Halim called Lubang Buaya. It was under the control of Major Sujono, commander of the Halim base ground defense. Among the participants were members of the PKI-affiliated youth group Pemuda Rakyat.
In the early hours of 1 October 1965, members of the 30 September Movement, left their base at Lubang Buaya on a mission to kidnap seven generals, all members of the Army General Staff. Later that night, they returned bringing the bodies of three of the generals who had been killed in the kidnap attempts as well as four living prisoners. The survivors were subsequently killed, and all seven bodies thrown down a disused well.
On 4 October, the bodies were recovered using special equipment. Suharto personally supervised the operation.
During the New Order
regime, a ceremony attended by the president and senior officials was held every year on 1 October.
regime built a large monument, which opened in 1969, called the "Sacred Pancasila Monument".
It comprises life-size bronze statues of :-
(from left to right)
Behind them is a 17m high leman with a large bronze Garuda
, the symbol of the Indonesian nation, . The front of the platform is covered with a bronze frieze that tells the official government version of the actions of the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) since Indonesian independence
.
Nearby there is a "Museum of PKI Treason", which was built in 1990. It contains 34 dioramas portraying acts allegedly committed by the PKI. There is also a "Sacred Pancasila Museum" opened by then President Suharto on 1 October 1981 containing another 9 dioramas of the events before and after the coup attempt, relics such as an aqualung used during the recovery of the bodies from the well, a theater and an exhibition of photographs.
The well into which the bodies were thrown is now protected by a pavilion. A small plaque reads:
"It is not possible that the aspirations of our struggle to uphold the purity of Pancasila will be defeated by merely burying us in this well.
Lubang Buaya 1 October 1965".
There are a number of other buildings in the vicinity, including the one in which the kidnapped generals were allegedly mistreated (containing a life-sized diorama of torture), the movement's command post and a canteen.
Finally, there are four vehicles: Yani's official car, the jeep Suharto used at the time, a truck used by the kidnappers and a Saracen
armored car used to transport the bodies away from the scene after they had been recovered.
30 September Movement
The Thirtieth of September Movement ) was a self-proclaimed organization of Indonesian National Armed Forces members who, in the early hours of 1 October 1965, assassinated six Indonesian Army generals in an abortive coup d'état. Later that morning, the organization declared that it was in control...
. It is located on the outskirts of 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...
near the Halim Perdanakusumah Air Force Base
Halim Perdanakusuma International Airport
-Accidents and Incidents:*On 24 June 1982, British Airways Flight 009, a Boeing 747-200 flew through a cloud of volcanic ash thrown up by the eruption of Mount Galunggung, causing the failure of all four engines. The crew diverted the aircraft to Jakarta and it landed safely.-References:* -External...
.
History
On 31 May 1965, President 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...
called for the establishment of a "fifth force", in addition to the three armed forces and the police, to be made up of workers and peasants. This attracted strong opposition from Army commander Ahmad Yani
Ahmad 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:...
, but soon training commenced at the swampy region near Halim called Lubang Buaya. It was under the control of Major Sujono, commander of the Halim base ground defense. Among the participants were members of the PKI-affiliated youth group Pemuda Rakyat.
In the early hours of 1 October 1965, members of the 30 September Movement, left their base at Lubang Buaya on a mission to kidnap seven generals, all members of the Army General Staff. Later that night, they returned bringing the bodies of three of the generals who had been killed in the kidnap attempts as well as four living prisoners. The survivors were subsequently killed, and all seven bodies thrown down a disused well.
On 4 October, the bodies were recovered using special equipment. Suharto personally supervised the operation.
During the New Order
New Order
New Order are an English rock band formed in 1980 by Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris...
regime, a ceremony attended by the president and senior officials was held every year on 1 October.
The Monument and Museums
The lemanLeman
Leman may refer to:People:*Albert Leman , Russian composer*Bob Leman , American science fiction and horror author*Daniel Leman , World class martial artist*Cory Leman , American football linebacker...
regime built a large monument, which opened in 1969, called the "Sacred Pancasila Monument".
It comprises life-size bronze statues of :-
(from left to right)
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Brigadier General | Sutoyo Siswomiharjo Sutoyo Siswomiharjo Sutoyo Siswomiharjo was an Indonesian general who was kidnapped and later murdered during the attempted coup by the 30 September Movement.-Early life:... |
| Brigadier General | Donald Izacus Panjaitan Donald Izacus Panjaitan Donald Izacus Panjaitan was an Indonesian general who was killed during a kidnap attempt by members of the 30 September Movement.-Early life:... |
| Major General | R. Suprapto Soeprapto Lieutenant General R. Soeprapto was the second deputy commander of the Indonesian Army, and was kidnapped from his home in Jakarta by members of the 30 September Movement in the early hours of October 1. He was later killed at Lubang Buaya.-Early life:Soeprapto was born in Purwokerto, Central Java... |
| Army commander Lieutenant General | Ahmad Yani Ahmad 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:... shown as pointing his finger straight to the well |
| Major General | M. T. Haryono M. T. Haryono Mas Tirtodarmo Haryono was a soldier in the Indonesian Army who was killed during an attempt to kidnap him from his home by members of the 30 September Movement in the early hours of October 1, 1965.-Early life:... |
| Major General | Siswondo Parman Siswondo Parman Lieutenant General Siswondo Parman was a soldier in the Indonesian Army, and was kidnapped from his home in Jakarta by members of the 30 September Movement in the early hours of October 1. He was later killed at Lubang Buaya.-Early life:Parman was born in Wonosobo, Central Java... |
| First Lieutenant | Pierre Tandean (standing on a platform) |
Behind them is a 17m high leman with a large bronze Garuda
Garuda
The Garuda is a large mythical bird or bird-like creature that appears in both Hindu and Buddhist mythology.From an Indian perspective, Garuda is the Hindu name for the constellation Aquila and...
, the symbol of the Indonesian nation, . The front of the platform is covered with a bronze frieze that tells the official government version of the actions of the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) since Indonesian independence
Indonesian 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...
.
Nearby there is a "Museum of PKI Treason", which was built in 1990. It contains 34 dioramas portraying acts allegedly committed by the PKI. There is also a "Sacred Pancasila Museum" opened by then President Suharto on 1 October 1981 containing another 9 dioramas of the events before and after the coup attempt, relics such as an aqualung used during the recovery of the bodies from the well, a theater and an exhibition of photographs.
The well into which the bodies were thrown is now protected by a pavilion. A small plaque reads:
"It is not possible that the aspirations of our struggle to uphold the purity of Pancasila will be defeated by merely burying us in this well.
Lubang Buaya 1 October 1965".
There are a number of other buildings in the vicinity, including the one in which the kidnapped generals were allegedly mistreated (containing a life-sized diorama of torture), the movement's command post and a canteen.
Finally, there are four vehicles: Yani's official car, the jeep Suharto used at the time, a truck used by the kidnappers and a Saracen
Alvis Saracen
The FV603 Saracen is a six-wheeled armoured personnel carrier built by Alvis and used by the British army. It became a recognisable vehicle as a result of its part in the policing of Northern Ireland.-History:...
armored car used to transport the bodies away from the scene after they had been recovered.