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INDONESIA
Historical Events Shaping the Country
Current Affairs in a Global context
Global Impact on Development
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SUPERSEMAR
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Historical Supersemar document dated 11 March 1966 .
A mandate to Suharto in which Sukarno instructs Lt General Suharto to,
on his behalf, take any action considered necessary to restore security,
order and stability to the country.
This mandate has been used for the transfer of power from Sukarno to Suharto.
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Authenticity of this widely publicized document
is being disputed
and is surrounded by mystery. The original is not available.
Therefore there are doubts as regards the exact wording of the document.
The original document, said to be typed on different
letterhead, reportedly
included the stipulation that after restoring the situation Suharto should report
back and return the mandate to President Sukarno. This never happened
and Suharto used the publicized document to take over full power by converting it into a Parliamentary decree eventually
leading to his appointment as President.
If the document proves to be false there could be serious historical implications.
Suharto's take-over as president could then be considered unconstitutional.
The 3 generals, Basuki Rachmat, Amir Machmud and M. Jusuf ,
who handled the Supersemar document are no longer alive.
(Picture from the book cover "Supersemar palsu" - see below)
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UPDATE JUNE 2011
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SUPERSEMAR
The original document has not been found until now. There are 4 versions in circulation, showing slight differences
in the signature of President Sukarno.
In hIs 17 August 1966 annual anniversary address President Sukarno emphasized that the "Supersemar"
was not an authorization for transfer of Presidentiall power. It was an order to Suharto to, on behalf of the President,
take all steps necessary to secure the safety of President and Nation, to restore security, order and stability
to the country.
Admiral Sudomo was one of the most powerful leaders in the Suharto government.
His functions included Navy Chief of Staff, Deputy Commander of the Armed Forces,
Commander for the Restoration of Security and Order, Coordinating Minister for Political & Security Affairs,
Chairman National Advisory Council.
Admiral (Ret) Sudomo
In an interview with Admiral (Ret.) Sudomo, Editor asked the following question:
Can you explain the mystery surrounding the Supersemar document? The whereabouts of the original document are
still not known. Who will be able to answer the questions on the subject considering that the main figures involved
are all deceased? Is it possible to obtain a factual explanation that can be written down in the history books?
It is an important matter that needs to be explained as it concerns the transfer of power between two Presidents
of Indonesia?
His reply: June 18, 2011:
No one knows where the original SUPERSEMAR document is.
According To Mr. Sudharmono,, then State Secretary in the Suharto government, the document was to be copied in
the photocopy room. However, it was never returned to archive. Mr. Sudharmono has forgotten the name of the person
who made the copy. Due to his busy schedule he did not find out until later that the original SUPERSEMAR document
was not returned to archive.
In Our history books we should state that the whereabouts of the orginal document are
not known.
The responsibility for the document lies with the State Secretariat.
We should consider this as a learning experience, teaching us that it is very important to have an archive
for originals , especially in the case of important state documents of historical value.
Jakarta, 18 June 2011
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11 Juni 2011
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SUPERSEMAR
Pemindahan kekuasaan dari Presiden Sukarno, presiden pertama R.I (1945-1967)., ke Suharto, presiden kedua
R.I (1967-1998). dilakukan berdasarkan Surat Perintah 11 Maret 1966, lazim disebut dokumen Supersemar
Sayangnya, asli dokumen Supersemar bersejarah ini hingga kini tidak diketahui keberadaannya.
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Dalam peredaran tampak 4 versi dengan tandatangan Sukarno yang agak berbeda .
Isinya diberitakan berbeda dengan
surat perintah asli yang ditandatangani
Presiden Sukarno.
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Untuk membuktikan ini penemuan dokumen Supersemar asli penting sekali mengingat peralihan kekuasaan presiden dari
Sukarno ke Suharto berlangsung berdasarkan versi yang diberitakan berbeda dari naskah Supersemar asli.
Dalam pidatonya 17 Agustus 1966 Presiden Sukarno menegaskan bahwa dokumen Supersemar tidak merupakan pemindahan
kekuasaan presiden (transfer of authority) tetapi berbentuk Surat Perintah pengamanan kepada LetJen Suharto, perintah
pengamanan jalannya pemerintahan, perintah pengamanan keselamatan pribadi presiden, perintah pengamanan wibawa
presiden, perintah pengamanan ajaran presiden.
Surat Perintah dalam peredaran berupa perintah kepada LetJen Suharto untuk mengambil segala tindakan jang dianggap
perlu, untuk terdjaminnja keamanan dan ketenangan serta kestabilan djalannja Pemerintahan dan djalannja Revolusi,
serta mendjamin keselamatan penyerahan pemerintahan untuk keutuhan Bangsa dan Negara Republik Indonesia,.
Hingga sekarang naskah aslinya belum ada pada Arsip Nasional.
Karena dokumen SUPERSEMAR telah dipergunakan untuk mengalihkan kekusaan Presiden Sukarno ke Prersiden Suharto,
penemuan naskah asli sangat penting .
Hingga kini sejarah kita masih diliputi kontroversi tentang dasar hukum pengalihan kepresidenan dari Sukarno ke
Suharto: Apakah hal ini merupakan pengalihan kekuasaan yang direstui oleh Presiden Sukarno, atau apakah dalam buku
sejarah kejadian ini harus dicatat sebagai suatu perebutan kekuasaan.
Selama Supersemar asli tidak ditemukanl, kontroversi ini akan tetap merupakan halaman hitam di buku sejarah
kita.
Dalam usaha menyelesaikan persoalan ini Presiden S.B. Yudhoyono pada tanggal 29 Agustus 2009 meminta agar Arsip
Nasional membantu melacak dan mencari keberadaan dokumen Supersemar asli ini. Presiden juga memerintahkan Sekretariat
Negara untuk ikut terlibat serta menelusuri jejak naskah Supersemar ke keluarga-keluarga mantan pejabat negara,
atau petinggi TNI yang dulu pernah terlibat dalam perumusan dan penerbitan Supersemar.
Hingga kini hasil belum ada.
Dengan harapan soal ini dapat dijernihkan, penulis menyampaikan pertanyaan dibawah ini kepada Laksamana (Purnawiran)
Sudomo, sebagai pejabat penting dalam pemerintahan Suharto, a.l. sebagai KSAL, WAPANGAB, PANGKOPKAMTIB, Menko POLKAM
dan Ketua DPA.
Pertanyaan:
Dapat Bapak memberi tanggapan atas misteri sekitar dokumen asli Supersemar? Dimana dokumen ini berada?. Tetap belum
ada kejelasan tentang dokumen Supersemar asli. Siapa dapat menjawab pertanyaan2 sekitar "misteri" ini
mengingat tokoh2 penting yang bersangkutan dalam hal ini telah meninggal dunia? Apakan soal ini dapat dijelaskan
sehingga fakta2 dapat tercatat dalam buku sejarah? Bukankah hal ini penting di jelaskan karena merupakan pemindahan
kekuasaan antara 2 Presiden Indonesia.
Anggap saja kasus ini sebagai "learning proses"
bahwa arsip asli itu penting sekali, apalagi terkait
dengan suatu peristiwa sejarah penting dari negara dan bangsa.
Jawaban beliau 18 Juni 2011 adalah sbb.:
Dokumen asli SUPERSEMAR tidak seorang pun yang mengetahui dimana terselib disimpan. Menurut keterangan Bapak Sudharmono,
Sekretaris Negara semasa Presiden Suharto, waktu itu dibawa keruangan foto copy di Sekneg untuk di copy, tetapi
tidak kembali keruang arsip. Bapak Sudharmono tidak ingat lagi siapa yang disuruh fotocopy. Karena terlalu sibuk,
Pak Sudharmono lama sekali baru mengetahui bahwa dokumen SUPERSEMAR Asli tersebut belum kembali keruang arsip.
Dalam buku sejarah harus dicantumkan bahwa dokumen SUPERSEMAR asli belum diketahui.
Ada dimana dan tetap yang bertanggung jawab mantan SEKNEG semasa Presiden Suharto.
Anggap saja kasus ini sebagai "learning process" bahwa arsip asli itu penting sekali, apalagi terkait
dengan suatu peristiwa sejarah penting dari negara dan bangsa.
Saya tidak tahu apakah ada Undang-Undang yang mengatur batas waktu "validnya" suatu dokumen, sehingga
siapapun adanya kewajiban untuk menyimpan arsip dengan baik, rapi dan aman.
Jakarta, 18 Juni 2011
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Apakah kita akan berhasil menemukan dokumen asli? Ataukah kita harus menutup buku sejarah perihal ini
dengan catatan untuk menganggap hilangnya dokumen bersejarah ini sebagai "learning experience"? -
Editor
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President
asks to trace back and find Supersemar document
August 29 2009
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has asked the Indonesian National Archive (ANRI)
to help the government trace back and look for the still missing authentic document of the "Supersemar"
(order of March 11, 1966, under which Soekarno handed over his powers as president to Soeharto).
"The President asked for the collection of information and data for follow up measures. It was reported that
some staff members of the State Secretariat have some information, and the Head of State also asked Hatta (Minister/State
Secretary Hatta Rajasa) and Sudi (Cabinet Secretary Sudi Silalahi) to make follow up measures," Presidential
spokesman Andi Malarangeng, along with head of the National Archive office Djoko Utomo, told a press conference
at the Presidential Office on Friday.
Earlier, Djoko met the President to discuss many things with regard to the national archive.
Andi said the President at the meeting also asked ANRI to help find the authentic document of Supersemar by asking
all the officials of the former governments who may have an idea on the whereabouts of the invaluable historial
document.
Djoko hoped the Supersemar document would be returned to the state like the Proclamation text which had been hand
written but without the then President Soekarno`s signature, and it was not until 1992 that it was returned to
the state.
The proclamation text was typed written by Sayuti Malik, and returned to the state in 1960.
Besides Supersemar, the President, Andi added, also hoped ANRI would make a document of all the important documents
on the life of the state and national like the general elections, DPR (House of Representatives)and MPR (People`s
Consultative Council) decisions, and verdicts and rulings of the Constitutional Court.
Djoko also said ANRI will also try to seek and collect famous regional songs like "Rasa Sayange" which
was also recognized by many other countries, for documentation.
The President planned to dedicate a biorama building of the history of the Indonesian nation at Jalan Ampera Raya
7, Jakarta, on monday (Aug 31).(*)
Editor: Heru
COPYRIGHT © 2011
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SUPERSEMAR DOCUMENT
The Supersemar, the Indonesian abbreviation for Surat Perintah Sebelas Maret (Order of March the Eleventh) was
a document ostensibly 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 during the Indonesian killings of 1965–66.
The Supersemar document came to be a transfer of executive power from Sukarno to SuhartHistoricel Supersemar document
dated 11 March 1966
A mandate to Suharto in which Sukarno instructs
Lt General Suharto to, on his behalf, take any action considered
necessary to restore security, order and stability to the country.
This mandate is generally considered the start of
the transfer of power from Sukarno to Suharto.
The disappearance of the original
One of the most obvious oddities regarding the Supersemar is that the original document can no longer be traced
and the existence of multiple versions Signatures of Sukarno on the four versions
One of the publications to appear since the fall of Suharto alleges that there were several versions of the Supersemar
(Center for Information Analysis 1999).
Even before the fall of Suharto, an official publication commemorating
30 years of Indonesian independence reproduced one version of Supersemar, while an officially sanctioned high school
history textbook featured a different version.
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Vice President
20 October
2004 - 2009
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Vice President Jusuf Kalla has stated that there
is no doubt of Suharto's involvement in the disappearance of the the Supersemar document:
"The original Supersemar document which could not be found in the last 40 years, was in the hands of President Suharto"
He gave this statement in Jakarta on March 10, 2006 on the occasion of the launching of the Memoirs of General
M. Jusuf.
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IN SUMMARY
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March 11, 1966, was a turning point in Indonesia's history. It was the day the late President
Sukarno issued an order, later known as Supersemar
(Surat Perintah 11 Maret, or the March 11 Order) to Soeharto, then a major general.
The primary significance of the Supersemar is that it was used by Soeharto as the basis of the establishment of
what he called "The New Order" to replace the "Old Order", which referred to the era of "Guided
Democracy" under Sukarno.
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President Sukarnop stated that it "was not a transfer of authority"
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One of the most obvious oddities regarding the Supersemar is that the original document
can no longer be traced. Although Indonesia was in a fairly chaotic state at the time, it is surprising that more
care was not taken to preserve a document that school history books cite as the legitimization of Suharto's ensuing
actions. After all, the original document of the Indonesian Declaration of Independence is still preserved.
The disappearance of the original
The Supersemar document is still surrounded by mystery. The original document has disappeared, Three versions are
in circulation. Why different versions? In other words, why should there be a Fake Supersemar document? Have certain
parts been covered up?
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Supersemar
March 11, 1966, was a turning point in Indonesia's history. It was the day the late president Sukarno issued
an order, later known as Supersemar (Surat Perintah 11 Maret, or the March 11 Order) to Soeharto, then a major
general.
The primary significance of the Supersemar is that it was used by Soeharto as the basis of the establishment of
what he called "The New Order" to replace the "Old Order", which referred to the era of "Guided
Democracy" under Sukarno.
The rationale for the change, as Soeharto stated in his first "State of the Union Address" as acting
president in 1967, was that Sukarno's Old Order had been a deviation and betrayal of the 1945 Constitution, particularly
the ideology of Pancasila (five principles) embodied in its Preamble, and Soeharto's New Order was meant to be
a "total correction" of that deviation, for his New Order would be based on a "pure and consistent"
implementation of Pancasila, whatever that meant.
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Background
March 11, 1966, was a turning point in Indonesia's history. It was the day the late president Sukarno issued
an order,
later known as Supersemar (Surat Perintah 11 Maret, or the March 11 Order) to Soeharto, then a major general.
The Supersemar, the Indonesian abbreviation for Surat Perintah Sebelas Maret (Order of March the Eleventh) was
a document ostensibly 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 in the chaotic
situation following the events of the previous September
The primary significance of the Supersemar is that it was used by Soeharto as the basis of the establishment of
what he called "The New Order" to replace the "Old Order", which referred to the era of "Guided
Democracy" under Sukarno.
Supersemar, a letter signed by Sukarno 11/3/66 handing over powers to the military, is the document used to justify
the New Order. Rumour is strong that Soeharto has never publicized its second page, which lists many conditions
on his power. M Jusuf is widely supposed to have the original text.
One of the most obvious oddities regarding the Supersemar is that the original document
can no longer be traced. Although Indonesia was in a fairly chaotic state at the time, it is surprising that more
care was not taken to preserve a document that school history books cite as the legitimization of Suharto's ensuing
actions. After all, the original document of the Indonesian Declaration of Independence is still preserved.
The disappearance of the original
The Supersemar document is still surrounded by mystery. Three versions are in circulation.
Why different versions? In other words, why should there be a Fake Supersemar document?
Have certain parts been covered up?
The existence of multiple versions
One of the publications to appear since the fall of Suharto alleges that there were several versions of the Supersemar
(Center for Information Analysis 1999). Even before the fall of Suharto, an official publication commemorating
30 years of Indonesian independence reproduced one version of Supersemar, while an officially sanctioned high school
history textbook featured a different version. [2][7]
There are a number of differences between the various versions of the Supersemar:
* In two versions, there is a missing plural marker after the word "force" (Angkatan) in section III,
paragraph 2
* In the same two versions, there is an extra definite article marker after the word "responsibilities"
(tanggung-djawab") in section III paragraph 3
* One version runs to two pages, whereas the other versions are all on the one page.
* Sukarno's signature in one version lacks the dot-and-horizontal-line after the word "Soekarno".
* There are also minor differences in the proximity and shapes of the letters. [8]
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Several questionable points in the widely circulating "Supersemar" document:
The document shows 2 logos: The Garuda logo on the left and the rice and cotton logo
in the centre.
A Presidential Decree usually only shows the rice/cotton logo.
The Garuda Pancasila logo is only used by government departments.
The spelling also raises questions:
The new spelling was introduced in 1972. This document purportedly generated in 1996 already uses the new spelling
which was not intrduced until 1972.
The name "Sukarno" is spelled with a "u" as per the new spellings, instead of the "oe"
commonly used in 1966.
In 1966 we did not have the use of photocopiers yet and documents were multiplied using stencils.
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J. Soedjata Djiwandono reflects on two presidents –Sukarno and Soeharto.
(the leading figures in the Gestapu scenario - Editor))
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The writer, a political analyst, received his PhD
from The London School of Economics and Political Science.
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Reflections
on fall of Sukarno, and the rise of Soeharto
March 15th, 2006
J. Soedjati Djiwandono, Jakarta
Scanning the print media around March 11, it was clear that few, if any, remembered, or perhaps most just ignored
or could not care less, what happened on March 11 in 1966. During the 32 years of the New Order regime under
Soeharto, March 11 was regarded as sacred.
Several important national occasions were later held on that date, such as the beginning session of the People's
Consultative Assembly (MPR), the supreme governing body of the republic, according to the 1945 Constitution, until
the
onset of the "era of reform" after the resignation of Soeharto in 1998.
March 11, 1966, was a turning point in Indonesia's history. It was the day the late President Sukarno issued an
order, later known as Supersemar (Surat Perintah 11 Maret, or the March 11 Order)
to Soeharto, then a major general.
The primary significance of the Supersemar is that it was used by Soeharto as the basis of
the establishment of what he called "The New Order" to replace the "Old Order", which referred
to the era of "Guided Democracy" under Sukarno.
The rationale for the change, as Soeharto stated in his first "State of the Union Address" as acting
president in 1967, was that Sukarno's Old Order had been a deviation and betrayal of the 1945 Constitution, particularly
the
ideology of Pancasila (five principles) embodied in its Preamble, and Soeharto's New Order was meant to be a "total
correction" of that deviation, for his New Order would be based on a "pure and consistent" implementation
of
Pancasila, whatever that meant.
Yet, Supersemar has been full of mystery. Until now nobody knows, perhaps except Soeharto
himself, where the original order is. Three generals -- Basuki Rachmat, Amir Mahmud and M. Yusuf, all dead now,
were Soeharto's messengers to
see Sukarno in Bogor to receive the order. The first died in 1967 of a heart attack. The other two died much later,
both taking the secret to their graves.
Some time after the resignation of Soeharto in 1998, however, a TV station rebroadcast Sukarno's speech about the
March 11 order. This proved the existence of Supersemar. The most important part of Sukarno's usual fiery speech
was his emphasis that the March 11 order was "not a transfer of authority". In fact, he said "poverty"
instead of "authority", but he
immediately corrected his slip of the tongue.
In other words, Soeharto clearly interpreted the order to his own advantage, in the interest
of power. That interpretation was sustained by having Supersemar firmly entrenched in a decision by the powerful
MPR (then the provisional MPRS), especially considering that the 1945 Constitution provided no mechanisms for judicial
reviews or the separation of powers with an effective system of checks and balances. Indeed, in the face of a student
demonstration (if I
remember correctly, against the Taman Mini Indonesia Indah project in 1972), Soeharto threatened to use the power
of supersemar.
A huge number of articles and books have been published over the years since the Gestapu, the Indonesian acronym
for the "September 30 Movement". Scholars and journalists across the world have analyzed and attempted
to understand the
Gestapu, its aims, the forces behind it, and other aspects. Yet so many questions remain to be answered, and perhaps
will remain unanswered.
From the dozens of books and articles that I have perused over the years, perhaps all I can say is some may be
closer to the truth than others. After >all, the "truth" of an affair such as the Gestapu may be too
complex to >understand completely. Using an article by W.F. Wertheim, Soeharto and the >Untung Coup: The
missing link in Journal of Contemporary Asia, vol. 1 and 2, winter 1970, as a starting point for her analysis,
a PhD thesis later published by Nawaz B Mody of Bombay University, Indonesia under Soeharto (1987) is probably,
I believe, as close to the truth as anyone has gotten.
Yet what is the "truth" of anything, anyway? What sounds logical, coherent and sensible may not be true,
while what is true may not sound logical, coherent and sensible, particularly in the circumstances prevailing in
Indonesia at the
time of the complex Gestapu affair.
One of the most recent books was by Antonie C.A. Dake, Berkas-berkas Soekarno 1965-1967, Kronologi Suatu Keruntuhan
(2005), which while using a large number of ideas and facts from lots of largely secondary sources, does not come
to any
conclusion. Yet all the ideas and facts may help change previous conclusions, which may in the end result in a
better understanding of what happened around the Gestapu in 1965.
First, the Gestapu was not really a coup d'etat, because Sukarno, a dictatorial ruler, remained
in control. It was ridiculous that for some time he was suspected of being involved in the "coup d'etat".
It was, indeed, a struggle for power, involving not just two, but at least three "centers of powers":
Sukarno, the Army, or particularly a group of Army generals, and the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI).
There might have been a fourth "center" of power, a question that remains to be
answered. Will it ever be answered? There is no need for elaboration here. However, for those interested, Prof.
Nawaz B. Mody, among others, is trying to provide the answer, supported by, among other sources, the memoirs of
Sukarno's close aides Dr. Soebandrio and Omar Dhani, who have made allusions to that effect.
The writer, a political analyst, received his PhD from The London School of
Economics and Political Science.
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SUPERSEMAR PALSU (False Supersemar document)
by A.Pambudi.
Published by Media Pressindo
The document is still surrounded by mystery. Three versions are in circulation.
Why different versions?
In other words, why should there be a Fake Supersemar document?
Have certain parts been covered up?
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MISTERI SUPERSEMAR (The Supersemar Mystery)
By Eros Djarot and others.
Published by Media Kita
Includes interview with Ali Ebram who typed the original document.
Quotes:
Ret. Major General Kemal Idris in reference to Suharto's non-appearance when summoned
by Sukarno due to illness: "Who says so? I came to his house and he was fit.
General Nasution: Many doubts have been expressed as regards contents of the document.
Was Bung karno willing to surrender his power? No. He wanted to stay in power for life, remain a lifelong president
of Indonesia.
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Supersemar, a letter signed by Sukarno
11/3/66 handing over powers to the military, is the document used to justify the New Order. Rumour is strong that
Soeharto has never publicized its second page, which lists many conditions on his power. M Jusuf is widely supposed
to have the original text.
Jenderal M Jusuf
by Atmadji Sumarkidjo
General Jusuf died 7 September 2004
His biographer states on page 186 that in May 1991 General Jusuf showed him a photocopy of a 2-page document statng
"This is is the original text of the 11 March 1966 instruction" .
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H. Maulwi Saelan
Testimony of Tjakrabirawa Vice Commander:
From the 1945 Revolution to the 1965 Coup.
Bung Karno as quoted:
Saelan, percayalah!
Saya yakin nanti sejarah mengungkapkan kebenaran
dan siapa yang sebetulnya benar, Soeharto atau Soekarno.
(Translation:)
Saelan: believe it!
I am convinced that history will reveal the truth
on who was right, Soekarno or Soeharto.
(Tjakrabirawa: Presidential Palace Guard)
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Dr. H. Subandrio
Kesaksianku tentang G30S
Dr. Subandrio's statement reflecting
his knowledge and experience regarding the "Gestapu" affair.
He states that the objective of his writing is :
" to straighten history - to set straight what has commonly been distorted".
Dr. Subandrio, was Foreign Minister under President Sukarno
NOTE:
Dr. Subandrio was sentenced to death by the Extraordinary Military Court on charges
of being involved in the "30th of September Movement," although there was no real evidence that Subandrio
knew of the coup attempt in advance or played any part in it
(he was in Sumatra at the time). This sentence was afterwards reduced to life imprisonment. He served until 1995,
when he was released due to ill health.
He died in Jakarta in 2004.
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Supersemar
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Supersemar, the Indonesian abbreviation for Surat Perintah Sebelas Maret (Order of March the Eleventh) was
a document ostensibly 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 during the Indonesian killings of 1965–66.
In effect, the Supersemar came to be a transfer of executive power from Sukarno to Suharto.
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Background
On September 30, 1965, a group calling itself the 30 September Movement killed six senior Army generals, seized
control of the center of Jakarta and issued a number of decrees over Republic of Indonesia Radio. Suharto and his
allies defeated the movement, but Sukarno was fatally weakened. The Army accused its long standing rival, the Indonesian
Communist Party (PKI), of being behind the "coup attempt" and an anti-Communist purge ensued. Over the
next few months, Suharto and the army seized the initiative, and during a cabinet meeting (which Suharto did not
attend), troops without insignia surrounded the presidential palace where the meeting was being held. Sukarno was
advised to leave the meeting, and did so, flying to the presidential palace in Bogor, 60 km south of Jakarta, by
helicopter. Later that afternoon, three Army generals, Maj. Gen. Basuki Rahmat, Minister for Veteran Affairs, Brig.
Gen. M Jusuf, Minister for Basic Industry and Brig. Gen. Amirmachmud, Commander of the V/Jaya Jakarta Military
Area Command, visited Sukarno and came away with the signed Supersemar, which they then presented to Suharto. The
next day, Suharto used the powers thus conferred on him to ban the PKI, and on March 18, fifteen Sukarno loyalist
ministers were arrested. Suharto changed the composition of the Provisional People's Consultative Assembly (MPRS),
and in March 1967 it voted to strip Sukarno of his powers and appointed Suharto acting president. In 1968, the
MPRS removed the word 'acting', and Suharto remained in power until toppled by the Indonesian Revolution of 1998[1].
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The document
One version of the document
The Supersemar itself is a simple document of less than 200 words. It reads as follows:
PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA
ORDER
I. Considering
1.1 The current state of the Revolution, together with the national and international political situation
1.2 The Order of the Day of the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces/President/Supreme Commander of the Revolution
dated 8 March 1966
II. Taking into account
2.1 The need for calm and stability of the Government and the progress of the Revolution
2.2 The need for a guarantee of integrity of the Great Leader of the Revolution, [the Armed Forces] and the People
to preserve the leadership and obligations of the President/Supreme Commander/Supreme Commander of the Revolution
and his teachings
III. Decides/Orders
LIEUTENANT GENERAL SOEHARTO, MINISTER/ARMY COMMANDER
To: In the name of the President/Supreme Commander/Great Leader of the Revolution
1. Take all measures deemed necessary to guarantee security and calm as well as the stability of the progress of
the Revolution, as well as to guarantee the personal safety and authority of the leadership of the President/Supreme
Commander/Great Leader of the Revolution/holder of the Mandate of the [Provisional People's Consultative Assembly]
for the sake of the integrity of the Nation and State of the Republic of Indonesia, and to resolutely implement
all the teachings of the Great leader of the Revolution.
2. Coordinate the execution of orders with the commanders of the other forces to the best of his ability.
3. Report all actions related to duties and responsibilities as stated above.
IV. Ends
Djakarta, 11 March 1966
PRESIDENT/SUPREME COMMANDER/GREAT LEADER OF THE REVOLUTION/HOLDER OF THE MANDATE OF THE [PROVISIONAL PEOPLE'S CONSULTATIVE
ASSEMBLY]
[signed]
SUKARNO[2]
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Controversy
The circumstances surrounding the signing of the Supersemar
Indonesians usually end documents with the place the document was signed and the date. Given that the Supersemar
was supposedly signed in Bogor, it is odd that the Supersemar is signed "Djakarta". In his account of
the events of March 1966, Hanafi, a close friend of Sukarno and ambassador to Cuba says that he went to Bogor on
March 12 and met with Sukarno. He says that Sukarno told him Suharto had sent three generals with a document they
had already prepared for him to sign. He says that Sukarno felt he had to sign it because he was in a tight spot,
but that the generals had promised to defend Sukarno and that the order would not be misused.[3] However, Martoidjojo,
the commander of the presidential bodyguard, who went with Sukarno in the helicopter to Bogor, says that the Supersemar
was typed in Bogor by Sukarno's adjutant and military secretary, Brig. Gen. Mochammed Sabur.[4] Djamaluddin corroborates
this.[5]
The wording of the Supersemar itself could be read as a threat, namely the section reading "to guarantee the
personal safety and authority of the leadership of Sukarno. However, in 1998, accusations appeared [6] of an even
more direct threat, namely that two members of the presidential guard had seen Gen. M. Jusuf and Gen M. Panggabean,
second assistant to the Army minister, pointing their pistols at Sukarno. M. Jusuf and others have denied this,
and that Panggabean was even present. They called into doubt the credibility of key parts of the accusations, and
said it was impossible for the two men to be so close to the president at the time.
The disappearance of the original
One of the most obvious oddities regarding the Supersemar is that the original document can no longer be traced.
Although Indonesia was in a fairly chaotic state at the time, it is surprising that more care was not taken to
preserve a document that school history books cite as the legitimization of Suharto's ensuing actions. After all,
the original document of the Indonesian Declaration of Independence is still preserved.
The existence of multiple versions
Signatures of Sukarno on the four versions
One of the publications to appear since the fall of Suharto alleges that there were several versions of the Supersemar
(Center for Information Analysis 1999). Even before the fall of Suharto, an official publication commemorating
30 years of Indonesian independence reproduced one version of Supersemar, while an officially sanctioned high school
history textbook featured a different version. [2][7]
There are a number of differences between the various versions of the Supersemar:
* In two versions, there is a missing plural marker after the word "force" (Angkatan) in section III,
paragraph 2
* In the same two versions, there is an extra definite article marker after the word "responsibilities"
(tanggung-djawab") in section III paragraph 3
* One version runs to two pages, whereas the other versions are all on the one page.
* Sukarno's signature in one version lacks the dot-and-horizontal-line after the word "Soekarno".
* There are also minor differences in the proximity and shapes of the letters. [8]
The Order of March 13
According to Hanafi, in his discussions with Sukarno at the Bogor Palace on March 12, Sukarno was angry that the
Supersemar had been used to ban the PKI, as it was the prerogative of the president to ban political parties. He
said he had asked Third Deputy Prime Minister Johannes Leimena to take a written order to Suharto, and that he
would wait to see what Suharto's reaction was – whether he would obey it or not. He asked Hanafi to help Third
Deputy Prime Minister Chaerul Saleh and First Deputy Prime Minister Subandrio The two men showed Hanafi the "Order
of March 13", which stated that the Order of March 11 was technical and administrative in nature, not political,
warned General Suharto that he was not to take any actions outside the scope of the order and asked Suharto to
report to the president at the palace. Saleh planned to make copies of the order and distribute them to loyal members
of the palace guard and to Sukarno's young followers. Hanafi says 5,000 copies were made, and that he took a few
back to Jakarta with him, but he does not know what happened to the others.[3]
In the official biography of Suharto, also say that Sukarno questioned Suharto's use of the Supersemar and sent
Leimena to ask Suharto to take responsibility for his actions.[9] Saelan, deputy commander of the presidential
guard says Suharto ignored the order[10], and Hanafi says that Suharto sent a message back via Leimena, who returned
to Bogor later that evening, saying he would take responsibility for his actions, and that he was unable to come
to Bogor as he was due to attend a meeting of all the military commanders at 11am the following day, to which he
invited Sukarno. Incidentally, Hanafi is ambiguous as to the dates in his account, as he says he was in Bogor on
March 12, but the "correction" to the Supersemar was known as the Order of March 13.[3]
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