Siswondo Parman

Lieutenant General Siswondo Parman (4 August 1918 - 1 October 1965) 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. He graduated from the town's Dutch high school in 1940 and entered medical school, but had to leave when the Japanese invaded. He then worked for the Japanese Kempeitai military police. However, he was arrested because of doubts over his loyalty, but was later freedSudarmanto (1996)] . Following his release, he was sent to Japan for intelligence training, and worked again for the Kempeitai on his return until the end of the war, working as a translator in YogykartaBachtiar (1988)] .

Career with the Indonesian Military

After the Indonesian Declaration of Independence, Soeprapto joined the People's Security Army (TKR), the forerunner of the Indonesian Military. At the end of December 1945, he was appointed chief of staff of the Military Police in Yogyakarta. Four years later he became chief of staff to the Greater Jakarta military governor and was promoted to major. In this capacity, he managed to foil a plot by the "Just King Armed Forces" ("Angkatan Perang Ratu Adil", APRA), a rebel military group led by Raymond Westerling, to kill the defense minister and armed forces commander.

In 1951, Parman was sent to the Military Police School in the United States for further training, and on November 11 that year, was appointed commander of the Jakarta Military Police. he then occupied a number of positions at National Military Police HQ, and the Indonesian Defense Ministry before being sent to London as military attache to the Indonesian Embassy there. On June 28, with the rank of Major General, he was appointed 1st assistant with responsibility for intelligence to Army chief of staff Lieutenant General Ahmad Yani.

Death

Along with other members of the Army general staff, Parman was kidnapped in the early hours of October 1 1965 by members of the 30 September Movement. The kidnappers jumped over the fence of his house at Jalan Samsurizal No. 32, Jakarta. Thinking there was a robbery at the house of a neighbor, Parman got up. When he opened his front door, he came face to face with the kidnappers, who told him he was to appear before President Sukarno.

After being given time to change clothes, Parman asked his wife to report what had happened to his commander, Yani, but the telephone wires had been cutSekretariat Negara Republik Indonesia (1994)] . Parman was put into a truck and taken to the movement's base at Lubang Buaya. Later that night, along with the other soldiers who had been taken alive, Parman was shot dead and his body dumped in a disused well.

The bodies of all the victims were recovered on October 4 and the men were given a state funeral the next day, Armed Forces DaySekretariat Negara Republik Indonesia (1975)] . The same day, all were created Heroes of the Revolution by President SukarnoMutiara Sumber Widya (publisher)(1999)]

The bodies were recovered and all were given a state funeral on October 5, before being buried at the Heroes Cemetery, Kalibata.

On the same day, via Presidential Decision No. 111/KOTI/1965, President Sukarno formerly made Soeprapto a Hero of the Revolution.

References

General References

* Bachtiar, Harsja W. (1988), "Siapa Dia?: Perwira Tinggi Tentara Nasional Indonesia Angkatan Darat (Who is S/He?: Senior Officers of the Indonesian Army)", Penerbit Djambatan, Jakarta, ISBN 979-428-100-X

* Mutiara Sumber Widya (publisher)(1999) "Album Pahlawan Bangsa (Album of National Heroes)", Jakarta

* Secretariat Negara Republik Indonesia (1994) "Gerakan 30 September Pemberontakan Partai Komunis Indonesia: Latar Belakang, Aksi dan Penumpasannya (The 30 September Movement/Communist Party of Indonesia: Bankground, Actions and its Annihilation)" ISBN 979-08300-025

* Sudarmanto, Y.B. (1996) "Jejak-Jejak Pahlawan dari Sultan Agung hingga Syekh Yusuf (The Footsteps of Heroes from Sultan Agung to Syekh Yusuf"), Penerbit Grasindo, Jakarta ISBN 979-553-111-5

Notes