The Dutch' Scenario to Eliminate Sukarno

When the Royal Dutch Air Force bombers took action over Yogyakarta, the people were gripped with fear. Silence covered the streets, while several buildings and cars caught fire from 12.7 automatic rifle fire. The same situation was felt by the residents of the State Palace.

"December 1948, the Dutch dropped a Christmas present right on my kitchen chimney: 5:30 am on Sunday, the 19th..." Sukarno said in his autobiography, Bung Karno, Penjambung Lidah Rakyat Indonesia (compiled by Cindy Adams).

Once the Green Berets from the Command Troops took control of the Palace, Sukarno and 150 other high-ranking Indonesian officials became prisoners of the Dutch military. But in fact, the Dutch military had 'no intention' to keep prisoners. They preferred Sukarno to fight in the military operation. At least that's what Lieutenant General S.H. Spoor (Commander of the KNIL) had in mind.

"They want President Sukarno dead..." said Sukotjo Tjokroatmodjo, a former commander of one of President Sukarno's guard units at the time.

Maulwi Saelan agreed with Sukotjo's opinion. In the Testimony of Deputy Commander Tjakrabirawa: From Revolution 45 to Coup 66, Maulwi stated that although Spoor had won a major victory by taking control of the capital city of the Republic of Indonesia, Yogyakarta, he was very disappointed when he received reports that Sukarno had been captured.

Previously, the Dutch military intelligence department reported to Spoor that if Yogyakarta was attacked, it was very likely that Sukarno and his staff would immediately flee to remote areas to lead the guerrilla struggle. It was even stated: Sukarno-Hatta would direct the guerrilla war from a Guerrilla Command Headquarters in Dungus, a place located at the foot of Mount Wilis, East Java.

Then the scenario was immediately made carefully. A special unit from the Royal Dutch Marines Brigade and trained soldiers from the Princess Irene Brigade (who had experience in fighting in Normandy during World War II) had been prepared to storm the Guerrilla Command Headquarters.

"Spoor's plan, Bung Karno and Bung Hatta would be eliminated on the pretext that they were killed in armed contact..." Maulwi said.

In fact, instead of moving to Mount Wilis, Sukarno-Hatta allowed themselves to be arrested. This clearly irritated General Spoor that according to Roeslan Abdulgani in the Merdeka newspaper, December 30, 1989, Spoor specifically ordered Captain A.V. Vosveld from IVG (Dutch Military Secret Service) to "give the greatest opportunity" to the President of the Republic of Indonesia if he had any signs of running away.

The scenario collapsed again. Although not strictly escorted and the jeep was driven slowly by Vosveld, Sukarno was not provoked to run away. So, the excuse of the Dutch army to shoot Sukarno dead on the way from Gedung Agung-Maguwo Field disappeared. Roeslan himself got this information from a document reported by a Dutch officer who revealed the assassination plan. The document, said Roeslan, is now stored in a Dutch museum.

In addition to shooting dead, there was also the intention of the Dutch military to kill Sukarno while he was in the air. In the Zwolse Courant, May 12, 1998, Mr. J.M.A. Hubert Luns (former Dutch Foreign Minister) made a surprising confession: there was a plan they would throw Sukarno's body from the Dakota plane that was flying the prisoners to Medan.

"I thought about ordering people to throw Sukarno from an airplane… But it felt like it was uncivilized…" Hubert confessed.