Jakarta – Ex-governor of Jakarta, retired Let-Gen Ali Sadikin was called in by the Attorney General on Monday (13/3) in relation to the banning of the book "New Era New Leader, Badio [Soebadio] rejects New Order Engineering" by Soebadio Sastrosatomo.

M Joesoef, ex-General Secretary of the Department of Information, was also called in relation to the same case.

The order was confirmed by the Head of the Intelligence Division of the Attorney General Gatot Hindrarto. "The calling in of Ali Sadikin is as part of [our] continued information gathering" Hindrarto told Harian Terbit adding that the attorney general's office was still investigating the book.

According to Joesoef, he was not surprised to be called in, "why must [I] be surprised, I myself have done nothing wrong" he said. He admitted that he had received the book directly from the author saying "Certainly I receive books sent to be from overseas and Indonesia. I like to read".

Soebadio himself said that he had sent the books but Sadikin had asked to be sent more. "He said they were to give to other '1945 members' living the Menteng [Central Jakarta] area. Sadikin was immediately sent 10 more copies, which according to Soebadio was before the book was banned. He said that when he met with Sadikin, he said that the friends that received the book were happy [to have received it].

Soebadio's book was officially banned on March 5. Prior to this a number of other books were banned including "Silent Song of a Deaf Mute" by Pramoedya Ananta Toer. The book was banned because it carried a list of political prisoners involved in the G30S affair [alleged coup by the Indonesian Communist party, PKI] who went missing or died in jail.

A book published by the Institut Studi Arus Informasi (ISAI) titled "Images of the PKI" ("Bayang-Bayang PKI") was also banned. The book's cover had a picture of Sukarno and D.N. Aidit [General Secretary of the PKI] and contained an analysis and investigation of the G30S affair. The book "The July 27 Affair" also published by ISAI was banned in Central Java by the Diponegoro Commander Maj-Gen Soebagio HS.

The book told the story of the incident and included a number of interviews with Megawati, RO. Tambunan, Buttu Hutapea, Dr. Arief Budiman, Veronica Sembiring (Garda's mother) Hendrik Sirait (Pijar Foundation), Jaksa Agung Singgih, and armed forces Social and Political officer Syarwan Hamid.

[Abridged translation from KdP - James Balowski]