'Tell me who your friends are...'

[p. 74]

Sukmawati Sukarnoputri

Jakarta Airport, 2001

[p. 75]

Sukmawati Sukarnoputri is the fourth child from president Sukarno's first marriage to madame Fahmawati. Her eldest sister is presently president of Indonesia. The third child of Bung Karno, Rachmawati, is president of Bung Karno University in Jakarta. In 2001 I presented to her and the rector of this university, the first copy of the translation into Behasa Indonesia of my book about her father. Many students attended the ceremony. The student chorus performed songs. Sukmawati and her younger brother Guruh Sukarnoputra came in 1972, two years after the death of their father, to Holland and were my guests in Amsterdam. Another guest at that time was American anthropologist dr. Margaret Mead, who had known their father as well. I also invited those days journalist Bibeb to meet the Sukarno children and Mrs. Margaret Mead. Ever since that visit, Sukmawati and I remained close. During the 1999 Indonesian presidential election, I traveled with the then chairman of the pni, madame Supeni, and her deputy, Sukmawati to a number of cities throughout the Indonesian archipelago. In 2002 Sukma herself is chairman of the pni. I travel to Jakarta regularly, when she always tries to meet my plane, as when she fetched me in 2001. We always talk politics. She read my brochures in English, that are also sold in Indonesia.

Jakarta, Indonesia September 2, 2002

Hi, Oom Wim,

Are you alright? I did not write for some time, because I was moving to another house in Kemang Selatan. But I am always thinking of you.

I have traveled lately to various places in the country on behalf of my party, pni. But it is the deterioration of the international situation that concerns us all. There is a new Cold War developing between Arabs and Americans. I received your postcard from Baghdad. How is the situation in Iraq? Bush and the cia want to change the leadership there and depose president Saddam Hussein. It is clear that Oil is the real objective of the Americans. Iraq has the second largest oil fields in the world. Washington wants to install its own puppet in Baghdad and control the riches of the Iraqi people. us intentions are so visible for the world's public.

[p. 76]

If it were true, that the First World supposedly has the right to inspect Third World countries on weapons of mass destruction, why would we, in the Third World not have the right to inspect First World countries on weapons of mass destruction? We all know that the First World is loaded with weapons of mass destruction. Remember what happened in Hiroshima, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Cuba, Afghanistan and many other places? Apparently Washington and the cia are changing their style. They feel it is their right now to openly change any government in the world that they do not like. But they are no longer ‘invisible’ to us. What you wrote about ‘the invisible government’ can clearly be seen by everyone. In other words, the secret style of the us invisibles is not secret anymore. Their behaviour is visible for the public everywhere.

It is clear, the First World, and in any case the us and uk, do not allow Iraq to be one of the most prosperous and powerful nations among Arab countries. Is it not allowed, that Arab countries have a strong man as their leader?

It is truly disgusting to see what a man Americans have chosen as their leader. He is a super Ugly American. Americans themselves are the leading terrorists in the world. Bush called the fighters of Jihad on September 11^th cowards. Sorry, but as I see it, they were freedom fighters acting courageously. If Bush wants to learn about courage, he could learn from those brave freedom fighters. They acted, as I see it, in the struggle of freedom from imperialism. Free from foreign occupation, free from us domination and unilateralism.

How are you? What are you writing now, aside from preparing your book of friends? Are you following the news from Indonesia? Are you now in South Africa for the world's Earth summit in Johannesburg? Industrial societies pollute us all with their plastics, tins, toxins and above all their dangerous weapons. We gained our freedom only half a century ago and are in the process of developing. The rich countries see us as aliens from another planet.

Aside from political and professional remarks, let me add for your Book of Friends a personal note. I was so happy to meet you again in 1994, when you returned to Indonesia for the first time since

[p. 77]

1957 together with Prime Minister Lubbers and minister Kooijmans. You were a tall graying gentleman getting older. It reminded me so much of our first meetings in Amsterdam 23 years ago. Yes, you were older, but your thoughts, your voice, the glow of your blue eyes and especially your opinion about our beloved Bung Karno had not changed. Although you suffered in 1994 already 36 years as a consequence being a close friend of our Bapak, your valuable character remained in tact, oom Wim. I appreciated that. That's also why my father liked you. He had made the right choice. For him you were a special ‘wartawan belanda.’ (Nederlandse journalist). For me, Bung Karno was not only my dad; he was also my professor in social and political sciences. His teachings are very valuable for everyone. He was a man of pride and dignity. The world of science has honored him. The world of imperialists and capitalists did not respect him. They preferred the man who betrayed Bung Karno, that murderous crooked general Suharto, who is still living amongst us in the center of Jakarta.

During the 1999 general election, when you joined Mrs. Supeni and me, when we campaigned for the pni, you were able to feel and see the revolutionary people in many places, where we traveled through the country. You saw yourself the joy of people feeling liberated from the fascist military dictatorship of Suharto.

Oom Wim, on behalf of Sukarno's children, I thank you once again for the book Bung Karno Sahabaktu (Pustaka Sinar Harapan, Jakarta, 2001) that you wrote for the Indonesian people and generations to come.

With affection,

Sukma.