History Of Today: Indonesian Student Action Unit Or WE Formed On October 25, 1965

The Tri Penuntut Rakyat (Tritura) action was carried out by US in Jakarta on January 12, 1966. (Wikimedia Commons)

JAKARTA History today, 57 years ago, October 25, 1965, students throughout Jakarta formed a federation organization called the Indonesian Student Action Unit (WE). The organization was formed with the great support of the Indonesian Student Association (HMI) and so on.

"WE are here as a form of disappointment with the government of the Old Order (Orla). They then demanded the disbandment of the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI), lower prices, and a cabinet rombak. In the future, the three demands will be remembered as Tritura.

The September 30th Movement had deep wounds for the entire Indonesian nation. Mainly the students. They consider the PKI to be responsible for the kidnapping of a series of Indonesian Army (AD) generals. All students want the PKI to be immediately dissolved by Indonesia's number one person, Soekarno.

Bung Karno's attitude is the opposite. Bung Karno is considered too soft when related to the PKI. His actions were reluctant to disperse the PKI. Therefore, students began to question Bung Karno's capacity as Indonesia's leader.

This condition was then exacerbated by the presence of a recession storm. The policies issued by the government often burden the people. Meanwhile, the government continues to echo lighthouse projects. Moreover, Soekarno's ministers themselves are considered insensitive to the condition of the people.

A luxurious lifestyle is often shown, even though Indonesia's economic conditions are in disarray. Students also agreed that Soekarno must immediately make a firm decision to determine Indonesia's future.

Unfortunately, Bung Karno was not a good leader in building and managing a post-independence country. Bung Karno is not a leader who can fill independence by building his nation into a modern, strong, and prosperous.

"It seems that Bung Karno has been trapped in the romance of the independence revolution continuously. Of course we cannot fully blame Bung Karno, especially since his struggle has been long and tough enough, until he has to languish in prison and be exiled into exile," said class 66 student Firman Lubis in the book Jakarta 1950-1970 (2018).

Soekarno also promised to fulfill the demands of students. However, the promise has not been kept. Students were furious. The students continued to increase their strength. Increasingly, more and more students took to the streets to inflame the spirit of anticommunism.

This fact formed a series of student organizations to form US on October 25, 1965. The organizations involved include HMI, the Catholic Student Association of the Republic of Indonesia (PMKRI), the Indonesian Islamic Student Movement (PMII), and other organizations.

Later, a series of students under our banner then took to the streets to inflame the Tri Penuntut Rakyat (Tritura). Disband the PKI, lower prices, and train the cabinet. Tritura's action was one of the causes of Soekarno's fall.

Towards the end of 1965 military operations, the crackdown on the G-30-S/PKI rebellion could be said to be over. However, the political settlement of the incident has not seen any signs that President Soekarno will carry out according to his promise. Thus, the political crisis is deepening. As a result, there has been erosion of people's trust in President Sockarno.

On October 25, 1965, students in Jakarta formed a federation organization consisting of HMI, PMKRI, PMII, GMNI, SEMMI, SOMAL, PELMASI, and Mapantjas, sponsored by the Minister of Higher Education and Sciences dr. Syarif Thayeb, the Federation is an action unit with the main target of eradicating the September 30 Movement (PKI), which is named the Indonesian Student Action Unit (WE)," explained Marwati Djoened Poesponegoro in the book Indonesian National History Volume IV (2008).