Jakarta, IO – A number of surviving victims attended the launching of the Resolution of Severe Human Right Violations Program in Pidie, Aceh by RI President Joko Widodo on Tuesday (27/06/2023). Among them were Sudaryanto and Jaroni Soerjomartono, both exiled victims of past severe human right violations in the 1965-1966 Incident.
When he launched the program, Jokowi requested them to tell their stories of having been exiled and unable to return to Indonesia. Afterwards, he offered them the restitution of their Indonesian citizenships.
According to antaranews, Friday (30/06/2023), Sudaryanto replied that he has been planning for the restitution of his Indonesian citizenship, but he still needs to discuss it with his family in Russia, including his three grandchildren. On the contrary, Jaroni declared that he has not made any plans about recovering his status as an Indonesian citizen. Now 80, he even declared his surprise as he never expected to be reinstated all his life:
“The whole situation was a surprise for me. I never expectd that I will be approached for restitution in my lifetime,” Jaroni declared.
President Jokowi emphatically declared that if either exile ultimately decided to have their citizenships reinstituted, the Government is ready to take follow-up actions. For starters, the Government is willing to waive all costs for issuing a Limited Staying Permit Card for them. “If they decided to return to becoming Indonesian citizens, I would be very happy – and I believe that we are all going to be happy about it too. This will show that this country really protects its citizens,” he stated.
Earlier, Jaroni explained that he was studying in a Czechoslovakian college (now the Czech Republic) on a Government scholarship. After the 1965-1966 Incident occurred, he and 16 other Indonesian students lost their Indonesian citizenships because they refuse to sign their approval of the new Government established after the Incident.
On his part, Sudaryanto, who was studying in Moscow, Russia on a scholarship provided by the then-Soviet Union Government scholarship, lost his Indonesian passport and citizenship when he refused to denounce Bung Karno. (un)