Antonius Josef Witono Sarsanto
Indonesia Ambassador to Japan
In office
17 January 1976 – 23 June 1979
PresidentSuharto
Preceded byJusuf Ramli
Succeeded bySayidiman Suryohadiprojo
Personal details
Born(1925-05-10)May 10, 1925
Yogyakarta, Yogyakarta Sultanate
DiedAugust 25, 1989(1989-08-25) (aged 64)
Cikini Hospital, Jakarta, Indonesia
Political partyGolkar
Military service
Allegiance Indonesia
Branch/service Army
Years of service1945—1980
Rank Lieutenant General

Antonius Josef Witono Sarsanto (10 May 1925 – 25 August 1989) was an Indonesian military officer and diplomat who became the Ambassador of Indonesia to Japan.

Early life

Witono was born on 10 May 1925 in Yogyakarta. Witono attended Hollandsch-Inlandsche School (Dutch schools for native) in Blitar, Meer Uitgebreid Lager Onderwijs (More Advanced Primary Education) in Malang, and Hollandsch Inlandsche Kweekschool (Substitute Teachers' School) in Muntilan. After attending the Hollandsche Inlandsche Kweekschool, he initially enrolled at the teacher's school in Blitar in order to become a teacher, but dropped out in 1945 to pursue military career following the independence of Indonesia.[1]

Military career

Witono was assigned as a platoon commander in the A Battalion in Yogyakarta. He was then promoted to become the commander of the 3rd Company in the Nasuhi Battalion. His battalion initially fought to suppress the Madiun Affair[2] and was deployed again to fight against the Darul Islam rebellion in 1948. Witono's company was based at the Sindangbarang village during the battle and became the only battalion to remain organized. Ahmad Nasuhi, the commander of the battalion, instructed Witono's company to take over the line of defense against Darul Islam rebels from Mount Sawal to Rancah.[3] Witono was rotated to Ciamis and became the chief of staff of the region's military resort.[1] He continued to quell the rebellion in his new position.[4]

After the rebellion was fully suppressed in West Java,[4] Witono became the commander of the newly formed 323th White Crocodile Battalion since 15 November 1950. He held the command until 1 September 1952[5] and held command at the KUKAD unit in Bandung after that. From 1954 until 1960, he held several sections, chief of staff, and commanding offices throughout regiments in West Java until he became the assistant to the chief of staff of the Siliwangi Military Regional Command.[1] Witono ended his tenure as assistant in 1960 and was instructed to attend the Australian Staff College alongside Edward Wellington Pahala Tambunan in 1961 and graduated from the college in 1963. Tambunan and Witono were both commemorated by the Indonesia-Australia Defence Alumni Association with the Sarsono–Tambunan Memorial Lecture Series held in Indonesia and Australia on a quarterly basis.[6]

Commander of the Sunan Gunung Jati Military Resort

In 1963, Witono became the Commander of the Sunan Gunung Jati Military Resort, replacing Saptadji Hadiprawira who was transferred to Kalimantan.[7] Several months after his ascension to the commander's office, Witono disbanded a number of battalions inside his military resort.[8]

Witono oversaw the chaos that ensued after the 30 September Movement occurred in 1965. He also received the detention of the movement's perpetrator Untung Syamsuri, who was arrested by the commander of the Tegal Military Police Captain M. Isa. Although Isa arrested Untung in Central Java, and he himself was based in the province, Isa opted to send him to West Java as Central Java was laden with supporters of the movement. Witono then brought him to Jakarta, where he was sentenced to death for his actions.[9]

Witono was rotated from his command shortly after the arrest to become the Chief of Staff of the Jaya (Jakarta) Military Region on 11 November 1965.[10] During his brief stint, Witono continued to quell the supporters of the 30 September Movement in Jakarta.[11] He was discharged on 17 March 1966[12] and was made as the Deputy Assistant IV (Logistics) to the Commander of the Army.[13]

Commander of the Tanjungpura Military Regional Command

After holding the office of deputy assistant for a brief period, Witono was made the Commander of the Tanjungpura Military Regional Command, covering the West Kalimantan province, on 29 April 1967.[13] His ascension to Tanjungpura's commander was part of a series of appointment made by Suharto to move anti-Sukarno officers into important commands.[14] According to Jamie Seth Davidson, a professor in political science on Indonesia, Witono was appointed due to his experience with antiguerilla counteroperations and his good reputation with Suharto.[15] He also maintained a longstanding relationship with Iskak Doera, a military chaplain in the region.[16] Witono's main task in this region was to exterminate the communist insurgency in Borneo.

Unlike his pro-Sukarno predecessor, Witono undertook a massive operation to crush the insurgency. Witono claimed in February 1968 that around 5,600 troops from his command were engaging the communist insurgents.[17] Subsequently, Witono also purged his commands from communist infiltrators and arrested thirteen officers accused of cooperating with the insurgents in January 1969. An arms cache, which was alleged to be transferred later by the cooperators, was found in the house of an arrested officer.[18] Witono's arrest was continued with the arrest of 50 other military officers and civilian. His spokesman also claimed that the military regional command had encovered a network of communist insurgents which involved military officers, local Chinese, and prominent figures.[19]

Following the arrests of the officers and civilians, the influence of the insurgency was largely curbed. On the same month after the arrests were conducted, Witono claimed that there were only 70 members of the original insurgency forces that were still fighting against the Indonesian army. He also remarked that the army were also fighting a new insurgency called the North Kalimantan People's Army (NKPA).[20] He only oversaw the fighting against the NKPA for a brief period, as in March 1969 he was already removed from office.[21]

Commander of the Siliwangi Military Regional Command

Witono (far right) at an event in West Java, August 1971.

After serving in Kalimantan for three years, Witono was made as the Commander of the Siliwangi (West Java) Military Region on 19 April 1969 and was promoted to the rank of major general in July 1969.[22] Witono's tenure in West Java saw the deterioration of the relationship between university students and army, which culminated in the assassination of Rene Louis Conrad, a Bandung Institute of Technology student, by a police officer. Immediately, students from the institute began demonstrating against the army, and several clashes between students and police cadres occurred at several points in West Java. Instead of attempting to resolve the division, Witono undermined the causes of this clashes, stating that it occurred due to "unrestrained emotions".[23]

In an interview in November 1970, Witono reiterated his anti-Sukarnoist stance, stating that "Sukarnoism could not be tolerated anywhere."[24]

Commander of the 3rd Regional Defense Command

Witono became the Commander of the 3rd Regional Defense Command on 26 September 1972.[25] He ended his term on 7 June 1975.[26]

Indonesia Ambassador of to Japan

Witono became the Ambassador of Indonesia to Japan on 17 January 1976.[27]

Death

Witono died on 25 August 1989 in Cikini Hospital, Jakarta. He had suffered from lung cancer two years prior to his death. He was buried at the Kalibata Heroes Cemetery with a military ceremony led by Edi Sudradjat, the army chief of staff.[28]

Personal life

Witono married Caecilia Maria Prayuni on 1 January 1957.[29] The couple has eight children.[28]

Bibliography

  • Historical Bureau of the Siliwangi Military Regional Command (1979), Siliwangi Dari Masa ke Masa (in Indonesian), Angkasa
  • van der Kroef, Justus M. (1970), "Indonesian Communism since the 1965 Coup", Pacific Affairs, 43 (1): 34–60, doi:10.2307/2753833, ISSN 0030-851X, JSTOR 2753833
  • Anderson, Benedict R; Kahin, Audrey (April 1983), "Indonesian Army Territorial Commanders 1950 – March 1983", Indonesia, 35: 215 – via eCommons

References

  1. 1 2 3 General Elections Institution (1973). Riwajat hidup anggota-anggota Majelis Permusyawaratan Rakyat hasil pemilihan umum 1971. Jakarta: General Elections Institution. pp. 1056–1057.
  2. ↑ Historical Bureau of the Siliwangi Military Regional Command 1979, p. 159.
  3. ↑ Historical Bureau of the Siliwangi Military Regional Command 1979, p. 187.
  4. 1 2 "PENGABDIAN". Yonif 323. Archived from the original on 8 December 2016. Retrieved 5 April 2021.
  5. ↑ Historical Bureau of the Siliwangi Military Regional Command 1979, p. 553.
  6. ↑ Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. "Sarsono and Tambunan". www.70yearsindonesiaaustralia.com. 70 Years Indonesia Australia. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  7. ↑ Historical Bureau of the Siliwangi Military Regional Command 1979, p. 484.
  8. ↑ McVey, Ruth (1972). "The Post-Revolutionary Transformation of the Indonesian Army: Part II". Indonesia. 13 (13): 176. doi:10.2307/3350685. hdl:1813/53533. ISSN 0019-7289. JSTOR 3350685.
  9. ↑ Suripto, Imam. "Ditangkap di Tegal, Kenapa Letkol Untung Dikirim ke Korem Cirebon?". detiknews (in Indonesian). Retrieved 2021-04-05.
  10. ↑ "Kas Kodam Baru". Kompas. 12 November 1965. p. 1. Retrieved 5 April 2021. Kemarin pagi telah dilangsungkan upatjara serah terima djabatan Kepala Staf Kodam V Djaya dari Kas Kodam jang lama Kol Aboe Djamal kepada Kas Kodam jang baru Kol. Witono.
  11. ↑ "2200 Gestapu Ditangkap Di Ibukota". Kompas. 18 November 1965. p. 1. Retrieved 5 April 2021. Kolonel Witono Kepala Staf Kodam V/Djaya, menerangkan hari Rabu, bahwa sampai sekarang telah ditangkap sebanjak 2200 orang di Daerah Chusus Ibukota Djakarta Raya dan sekitarnja. Mereka itu semuanja adalah oknum2 jang njata2 terlibat dalam petualangan kontra- revolusi "Gerakan 30 September" dan menjokong gerakan...
  12. ↑ "Djabatan Kas Kodam V/Djaya diserahterimakan". Kompas. 18 March 1966. p. 1. Retrieved 5 April 2021. Dalam suatu upatjara hari Kamis kemarin telah diadakan serahterima djabatan Kas Kodam V/Djaya dari Kolonel A.J. Witono S. kepada penggantinja Kol. Sutopo Juwono jang sebelumnja mendjabat sebagai Pds. Pangdam Lamburg Mangkurat/Kalimantan Selatan.
  13. 1 2 "Current Data on the Indonesian Military Elite after the Reorganization of 1969-1970". Indonesia (10): 206. 1970. ISSN 0019-7289.
  14. ↑ Hindley, Donald (1968). "Indonesian Politics 1965-7: The September 30 Movement and the Fall of Sukarno". The World Today. 24 (8): 353. ISSN 0043-9134. JSTOR 40394159.
  15. ↑ Davidson, Jamie Seth (2009). From Rebellion to Riots: Collective Violence on Indonesian Borneo. NUS Press. p. 64. ISBN 978-9971-69-427-2.
  16. ↑ Tanasaldy, Taufiq (2012). Regime Change and Ethnic Politics in Indonesia: Dayak Politics of West Kalimantan. BRILL. p. 145. ISBN 978-90-04-25348-3.
  17. ↑ Eilenberg, Michael (2012). At the Edges of States: Dynamics of State Formation in the Indonesian Borderlands. BRILL. p. 126. ISBN 978-90-04-25346-9.
  18. ↑ van der Kroef 1970, p. 35.
  19. ↑ van der Kroef 1970, p. 49.
  20. ↑ van der Kroef 1970, p. 48.
  21. ↑ Anderson & Kahin 1983, p. 117.
  22. ↑ DR (8 July 1969). "13 Perwira A.D Naik Pangkat". Kompas. Jakarta.
  23. ↑ Aly, Rum (2004). "ITB, Peristiwa Berdarah 6 Oktober 1970 (2)". SOCIO-POLITICA. Archived from the original on 2013-10-17. Retrieved 2021-04-05.
  24. ↑ DR (2 November 1970). "Pangdam VI Majdjen Witono: Soekarnoisme Tidak Dapat Ditolerir". Kompas. p. 1. Retrieved 5 April 2021. Pangdam VI/Siliwangi Majdjen AJ Witono dengan tegas menandaskan bahwa pada masa ini Sukarnoisme tidak dapat ditolerir dimanapun djuga. Hal ini sudah merupakan kebidjaksanaan Pemerintah.
  25. ↑ "Serah Terima Jabatan Pangkowilhan IV Selasa". Kompas. 26 September 1972. p. 2. Retrieved 5 April 2021. Wapangab Jenderal TNI Maraden Panggabean akan bertindak selaku Irup pada upacara militer serah terima jabatan Panglima Kowilhan IV Sulawesi dari Letjen A. Kemal Idris kepada penggantinya Letjen A.J. Witono, yg. akan berlangsung hari Selasa ini dilapangan Karebosi Ujungpandang.
  26. ↑ PUR (7 June 1975). "Mayjen Widjojo Sujono dilantik sebagai Pangkowilhan III". Kompas. p. 1. Retrieved 5 April 2021. Wakil Panglima ABRI, Jendral Surono, Sabtu pagi ini di Lapangan Karebosi, Ujung Pandang melantik Mayjen Widjojo Sujono menjadi Panglima Kowilhan III, menggantikan Letjen Witono.
  27. ↑ AFR (17 January 1976). "Lantik Sembilan Dubes, Presiden Soeharto: Syarat Bantuan Luar Negeri Kita Tentukan Sendiri". soeharto.co. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  28. 1 2 "Meninggal dunia". Tempo. 2 September 1989. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  29. ↑ MH (5 February 1989). "Ketua Umum YPAC, Ny. C.M. Witono: Memandirikan Orang Cacat". Kompas. p. 5. Retrieved 5 April 2021. Melayani suami, mengurus anak, adalah tugas rutin yang dilakukan dengan segenap hati sejak ia dipersunting pemuda Witono 1 Januari 1957.
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