Bung Karno: Unfinished Revolution

Tuesday, October 21, 2003

ONLY a few people are aware that after the September 30, 1965 Movement, Bung Karno delivered 103 political speeches. Last August, some of them were published in two-volume books entitled Revolusi Belum Selesai (Unfinished Revolution). More than merely describing Bung Karnos defense against various accusations, his addresses also reflected the desolation of an elder brother (Bung). His orders were not obeyed, his speeches were like fireworks, sparkling and then disappearing in the dark of the night. Bung Karnos voice was hardly heard for nearly two years. He was like the figure in the novel by Gabriel Garcia Marquez: a man who passed his time in 100 years of solitude.

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STATE Place, Jakarta, September 13, 1966. On that day, Bung Karno delivered a speech before members of the 1945 Generation. His tone was fervent, his expression and body movements were fiery. For the first minutes, he was in his prime. Entering the second half-hour, he began to lose his self-confidence. His voice was still thunderous, but the content of his speech showed that he was feeling unsure. Hey, reporters, do not include this [part]. It i

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