34 Facts About Sumitro

Sumitro or Soemitro was a prominent Indonesian general in the early years of General Suharto's New Order before suddenly falling from grace in January 1974 after the Malari incident.

Sumitro was born in Probolinggo, East Java on 13 January 1925.

Sumitro's father worked as a cashier for the Gending Sugar Factory and was an activist with the Indonesian National Party whilst his mother was a housewife.

Sumitro undertook basic training in Bogor and developed a reputation as a cadet who regularly broke the rules.

Sumitro had successfully applied a guerilla warfare strategy akin to what Orde Wingate did in Burma during the Indonesian National Revolution and he had been successful in cleaning Sidoarjo, Mojokerto, and Pasuruan from wild militias.

In 1952, Sumitro attended the Army Staff and Command College in Bandung.

Sumitro recalled that a regiment led by Kemal Idris went after Sumito and other East Javanese officers but failed to capture him.

The situation settled down and Sumitro went back to Bandung to complete his course.

Sumitro then returned to Bandung in 1956, becoming a lecturer at SSKAD and taking an Officers' continuers' course.

In 1958, Sumitro left for the United States to attend the United States Army Infantry School at Fort Benning.

When he returned to Indonesia, Sumitro was stationed in Bandung as Commander of the Infantry Weapons Center.

Sumitro held the position until 1963 where he became Chairman of the Army Planning Council.

In 1963, Sumitro attended the ABRI Staff and Command College.

Sumitro went abroad again, studying at the Fuhrungsakademie der Bundeswehr in Hamburg, West Germany.

Sumitro arrested officials whose organizations were affiliated with the Indonesian Communist Party.

In late 1965, Sumitro was transferred from East Kalimantan to Jakarta, where he became a staff member for Major General Suharto, the Commander of the Army.

Sumitro recalled a meeting held by Suharto and attended by other Army Officers.

On 11 March 1966 as the cabinet meeting was held and the RPKAD, masquerading as unidentified troops made their approach, Sumitro was at home.

Alamsyah called on behalf of Suharto, who changed his mind about the arrests and was now ordering Sumitro to withdraw the troops.

Sumitro responded that he cannot obey Suharto's orders because it was too late and the operation was already under way.

Nevertheless, Sumitro proved successful, eliminating pro-Sukarno sentiments within his command in late 1966.

In 1969, Sumitro became Chief of Staff to the Minister of Defense and Security, a position which was then held by Suharto.

Sumitro reached what turned out to be the pinnacle of his military career in 1973 when he was appointed Commander of Kopkamtib and Deputy Commander of ABRI.

Sumitro tried to further strengthen his position by trying to appoint a Deputy Kopkamtib Commander of his choosing.

On one side was Sumitro, who wanted to cut down military involvement in politics and reduce it to a purely professional role.

Towards the end of 1973, Sumitro began to distance himself from the government.

Sumitro did not take action against the criticism and dissent directed at the regime although it was well within his brief to do so.

Sumitro began holding talks in university campuses and calling for a new leadership.

Sumitro's growing power was on display in late 1973 when he intervened to help pass the marriage law.

Sumitro's actions proved too late as he had already been discredited, being viewed as someone who had let the protests get out of hand.

Not long after the Malari Incident, Sumitro resigned the Commandership of Kopkamtib and followed it up two months later with his resignation as Deputy Commander of ABRI.

Suharto tried to offer him the consolation of being Indonesian Ambassador to the United States, but Sumitro rejected it; preferring instead to retire from military life altogether.

Sumitro spent the next few years in early retirement, spending his time by playing golf.

Sumitro unofficially became a political commentator; mainly focusing on the issue of succession.