Former Dwikora fighters call for proper burial for fallen colleagues

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Thu, 02/26/2009 5:41 PM  |  National

Former soldiers and volunteers of the Dwikora initiative have called upon the government to help bring back the remains of their fallen colleagues which have not come back home.

Chairman of the Families of Former Dwikora Prisoners League Marine Col. (ret) W. Siswanto said Thursday 168 registered remains of former Dwikora fighters still lay buried in Singapore and Malaysia.

"Efforts to bring back the remains of the 168 were stifled by the 1996 freeze on an investigation then ongoing, which was thought to jeopardize Indonesia-Malaysia relations," Siswanto said.

Dwikora, an abbreviation for the People's Dual Command, was an initiative introduced under President Soekarno, which had sought to bolster the fledgling Indonesian country and support other struggles for independence in Borneo, Malaya and Singapore.

Siswanto added that the 168 remains included three members of the Indonesian Army, 200 Indonesian Marines, 91 Air Force officers, 33 police officers and 19 volunteers.

"In 2003 we submitted a request to President Megawati Soekarnoputri to aid us, but to no avail. This was also the case when we asked for help from members of the House of Representatives," he said.

Siswanto said the remains should be buried properly at designated Heroes' cemeteries and therefore should be returned to Indonesia. (amr)

 

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