[lbo-talk] East Asia

Michael Pugliese debsian at pacbell.net
Thu Oct 9 23:51:42 PDT 2003


Grant's mention of Marshall Green made me google for more on Amb. Green. The name is vaguely familiar from Vietnam War histories. http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/coldwar/interviews/episode-15/green1.html http://www.namebase.org/main3/Marshall-Green.html http://www.pbs.org/wnet/shadowplay/history.html These events were closely followed by Marshall Green, the American Ambassador in Jakarta. His reports back to Washington, recently released as part of a State Department history (FOREIGN RELATIONS OF THE UNITED STATES, 1964-1968, Volume XXVI), show the role the United States played in events as Suharto moved to destroy the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI).

October 5, 1965 Fm: Marshall Green, U.S. Ambassador, Jakarta To: State Department, Washington "What actually happened is still obscure. We can help shape developments to our advantage ... spread the story of the Communist guilt ... treachery and brutality."

October 29, 1965 Fm: Marshall Green, U.S. Ambassador, Jakarta To: State Department, Washington "Moslem fervor in Atjeh apparently put all but few PKI out of action. Atjehnese have decapitated PKI and placed their heads on stakes along the road. Bodies of PKI victims reportedly thrown into rivers or sea as Atjehnese refuse to 'contaminate Atjeh soil.'"

November 4, 1965 Fm: Marshall Green, U.S. Ambassador, Jakarta Fm: State Department, Washington "The Army is doing a first class job here of moving against the Communists, and by all current indications is the emerging authority in Indonesia.



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