A scandalous mess that tainted Indonesian diplomatic history: an Indonesian diplomat was reported to have provided a woman for Sukarno.
SUKARNO was furious. The cover of an American girlie magazine showed a half-naked female stripper wearing only underwear standing next to him in full military uniform. Sukarno condemned the photo as "fabricated".
"This is a filthy thing to do to a Chief of State. Do I have to love America when she does such things to me?" said Sukarno in his autobiography Sukarno: An Autobiography as Told to Cindy Adams by Cindy Adams.
SUKARNO was furious. The cover of an American girlie magazine showed a half-naked female stripper wearing only underwear standing next to him in full military uniform. Sukarno condemned the photo as "fabricated".
"This is a filthy thing to do to a Chief of State. Do I have to love America when she does such things to me?" said Sukarno in his autobiography Sukarno: An Autobiography as Told to Cindy Adams by Cindy Adams.
Sukarno was referring to the cover of the magazine Whisper published in March 1964 which, as showcased in pulpinternational.com, displayed the picture just as Sukarno described.
The title jabbed: "20 Tarts! Now Weren’t They A Tasty Dish To Set Before Indonesia’s President Sukarno?”
The report, written by Nils Larsen, began with Sukarno questioning the young and beautiful lady that would be introduced to him. Gustin Santawirja (the correct spelling is I Gusti N. Santawirja), Indonesian chargé d'affaires for Denmark, mentioned the name of a blonde woman, Sigrid Oster.
Sigrid accompanied Sukarno throughout the informal cocktail party. She was just one of the 20 call girls provided by Santawirja during the unofficial visit of President Sukarno to Copenhagen, the capital city of Denmark.
Santawirja was elated by the success of his event. After Sukarno left Copenhagen, Santawirja spotted a business opportunity. He even used the legation as his backing.
In early October 1963, Danish police made an announcement uncovering a prostitution business in which Santawirja was involved by offering around 20 young women for the rich and foreign diplomats in Copenhagen from whom he took 20 percent commission.
After Sukarno left Copenhagen, Santawirja spotted a business opportunity. He even used the legation as his backing.
The announcement could also be found in several media around the world. Time magazine on its 11 October 1963 edition published a news titled "Denmark: Poule Haul", noting that Santawirja "not only ran his country's embassy, until he returned home last August, but was also a procurer on the side."
Santawirja, Time continued, started the "tart trade" in 1961 when Indonesia's President Sukarno came to Copenhagen on an unofficial visit. Santawirja willingly searched for and rounded up some women for his visiting entourage. As his venture gained a favorable outcome, he decided to increase his entertainment allowance by running a full-time poule room. "Poule" means a prostitute in French slang.
The 43th edition of Der Spiegel on 22 October 1963 also published a similar report, drawing more public attention to the case.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark officially submitted their protest to the Indonesian government. Santawirja was subsequently declared persona non grata and was asked to leave the country before the scandal got more exposed. Later on, the new Indonesian diplomat for Copenhagen made an official apology for the Danish government.
The Indonesian legation in Copenhagen back then was still a part of the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia (KBRI) in Stockholm, Sweden's capital city. Meanwhile, KBRI in Copenhagen was only opened in 1974.
"It is a new practice in diplomatic conspiracy which generates profit faster with less effort than the common practice among the embassies of developing countries in importing and selling duty-free car," Robert Trumbull, a correspondent of The New York Times wrote in The Scrutable East: A Correspondent’s Report on Southeast Asia.
Albeit yesterday's news, Sukarno was bitter for being a laughing stock of the American press. He discussed the matter with President John F. Kennedy who couldn't do anything for the sake of freedom of press.
"Still, day after day, they picture me as a Don Juan,” Sukarno said. "Yes, yes, yes, I love women. Yes, I admit it. But I am not a playboy the way they make me out to be."*
