Independent Report – The story of the gold allegedly owned by Indonesia’s first President, Ir. Soekarno, and stored in a Swiss bank continues to be widely discussed. It is said that the total amount of gold is 57 tons, and the tale has been passed down from generation to generation. One popular version connects this gold with a secret agreement between Soekarno and U.S. President John F. Kennedy. The agreement, called the Green Hilton Memorial Agreement, was supposedly signed on November 14, 1963, in Geneva, Switzerland.
According to the story, the United States borrowed Soekarno’s gold reserves to strengthen their financial system, which was in crisis. The agreement was said to have been signed by Soekarno, Kennedy, and a Swiss banker. However, this tale has been debunked by several historians, including Asvi Warman Adam, a senior historian from BRIN, who called it a “modern myth” rather than a historical fact.
Asvi stated that no official documents or archives confirm the existence of such an agreement. He explained that the story seemed more like a conspiracy theory circulated by certain networks and unreliable websites. Furthermore, Asvi pointed out inconsistencies in the so-called Green Hilton Memorial Agreement document. One of the issues was the presidential seal, which should have depicted rice, cotton, and a star, but instead showed the Garuda Pancasila, the national emblem of Indonesia.
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Moreover, the U.S. government never mentioned or discussed the Green Hilton Memorial Agreement. While Soekarno did visit the United States on a state visit, the discussions were about U.S. support for the return of Western New Guinea (Irian Barat) to Indonesia, in exchange for the release of Allen Pope, a pilot captured by the Indonesian Air Force during the PRRI-Permesta conflict.
Guntur Soekarnoputra, the eldest son of Soekarno, also denied that his father owned 57 tons of gold stored in a Swiss bank. He emphasized that the stories about Soekarno’s vast wealth, such as the legendary Kartika Diamond, were nothing but lies. Guntur argued that if the gold really existed, why didn’t their family live in accordance with such wealth?
Guntur further explained that his father never mentioned hidden treasures or gold reserves abroad. In fact, during his final years at Wisma Yaso in Jakarta, Soekarno lived under tight surveillance and did not have access to large personal wealth or bank accounts. Historical facts reveal that during his presidency, Soekarno led a simple life.
A book titled Bung Karno: Penyambung Lidah Rakyat Indonesia by Cindy Adams, based on direct interviews with Soekarno in the early 1960s, revealed that Soekarno’s salary was only US$ 220 per month, and he did not own a private home. In one story, an ambassador even gave Soekarno pajamas because his own nightwear was torn. Such accounts highlight how modest Soekarno’s life was, far from the image of someone possessing vast wealth.
With all the clarifications and refutations, the story of Soekarno’s 57 tons of gold in a Swiss bank now seems more like a legend with no solid foundation. This mystery, although intriguing, should be regarded as part of a tale that continues to evolve over time.
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