Tempo Publishing: 12 books

OVER the past two months, many of us at Proklamasi 72 were immersed in history books and documents. A number of the publications are originals, others photocopies. The titles vary, but all the books relate to Oemar Said Tjokroaminoto, known as the ‘mentor’ to the Republic’s founders.The...

Dutch, French, German and Javanese blood coursed through his veins, but Ernest Francois Eugène Dekker possessed a spirit that was Indonesian to the core. The Dutch colonial government branded him a very dangerous man, and the political powerhouse spent a lot of time in exile or imprisoned. Dekker...

DURING his 32 years in power Suharto had plenty of opportunities to do good and bad—which he did, alternately. However, there was a process which seemed to go on forever under his administration, the length of which could only be outdone by Cuba’s Fidel Castro. This process was centralization,...

MOHAMMAD Natsir (July 17, 1908-February 6, 1993) was a puritan. However, even the honest can be interesting. His life was not as colorful or dramatic as a stage play, but the example set by this person, who had a talent for combining words with deeds, was nothing less than remarkable. With Indonesia...

He was too unbending a person to compromise. Wanted by the Dutch, British, American and Japanese secret police, he was hunted down across 11 countries because of his dream: Indonesian independence. He is Tan Malaka, the first man to conceive the idea of a Republic of Indonesia. Muhammad Yamin...

Sutan Sjahrir was one of the seven Fathers of Indonesian Revolution. He urged Sukarno and Hatta to declare Indonesian independence although he himself was not present on the big day. He chose an elegant way to drive the Dutch out of Indonesia, a way which was opposed by the other Fathers of Indonesian...

In early November, 22 years ago, one Lt. Gen. (ret) Sarwo Edhie peacefully passed away, following an eight-month coma caused by a stroke. The soldier from Purworejo, Central Java, was 62 years old. Many will remember Sarwo Edhie as the commander of the para-commando regiment, who played a vital...

He appeared suddenly, with no discernible origin. Not many recognize the name Sjam Kamaruzaman. He made his first public appearance two years after the bloody events of the September 30 Movement (G30S). At that time, in July 1967, he was a witness in the trial of Sudisman, Secretary-General of the...

He was different from communists in general. He was well-dressed and a good violinist and saxophonist. He enjoyed symphony music, went to theater shows and wrote poetry that conveyed more than mere “populist” and “fighting-spirit” themes. He removed The Old Man and the Sea—the film based...

His name was Musso, a son of Kediri known for his religious diligence as a child. Having received his political education while staying at the boarding house of HOS Tjokroaminoto, his influence during the early years of independence should not be underestimated. In fact, the role played by Musso should...

He was a boy scout with the Hizbul Wathan movement and a teacher at a Muhammadiyah school. But during the Japanese occupation, Sudirman enlisted in the military, where at the age of 29 he was elected commander of the People’s Defense Army. Remembered as a simple general who was close to his...

He came from a nominal Muslim family but Sekarmadji Maridjan Kartosoewirjo ended as the leader of the rebellious Darul Islam. Almost 50 years after his death, at the hands of a firing squad, his vision and his ideal of an Islamic state still resonate among some Muslims in this country.ALTHOUGH...