Aang Kunaefi (5 December 1922 – 12 November 1999) was an Indonesian military officer and diplomat who served as Governor of West Java between 1975 and 1985 and as Indonesian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia. He had previously commanded the Siliwangi Military Region during his time in the

Indonesian Army The Indonesian Army ( id, Tentara Nasional Indonesia Angkatan Darat (TNI-AD), ) is the land branch of the Indonesian National Armed Forces. It has an estimated strength of 300,000 active personnel. The history of the Indonesian Army has its ...

Biography

Kunaefi was born in

Bandung Bandung ( su, ᮘᮔ᮪ᮓᮥᮀ, Bandung, ; ) is the capital city of the Indonesian province of West Java. It has a population of 2,452,943 within its city limits according to the official estimates as at mid 2021, making it the fourth most ...

on 5 December 1922. He completed education from the Dutch colonial elementary school ( Hollandsch-Inlandsche School) and middle schools ( Meer Uitgebreid Lager Onderwijs). Prior to the

proclamation of Indonesian independence The Proclamation of Indonesian Independence ( id, Proklamasi Kemerdekaan Indonesia, or simply ''Proklamasi'') was read at 10:00 on Friday, 17 August 1945 in Jakarta. The declaration marked the start of the diplomatic and armed resistance of th ...

, he for a time worked at the colonial railway department. Kunaefi joined the Indonesian Armed Forces during the

Indonesian National Revolution The Indonesian National Revolution, or the Indonesian War of Independence, was an armed conflict and diplomatic struggle between the Republic of Indonesia and the Dutch Empire and an internal social revolution during Aftermath of WWII, postw ...

, initially active in West Java as a supply officer before moving to

Central Java Central Java ( id, Jawa Tengah) is a province of Indonesia, located in the middle of the island of Java. Its administrative capital is Semarang. It is bordered by West Java in the west, the Indian Ocean and the Special Region of Yogyakarta in t ...

and taking part in the crackdowns against the Indonesian Communist Party following the

Madiun Affair The Madiun Affair ( id, Peristiwa Madiun), known locally as the Communist Party of Indonesia rebellion of 1948 ( id, Pemberontakan Partai Komunis Indonesia 1948), was an armed conflict between the government of the self-proclaimed Republic of ...

. After the revolution, he served within the Siliwangi Military Region and throughout the 1950s was active at combatting the Darul Islam rebellion in West Java. He studied at the Indonesian Army Command and General Staff College (Seskoad) between 1955 and 1957. In 1958, he was part of the Indonesian military mission to Lebanon under UNOGIL. He continued to serve within Siliwangi until the 1960s, when he studied at the Frunze Military Academy between 1964 and 1966 and then lectured at Seskoad between 1966 and 1970. He was then appointed as chief of staff of

Kodam Iskandar Muda Iskandar Muda Military Region Command ( id, Komando Daerah Militer Iskandar Muda / Kodam Iskandar Muda) is a military territorial command (military district) of the Indonesian Army. It has been in active service as the local division for Aceh P ...

Aceh Aceh ( ), officially the Aceh Province ( ace, Nanggroë Acèh; id, Provinsi Aceh) is the westernmost province of Indonesia. It is located on the northernmost of Sumatra island, with Banda Aceh being its capital and largest city. Granted a s ...

, and then further promoted to become commander of Siliwangi in 1974. On 16 January 1975, Kunaefi was appointed as the governor of West Java. In May 1976, Kunaefi and Governor of Jakarta Ali Sadikin established a committee which coordinated both provinces in the development of the Jakarta Metropolitan Area. In response to the controversy surrounding the then-newly invented '' Jaipongan'' dance, seen by segments of Sundanese society as too erotic, Kunaefi banned the dance from being performed at official events held by his office or at the gubernatorial building. He was sworn in for his second term on 17 May 1980. In 1985, after his gubernatorial tenure, Kunaefi was appointed as Indonesian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Yemen. During his ambassadorship, Kunaefi proposed a reduction in the number of unskilled Indonesian workers being sent to Saudi Arabia. He was also part of the boards of commissioners of

Indocement PT Indocement Tunggal Prakarsa Tbk. ("Indocement") Indocement is one of the largest cement producers in Indonesia. Today, Indocement and its subsidiaries operate several business units that cover manufacturing and cement sales (core business) and ...

and Indofood. He died on 12 November 1999.

References

{{Governors of West Java 1922 births 1999 deaths People from Bandung Indonesian generals Governors of West Java Frunze Military Academy alumni Ambassadors of Indonesia to Saudi Arabia