Colonel Ahmad Husein (1 April 1925 – 28 November 1998) was an Indonesian independence fighter and military leader of the PRRI. Forming the Revolutionary Government of the Republic of Indonesia (PRRI) 15, 1958, in Padang under the leadership of Syafruddin Prawiranegara.

Early life

Ahmad Husein was born in

Padang Padang () is the capital and largest city of the Indonesian province of West Sumatra. With a Census population of 1,015,000 as of 2022, it is the 16th most populous city in Indonesia and the most populous city on the west coast of Sumatra. Th ...

on April 1, 1925 to Abdoel Kahar, a pharmacy owner, at the Padang military hospital. Ahmad has eleven siblings (7 boys, 4 girls). He attended

Hollandsch-Inlandsche School Hollandsch-Inlandsche School (HIS) (Dutch school for natives) was a school during the Dutch colonial era in Indonesia. The school, was first established in 1914, following with the enactment of the Dutch Ethical Policy The Dutch Ethical Polic ...

Padang and graduated in 1938. After that he studied at

Taman Siswa ''Taman Siswa'' ( en, Garden of Pupils) was a Javanese educational movement and school system State schools (in England, Wales, Australia and New Zealand) or public schools (Scottish English and North American English) are generally pri ...

Bukittinggi Bukittinggi ( min, Bukiktinggi, Jawi: , formerly nl, Fort de Kock) is the third largest city in West Sumatra, Indonesia, with a population of 111,312 in 2010 and 121,028 in 2020, and an area of 25.24 km2. It is in the Minangkabau Highlands ...

and graduated in 1941. In 1943, following the

Japanese occupation of Indonesia The Empire of Japan occupied the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) during World War II from March 1942 until after the end of the war in September 1945. It was one of the most crucial and important periods in modern Indonesian history. In May ...

, Ahmad Husein enrolled in Giyugun, a native volunteer force. Prior to

Japan's surrender The surrender of the Empire of Japan in World War II was announced by Emperor Hirohito on 15 August and formally signed on 2 September 1945, bringing the war's hostilities to a close. By the end of July 1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy ...

in the

Pacific War The Pacific War, sometimes called the Asia–Pacific War, was the theater of World War II that was fought in Asia, the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and Oceania. It was geographically the largest theater of the war, including the vast ...

, Ahmad became a member of the

People's Security Agency The People's Security Agency ( id, Badan Keamanan Rakyat), or commonly abbreviated as BKR, was an Indonesian government agency established to undertake the task of maintaining security together with the people and the state offices. The BKR was fo ...

(BKR) in Padang, actively recruiting people into the BKR. Ahmad became the combat commander of the Padang Area, which became known as the Kuranji Tiger. During the

Indonesian war of independence 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 postwar and postcoloni ...

his unit was reorganized into the Banteng Division, where he faced Dutch forces during the

first First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...

and second Dutch police action. He met

Sukarno Sukarno). (; born Koesno Sosrodihardjo, ; 6 June 1901 – 21 June 1970) was an Indonesian statesman, orator, revolutionary, and nationalist who was the first president of Indonesia, serving from 1945 to 1967. Sukarno was the leader of ...

during a visit to Bukittinggi, where he was disappointed in the Java focused development of the central government.

Banteng Council

The Banteng Council was created by Colonel Ismail Lengah on 20 December 1956, Headquartered in

Medan Medan (; English: ) is the capital and largest city of the Indonesian province of North Sumatra, as well as a regional hub and financial centre of Sumatra. According to the National Development Planning Agency, Medan is one of the four main ...

. Ahmad Husein was Commander of 4th regiment of the Bukit Barisan Territorial Command when he became commander of the Banteng Council and governor of

Central Sumatra Central Sumatra ( id, Sumatra Tengah) was a province in Provinces of Indonesia, Indonesia whose territories included present day West Sumatra, Riau, Jambi, and the Riau Islands. Since 1957 this province has not been registered as an Indonesian pro ...

Commander of the PRRI

On 9 January, 1958, after a meeting in Dharmasraya Regency, Ahmad Husein's Banteng Council, Maludin Simbolon's Elephant Council, Barlian's Garuda Council and

Ventje Sumual Herman Nicolas Ventje Sumual (11 June 1923 – 28 March 2010) was a military officer involved in the Indonesian National Revolution The Indonesian National Revolution, or the Indonesian War of Independence, was an armed conflict and ...

's Manguni Council banded together to form the

Revolutionary Government of the Republic of Indonesia The Revolutionary Government of the Republic of Indonesia ( id, Pemerintah Revolusioner Republik Indonesia (PRRI)) was a revolutionary government set up in Sumatra to oppose the central government of Indonesia in 1958. Although frequently referr ...

(PRRI), a rival government to the Java based Central government of president Sukarno and prime minister

Djuanda Kartawidjaja Raden Djuanda Kartawidjaja ( EYD: Raden Juanda Kartawijaya; 14 January 1911 – 7 November 1963), commonly known as Djuanda Kartawidjaja, usually referred to simply as Djuanda, was an Indonesian politician and ethnic Sundanese noble from the cour ...

, where Ahmad Husein was chosen as commander. He led the PRRI in an alliance with D.J. Somba's

Permesta Permesta was a rebel movement in Indonesia, its name based on the Universal Struggle Charter (or ''Piagam Perjuangan Semesta'') that was declared on 2 March 1957 by civil and military leaders in East Indonesia. Initially the center of the movem ...

until it's downfall in 1961, when he was captured by government forces, and incarcerated until the fall of Sukarno in 1965.

Death

Ahmad Husein died in

Jakarta Jakarta (; , bew, Jakarte), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta ( id, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta) is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Lying on the northwest coast of Java, the world's most populous island, Jakarta ...

on 28 November 1998, and buried in his hometown of Padang, at the Kuranji Heroes Cemetery.

References

{{reflist 1925 births 1998 deaths Indonesian military personnel People from Padang