''Sinar Hindia'' (known as ''Sinar Djawa'' until 1917) was a left-wing

Malay language Malay (; ms, Bahasa Melayu, links=no, Jawi alphabet, Jawi: , Rejang script, Rencong: ) is an Austronesian languages, Austronesian language that is an official language of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore, and that is also spo ...

newspaper from Semarang, Dutch East Indies, which published from 1900 to 1924. In its later years it was the mouthpiece of the left wing of the

Sarekat Islam Sarekat Islam or Syarikat Islam ( 'Islamic Association' or 'Islamic Union'; SI) was an Indonesian socio-political organization founded at the beginning of the 20th Century during the Dutch colonial era. Initially, SI served as a cooperative of ...

and its editors Mas Marco Kartodikromo and

Semaun Semaun (approx. 1899—1971), also spelled Semaoen, was the first chairman of the Communist Party of Indonesia (PKI) and was a leader of the Semarang branch of the Sarekat Islam. Early life Semaun was born in Curahmalang, Jombang, East Jav ...

were instrumental in the rise of the Communist Party of Indonesia. The paper, then known as ''Sinar Djawa'', was founded in 1899 or 1900 by Sie Hian Ling, a

Peranakan Chinese The Peranakans () are an ethnic group defined by their genealogical descent from the first waves of Southern Chinese settlers to maritime Southeast Asia, known as Nanyang (), namely the British Colonial ruled ports in the Malay Peninsula, t ...

businessman who had been editor of various other local papers in Semarang over the previous decade. He, and the owners Hoang Thaif & Co. agreed to sell it to the early Indonesian nationalist organization

in 1913 or 1914. It had a more moderate political line until 1917 when the owners gave editorial control from Mohammad Joesoef to

, the radical protégé of

leader

Tjokroaminoto Raden Mas Hadji Oemar Said Tjokroaminoto (16 August 1882 – 17 December 1934), better known in Indonesia as H.O.S. Tjokroaminoto, was an Indonesian nationalist. He became one of the leaders of the Islamic Trade Union ( id, Syarekat Dagang Islam ...

. The name was changed to ''Sinar Hindia'' (light of the Indies). Although the paper was still tied to the Muslim identity based

, it took an explicitly Marxist turn. It saw society as a struggle between the ''kaoem boeroeh'' (

Malay Malay may refer to: Languages * Malay language or Bahasa Melayu, a major Austronesian language spoken in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore ** History of the Malay language, the Malay language from the 4th to the 14th century ** Indonesi ...

: working class) or ''rajat'' (

: populace) and the capitalist class. Some of Mas Marco's novels were originally serialized in the pages of Sinar Hindia such as ''Semarang Hitam'' and ''Student Hidjo''.Kartodikromo, Mas Marco, Marco Kartodikromo Mas, and Paul Tickell. Three early Indonesian short stories. No. 23. Dept. of Indonesian & Malay, Monash University, 1981. In 1924 the paper was relaunched as ''Api'' (

: fire) and more explicitly tied to the Communist Party of Indonesia.

References

{{Reflist Newspapers in Semarang Communist Party of Indonesia History of Indonesia Newspapers published in the Dutch East Indies 1900 establishments in the Dutch East Indies 1924 disestablishments in the Dutch East Indies