Sutan Sjahrir (5 March 1909 – 9 April 1966) was an Indonesian politician, and revolutionary independence leader, who served as the first
Prime Minister of Indonesia, from 1945 until 1947. Previously, he was a key Indonesian nationalist organizer in the 1930s and 1940s. Unlike some of his colleagues, he did not support the
Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture
** Japanese diaspor ...
during the
Japanese occupation and fought in the resistance against them. He was considered to be an
idealist
In philosophy, the term idealism identifies and describes metaphysical perspectives which assert that reality is indistinguishable and inseparable from perception and understanding; that reality is a mental construct closely connected to id ...
and an intellectual.
Born to a Minangkabau family, he studied at the
University of Amsterdam
The University of Amsterdam (abbreviated as UvA, nl, Universiteit van Amsterdam) is a public research university located in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The UvA is one of two large, publicly funded research universities in the city, the other being ...
, and later became a law student at the
Leiden University. He became involved in Socialist politics, and Indonesia's struggle for independence, becoming a close associate of the older independence activist
Mohammad Hatta
Mohammad Hatta (; 12 August 1902 – 14 March 1980) was an Indonesian statesman and nationalist who served as the country's first vice president. Known as "The Proclamator", he and a number of Indonesians, including the first president of Indone ...
, who would later become the first
Vice President of Indonesia
The vice president of the Republic of Indonesia ( id, Wakil Presiden Republik Indonesia) is second-highest officer in the executive branch of the Indonesian government, after the president, and ranks first in the presidential line of succ ...
. During the
Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture
** Japanese diaspor ...
occupation
Occupation commonly refers to:
*Occupation (human activity), or job, one's role in society, often a regular activity performed for payment
*Occupation (protest), political demonstration by holding public or symbolic spaces
*Military occupation, th ...
of the
Dutch East Indies, Sjahrir fought in the resistance. Towards independence on 17 August 1945, he was involved in the
Rengasdengklok Incident
The Rengasdengklok Incident (Indonesian: Peristiwa Rengasdengklok) was the kidnapping of Sukarno and Hatta done by several youths (''pemuda''), including Sukarni, Wikana, Aidit and Chairul Saleh. This incident occurred on August 16, 1945 in ...
and the
Proclamation of Independence. Following the release of his 1945 pamphlet "Our Struggle" ("Perjuangan Kita"), he was appointed
Prime Minister of Indonesia by President
Sukarno. As Prime Minister, he was one of the few Republican leaders acceptable to the Dutch government, due to his non-cooperative stance during the Japanese occupation. He also played a crucial role in negotiating the
Linggadjati Agreement
The Linggardjati Agreement (''Linggarjati'' in modern Indonesian spelling) was a political accord concluded on 15 November 1946 by the Dutch administration and the unilaterally declared Republic of Indonesia in the village of Linggarjati, Kunin ...
.
Sjahrir founded the
Indonesian Socialist Party
The Socialist Party of Indonesia ( id, Partai Sosialis Indonesia) was a political party in Indonesia from 1948 until 1960, when it was banned by President Sukarno.
Origins
In December 1945 Amir Sjarifoeddin's Socialist Party of Indonesia (Pa ...
(PSI) in 1948 to politically oppose the
Indonesian Communist Party
The Communist Party of Indonesia ( Indonesian: ''Partai Komunis Indonesia'', PKI) was a communist party in Indonesia during the mid-20th century. It was the largest non-ruling communist party in the world before its violent disbandment in 1965 ...
(PKI). Although small, his party was very influential in the early post-independence years. However, Sjahrir's socialist party ultimately failed to win support and was later banned in 1960, after the party was suspected of being involved in 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 refer ...
rebellion. Sjahrir himself would eventually be arrested and imprisoned without trial in 1962. In 1965, he was released to seek medical treatment and was allowed to go to
Zürich
, neighboring_municipalities = Adliswil, Dübendorf, Fällanden, Kilchberg, Maur, Oberengstringen, Opfikon, Regensdorf, Rümlang, Schlieren, Stallikon, Uitikon, Urdorf, Wallisellen, Zollikon
, twintowns = Kunming, San Francisco
Zürich ...
, Switzerland. There, he died on 9 April 1966. On the same day, through Presidential Decree No. 76/1966, Sjahrir was inaugurated as a
National Hero of Indonesia
National Hero of Indonesia ( id, Pahlawan Nasional Indonesia) is the highest-level title awarded in Indonesia. It is posthumously given by the Government of Indonesia for actions which are deemed to be heroic, defined as "actual deeds which can b ...
.
Early life
Youth and family
Sutan Sjahrir was born on 5 March 1909, in
Padang Panjang )
, image_skyline = PDIKM Padangpanjang.jpg
, imagesize = 300px
, image_caption = A traditional Minangkabau '' rumah gadang'' ("big house") in Padang Panjang
, image_flag =
, image_seal =
, ima ...
,
West Sumatra
West Sumatra ( id, Sumatra Barat) is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the west coast of the island of Sumatra and includes the Mentawai Islands off that coast. The province has an area of , with a population of 5,534,472 at the 2020 cen ...
. He came from an ethnic-
Minangkabau Minangkabau may refer to:
* Minangkabau culture, culture of the Minangkabau people
* Minangkabau Culture Documentation and Information Center
* Minangkabau Express, an airport rail link service serving Minangkabau International Airport (''see belo ...
family, from what is today Koto Gadang,
Agam Regency
Agam Regency ( id, Kabupaten Agam) is a regency of West Sumatra, Indonesia. It has an area of 2,264.89 km2 and had a population of 454,853 at the 2010 census and 529,138 at the 2020 census.Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2021. The regency sea ...
. His father, Muhammad Rasyad Maharajo Sutan, served as the ''Hoofd'' or Chief public
prosecutor at the ''Landraad'' 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 mai ...
. While his mother, Siti Rabiah, came from Natal, in what is today
South Tapanuli Regency
South Tapanuli (Tapanuli Selatan in Indonesian Language, abbreviated Tapsel) is a regency in North Sumatra, Indonesia. Its seat is the town of Sipirok. This regency was originally very large and contained thousands of towns and villages, includin ...
.
Sjahrir's father had six different wives, with Sjahrir's mother being the fifth wife his father married. From his father's marriages, Sjahrir had 6 siblings. Two biological brothers, and four half-siblings. His two biological brothers were Soetan Sjahsam, who become an experienced businessman, and Soetan Noeralamsjah, who would become prosecutor and politician from the
Great Indonesia Party
The Great Indonesia Party ( id, Partai Indonesia Raya, Parindra) was the name used by two Indonesian political parties.
Pre-war party
The first Parindra was established in December 1935 as a result of a merger between the Budi Utomo political s ...
(Parindra). He was also the half-brother of
Rohana Kudus
Ruhana Kuddus, or Rohana KudusAlthough it's incorrect in Indonesian Spelling System, Perfect Spelling, this version is more popular name. (Van Ophuijsen Spelling System, Old Spelling: Roehana Koeddoes; December 20, 1884 – August 17, 1972) w ...
, an advocate for women's education and a journalist with the first feminist newspaper of
Sumatra.
Early education
![COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Groepsportret met leerlingen van de openbare Muloschool TMnr 60016264](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/97/COLLECTIE_TROPENMUSEUM_Groepsportret_met_leerlingen_van_de_openbare_Muloschool_TMnr_60016264.jpg)
Although from Padang Pandjang, Sjahrir's family lived 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 mai ...
, but he was often brought by his father to his grandmother's house in Koto Gadang, which has now become abandoned. Sjahrir attended the
Europeesche Lagere School (ELS), before continuing to the
Meer Uitgebreid Lager Onderwijs
Meer Uitgebreid Lager Onderwijs ( Dutch, "more advanced primary education") was during part of the twentieth century a level of education in the Netherlands (and the Dutch East Indies), comparable with the junior high school level in the US educati ...
(MULO), in Medan. During his time at MULO, he was first introduced to works by authors such as
Karl May
Karl Friedrich May ( , ; 25 February 1842 – 30 March 1912) was a German author. He is best known for his 19th century novels of fictitious travels and adventures, set in the American Old West with Winnetou and Old Shatterhand as main pro ...
. In 1926, he continued his education at the
Algemene Middelbare School
Algemene Middelbare School or AMS (Dutch, "General Secondary School") was during part of the twentieth century a level of education in the Netherlands (and the Dutch East Indies), comparable with the high school level in the US education system. ...
(AMS), in
Bandung,
West Java
West Java ( id, Jawa Barat, su, ᮏᮝ ᮊᮥᮜᮧᮔ᮪, romanized ''Jawa Kulon'') is a province of Indonesia on the western part of the island of Java, with its provincial capital in Bandung. West Java is bordered by the province of Banten ...
.
There, he joined the Indonesian Student Theater Association (Batovis) as a director, writer and actor. His earnings from there were used to fund the 'People's University' (Cahaya), which was a university co-founded by Sjahrir, to battle illiteracy and raise funds for the performance of patriotic plays in the
Priangan
Parahyangan ( su, ᮕᮛᮠᮡᮀᮠᮔ᮪; Bantenese: Priangan; Dutch: Preanger) is a cultural and mountainous region in West Java province on the Indonesian island of Java. Covering a little less than one sixth of Java, it is the heartla ...
countryside. Sjahrir completed his studies at the AMS in 1929, and continued his educatiton to the
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
, after receiving a scholarship.
Independence Struggle
Nationalist Student activist in the Netherlands
Sjahrir arrived in the
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
in 1929, enrolling first at the
University of Amsterdam
The University of Amsterdam (abbreviated as UvA, nl, Universiteit van Amsterdam) is a public research university located in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The UvA is one of two large, publicly funded research universities in the city, the other being ...
and later becoming a law student at
Leiden University where he gained an appreciation for socialist principles. He was a part of several labor unions as he worked to support himself. He was briefly the secretary of the
Perhimpoenan Indonesia (''Indonesian Association''), an organization of Indonesian students in the Netherlands. Sjahrir was also one of the co-founders of ''Jong Indonesie'', an Indonesian youth association in lieu of the need of an association to assist in the development of Indonesian youth for further generations, only to change within a few years to ''Pemuda Indonesia''. This, in particular, played an important role in the Youth Congress (''Sumpah Pemuda''), in which the association helped the congress itself to run. During his political activities as a student in the Netherlands he became a close associate of the older independence activist
Mohammad Hatta
Mohammad Hatta (; 12 August 1902 – 14 March 1980) was an Indonesian statesman and nationalist who served as the country's first vice president. Known as "The Proclamator", he and a number of Indonesians, including the first president of Indone ...
, future vice-president of Indonesia. While he spent years in exile in the Banda Islands, he taught the local children to love their country and inspired them in many ways.
The
Perhimpoenan Indonesia came under increasing communist influence, and Hatta and Sjahrir were both expelled in 1931. In a reaction to the intrigue by communist cells in the PI against Hatta and himself Sjahrir stayed calm and in character. In his memoirs their Dutch associate Sol Tas recalls: "''He was not intimidated for one minute by official or quasi-official declarations, by communiques or other formulae, not afraid for one second of the maneuvers directed against him, and still less concerned for his reputation. That mixture of self-confidence and realism, that courage based on the absence of any ambition or vanity, marked the man.''"
Nationalist leader in the Dutch East Indies
Sjahrir had not finished his law degree, when Hatta sent Sjahrir ahead of him to the Dutch East Indies in 1931, to help set up the
Indonesian National Party
The Indonesian National Party ( id, Partai Nasional Indonesia, PNI) was the name used by several nationalist political parties in Indonesia from 1927 until the 2000s. The first PNI was established by future President Sukarno. After independence, th ...
(PNI). Sjahrir was heavily involved in the ''Daulat Rajat'', the newspaper of the new PNI. Within a relatively short time he developed from a representative of Hatta into a political and intellectual leader with his own standing. Both leaders were imprisoned in the
Cipinang Penitentiary Institution
Cipinang Penitentiary Institution ( id, Lembaga Pemasyarakatan Cipinang) is a top-security prison in Jakarta, Indonesia. It is exactly located in Cipinang Muara, Jatinegara, East Jakarta.
History
The prison was built by the Dutch colonial adminis ...
by the Dutch in March 1934 and convicted for nationalist activities in November 1934, exiled to
Boven-Digoel where they arrived March 1935, then to
Banda a year later, and just before the Indies fell to the Japanese in 1941, to
Sukabumi.
Resistance leader during the Japanese occupation
During 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 Ma ...
he had little public role, apparently sick with
tuberculosis
Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, i ...
, while he was actually one of the few independence leaders that was involved in the resistance movement against the Japanese occupation. Sukarno, Hatta and Sjahrir had in fact agreed that Sjahrir would go underground to organise the revolutionary resistance while the other 2 would continue their cooperation with the Japanese occupier.
Prime minister
![SoetanSjahrir OnzeStrijd Bookcover](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4b/SoetanSjahrir_OnzeStrijd_Bookcover.jpg)
At the height of chaos and violence during the early
Bersiap
''Bersiap'' is the name given by the Dutch to a violent and chaotic phase of the Indonesian National Revolution following the end of World War II. The Indonesian word ''bersiap'' means 'get ready' or 'be prepared'. The ''Bersiap'' period last ...
period of the Indonesian revolution Sjahrir published an epoch-making pamphlet named '
Our Struggle
"Our Struggle" was a pamphlet written late October 1945 by Indonesian independence leader Soetan Sjahrir. It was pivotal in redirecting the Indonesian national revolution.
In his pamphlet Sjahrir addressed all crucial spearheads of the still ong ...
'. Originally published in Dutch as 'Indonesische Overpeinzingen' ('Indonesian Musings'), it was soon thereafter translated into the Indonesian language as 'Perdjoeangan Kita' in 1945, and was then translated into the English language by Charles Wolf Jr. and named 'Out of Exile' published by John Day, New York, 1949. The English version contains a considerable amount of additional text. ''"Perhaps the high point of his career was the publication of his pamphlet 'Our Struggle'. Whoever reads that pamphlet today can scarcely comprehend what it demanded in insight and courage. For it appeared at a moment when the Indonesian masses, brought to the boiling point by the Japanese occupation and civil war, sought release in racist and other hysterical outbursts. Sjahrir's pamphlet went directly against this, and many must have felt his call for chivalry, for the understanding of other ethnic groups, as a personal attack."'' Sol Tas.
After writing his pamphlet he was appointed Prime Minister by President
Sukarno in November 1945 and served until June 1947. Professor Wertheim describes Sjahrir's early accomplishments as Prime minister as follows: ''"...Sjahrir knows what he wants and will not be distracted by popular sentiment or circumstantiality. He is able to overturn a ministry fabricated by the Japanese and establish a new ministry of honest, fairly capable, fairly democratic and social minded men under his leadership. No small feat in revolutionary circumstances..."''
Due to his non-cooperative stance during the Japanese occupation he was one of the few Republican leaders acceptable to the Dutch government during the early independence negotiations. In 1946 Sjahrir played a crucial role in negotiating the
Linggadjati Agreement
The Linggardjati Agreement (''Linggarjati'' in modern Indonesian spelling) was a political accord concluded on 15 November 1946 by the Dutch administration and the unilaterally declared Republic of Indonesia in the village of Linggarjati, Kunin ...
. Because his thoughts were ahead of his time he was often misunderstood and started to acquire internal political adversaries.
''If we determine the value of Indonesia's freedom by its genuinely democratic quality, then in our political struggle vis-a-vis the outside world, it is for this inner content that we must strive. "The State of the Republic of Indonesia" is only a name we give to whatever content we intend and hope to provide.'' In 'Perdjoeangan Kita' (Our Struggle), October 1945, Sjahrir.
Political leader
![Sjahrir speaking at 1955 PSI election rally in Bali](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3f/Sjahrir_speaking_at_1955_PSI_election_rally_in_Bali.jpg)
Although Sjahrir was one of the most significant Indonesian politicians of his time, he did not engage in politics through a sense of vocation nor out of interest, but rather through a sense of duty to his country and compatriots and commitment to his democratic ideals. Described as an
omnivorous
An omnivore () is an animal that has the ability to eat and survive on both plant and animal matter. Obtaining energy and nutrients from plant and animal matter, omnivores digest carbohydrates, protein, fat, and fiber, and metabolize the nut ...
intellectual Sjahrir had education at the heart of his passion. When he was appointed Prime Minister in 1945, he was the youngest prime minister in the world only being 36 years old.
''"I really find teaching the greatest work there is, for helping young people to shape themselves is one of the noblest tasks of society."'' Sutan Sjahrir.
Sjahrir founded the
Indonesian Socialist Party
The Socialist Party of Indonesia ( id, Partai Sosialis Indonesia) was a political party in Indonesia from 1948 until 1960, when it was banned by President Sukarno.
Origins
In December 1945 Amir Sjarifoeddin's Socialist Party of Indonesia (Pa ...
(PSI) in 1948 to politically oppose the
Indonesian Communist Party
The Communist Party of Indonesia ( Indonesian: ''Partai Komunis Indonesia'', PKI) was a communist party in Indonesia during the mid-20th century. It was the largest non-ruling communist party in the world before its violent disbandment in 1965 ...
(PKI). Sutan's socialist party ultimately failed to win support and was later banned in 1960. Already in the mid 1930s Sjahrir warned for the tendency of socialists to be dragged into the notions of the extreme
political left
Left-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy. Left-wing politics typically involve a concern for those in soci ...
. Sjahrir described his fear of the trend of socialists to adopt ideas of communist
absolutism as follows: ''"Those socialist activists, with all good intentions, suddenly and unnoticed become 'absolute' thinkers, 'absolutely' discarding freedom, 'absolutely' spitting on humanity and the rights of the individual.
..hey envision the terminus of human development as one huge military complex of extreme order and discipline
..''
Although small, his party was very influential in the early post-independence years, because of the expertise and high education levels of its leaders. But the party performed poorly in the 1955 elections, partly due to the fact that the grassroots constituency at the time was unable to fully understand the concepts of social democracy Sjahrir was trying to convey. It was banned by President
Sukarno in August 1960 because of its support for a
rebellion in Sumatra and his opposition to the president's policies.
Final years
In 1962 Sjahrir was jailed on alleged conspiracy charges for which he was never put on trial. Instead of fighting back and creating more conflicts, he chose to step back from politics and accept the consequences. During his imprisonment he suffered from high blood pressure and in 1965 had a stroke, losing his speech. He was sent to
Zürich
, neighboring_municipalities = Adliswil, Dübendorf, Fällanden, Kilchberg, Maur, Oberengstringen, Opfikon, Regensdorf, Rümlang, Schlieren, Stallikon, Uitikon, Urdorf, Wallisellen, Zollikon
, twintowns = Kunming, San Francisco
Zürich ...
, Switzerland for treatment and died there in exile in 1966.
Legacy
![COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Wajangpop voorstellende Sutan Syahrir de eerste Indonesische premier van Indonesië TMnr 4551-2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b0/COLLECTIE_TROPENMUSEUM_Wajangpop_voorstellende_Sutan_Syahrir_de_eerste_Indonesische_premier_van_Indonesi%C3%AB_TMnr_4551-2.jpg)
Although a revolutionary opponent of Dutch colonialism his intellectual prowess was recognised by his adversaries and he remained highly respected in the Netherlands. After his death in 1966 the former Dutch Prime-Minister Professor Schermerhorn commemorated Sjahrir in a public broadcast on national radio, calling him a ''"noble political warrior"'' with ''"high ideals"'' and expressing the hope that he will be recognised as such by next generations in Indonesia.
In the 21st century Sjahrir's legacy in Indonesia is being publicly rehabilitated.
In 2009 Indonesian Foreign Minister
Hassan Wirajuda
Noer Hassan Wirajuda (born July 9, 1948 in Tangerang, West Java, Indonesia) is an Indonesian politician who was the foreign minister of Indonesia from 2001 to 2009. He served during the presidencies of Megawati Sukarnoputri and Susilo Bambang Yu ...
said: ''"He was a thinker, a founding father, a humanistic leader and a statesman. He should be a model for the young generation of Indonesians. His thoughts, his ideas and his spirit are still relevant today as we face global challenges in democracy and the economy."''
[Quoted in a news article by Multa Fidrus in ''The Jakarta Post'', 3 November 2009.]
See also
*
List of prime ministers of Indonesia
*
Sjahrir I Cabinet
The first Sjahrir Cabinet ( id, Kabinet Sjahrir Pertama) was the second Indonesian cabinet, named after the Prime Minister. It served from November 1945 to February 1946.
Background
The first Sjahrir cabinet was established following the 11 No ...
*
Sjahrir II Cabinet
The second Sjahrir Cabinet ( id, Kabinet Sjahrir Kedua) was the third Indonesian cabinet and the second formed by Sutan Sjahrir. It served from March to June 1946.
Background
The first Sjahrir cabinet had been forced to resign by Tan Malaka a ...
*
Sjahrir III Cabinet
The third Sjahrir Cabinet ( id, Kabinet Sjahrir Ketiga) was the fourth Indonesian cabinet. It served from October 1946 to June 1947, when it fell due to disagreements related to implementation of the Linggadjati Agreement and subsequent negotiat ...
Notes
References
Citations
Bibliography
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External links
Our struggle (by) Sutan Sjahrir. Translated with an introduction by Benedict ArnoldSjahrir biography Sjahrir biography, History website Photo gallery of Sutan Sjahrir
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sjahrir, Sutan
1909 births
1966 deaths
People from Padang Panjang
People from West Sumatra
Indonesian Muslims
Minangkabau people
Leiden University alumni
National Heroes of Indonesia
Prime Ministers of Indonesia
Socialist Party of Indonesia politicians
People of the Indonesian National Revolution
Interior ministers of Indonesia
Foreign ministers of Indonesia
Indonesian independence activists
Boven-Digoel concentration camp detainees