History of Sam Ratulangie: released from exile (March1948)

Penulis : Lani Ratulangi

Since apparently my internet connection, my sole connection to the cyber world, is very often, yes more than often, off, I decided to pay more attention to my blogs. Meaning that I should give a bit more content to it by using the  time after “sa’ur” that I join with my husband, and try to use the enjoyment of receiving the gift of local electricity supplied by the local PLN more effectively.

Looking back at the pictures  that I collected from many, many sources it is actually a great wonder that  Indonesia, UEBERHAUPT,  could become free and a “nation state” at all. The “symphony” played by many “human” instruments all over the archipelago with many, so many leaders, yes not only one or two persons, Soekarno and Hatta, but many others too striving for one aim: freedom was indeed a beautiful and successful masterpiece, equal or even more beautiful than Beethoven’s Ninth.

I have spend may years of collecting information on his life. This being said the I collected , and still am collecting as much as possible written and printed material about him. And so now I can say that I am in a stage of about having an overview of his steps as a sequence in the history contributing a bit to the “Entstehung” of the Republic of Indonesia.

One of the thousands, yes maybe millions of Indonesians who were fully absorbed by the idea of freedom for all as a basic human right, in this case for Indonesia was my late father:  SAM RATULANGIE.

After the Declaration of Independence of Indonesia, my father was appointed as the Governor of Sulawesi by Preident Soekarno.  What I am after, and may be might never be able to obtain is an impression of the mental process he enlivened in his efforts to reach his aim.

Let me now start, although it is in the middle, yes late middle of his life, an episode which I may call “Freed  from exile”. A period that took two years of his life, which he, however , as always, turned out to be very productive and enriching inwardly started at .. March 1946 in which a knock at our door, an invasion by NICA personnel  and an trip to the jail at the Karebosi square in Makassar.

This act by Van Mook caused fury all over Indonesia, not in the least in Jakarta and Yogyakarta. There were  demonstrations by the “pemuda’s” (meaning “young people”). And when the journalists asked van Mook WHY Ratulangie was exiled , he answered: “Because it is better for him to be exiled”.

Protest at Yogyakarta

Sketch of the arrival by Catalina in Serui after a nonstop 10 hour flight from Makassar .

I also want to skip in this post what I have found d about the preceding episode at Makassar (August 1945- March 1946)as well as the Serui period (1946 – 1948).

The Linggajati and the Renville conference.

There are politically conflicting opinions about these conferences of which I do not know any details of, except that the result was that the NICA regime had to free  all political prisoners they had all over Indonesia..Anyway the Serui  exiles were freed and as soon as possible send straight to “Republican Area”that was at that time an area on Central and East Java about and around Yogyakarta.

This concerned also the exiles in Serui and were thus transported by plane via Biak to Surabaya and from Surabaya to the border of the NICA occupied zone to the Republic of (free) Indonesia zone. As being reported under severe conditions as not to speak to any person outside the group.

This group of ex-exiled  persons consisted of seven persons were experiencing a sense of great transformation to at last be in a FREE area, free from oppressors and colonialists when they passed the “demarcation line” . It was coincidence that as they passed through the city of Madiun (some 50 km from Yogyakarta) the group were just in time to attend the second anniversary of the KRIS (Kebaktian Rakyat Indonesia Sulawesi) that was being held at that city..

At the MADIUN railway station

More pictures of the stop over at Madiun to attend the KRIS anniversary:

KRIS appreciation for the freedom fighters and flowers for the old man.

Cover of the book by Wim Pondaag

The group was being hailed as superstars or winners like a football team now returning with a trophee. After the stopover at Madiun there was a welcome at the Yogyakarta railway station. And I could see at my father’s face on the pictures that he must have been extremely tired physically.

The Manadonese named him “Si Tu’a” meaning: The Grand Old Man

From the book of which the (slightly battered) cover is shown above I have scanned some pages that describes in more detail the process of being freed from a two year involuntary expulsion from the revolution to freedom that was in full swing at the time.

Upon arrival at the Yogja railway station his old friend.Alex Maramis and A.K. Pringgodigdo (State secretary) were waiting.

The program for the group of seven was packed with activities, starting with an audience to Bung Karno and Bung Hatta and visits to the frontline.

Discussing a serious matter

….or sharing a good joke….

and sharing a picture with Ibu Fat, Bung Hatta and the youngest team member IP Lumban Tobing 28 years old

Sam Ratulangie made no delay to visit the fighters at the eastern Java front, accompanied by Setiabudi, Wim Pondaag and Tobing and some aquaintances from Malang, to let himself be pictured “in action”.

Acting as frontier fighters.

The flowers were not forgotten as an appreciation of our people

Holding in his left hand the fresh flower bouquet whilst his right hand clutched the “attache case” (that was in fact my younger sisters doll clothes suitcase, but then holding important documents made up during his exile) he strolled along with the reception committee.

There was also an invitation by Alex Maramis who was Minister of Finance to attend a Financial Conference held in Kaliurang a vacation resort built by and for Dutch colonialists in previous years.

On the way to Kaliurang by invitation of the first Finance Minister A.A. Maramis of the Rep. of Indonesia

Some pictures made at this Conference in Kaliurang:

At the intermission of the conference, ENJOYING COFFEE, left Mr. A.A. Maramis thee first Minister of Finance of the RI

Even Setiabudhi (Douwes Dekker, Sam’s good friend) was at this conference

The area of the Republic of Indonesia was at that time limited to the above mentioned region resulting from the “First Clash” with the Dutch under Gen. Spoor. But even this (actually desperate) situation did not falter the spirit of Independence for our country and the confidence in the future !

It seemed apparent to me that at the time of exile, whilst van Mook was busy tryng to disintegrate our country and making benefit of the diversity part of our  “UNITY and DIVERSITY” character of our nation., the exiled group very often met to discuss the development through the radio, very often through Radio Australia. Of course forbidden by the Dutch. They also thought about their agenda WHEN and IF they might be released.

Sketch showing the 7 exiled persons plus Silas Papare and if you click the picture you may read the thoughts of Merry Papare, who was Silas’ eldest daughter written in 1996.

They were following each step and each phase that was at  that time made, for instance the establishment of the Negara Indonesia Timur (NIT) and all the other “states” in Kalimantan and Sumatra that van Mook grouped in a “Federation”. In front of the guns of the Dutch military many Indonesians joined in this political maneuvre of van Mook. Some previous friends, and even a few relatives of Sam Ratulangie had to join in this RECOLONIALIZATION effort, whilst the Republic of Indonesia, again in front of the guns of the Dutch under General Spoor had to shrink its territory to a  relatively small area in central and east Java. The head of state was moved to Yogyakarta and President Soekarno was offered to stay at the Palace of Hamengku Buwono IX at the centre of Yogyakarta. This guesture was symbolic for the mindset of the Sultan of Yogya and highly appreciated by all of our people.

A very well written declaration by SAM RATULANGIE pretaining to that situation and condition I found in the book(1966) “DR. G.S.S.J.  Ratu Langie” by Wim Pondaag (another ex-exile).

” ….. that the struggle, which is now being fought out by the Republic of Indonesia does not only involve the material, mental, moral and political essentials of that part of the Indonesian people limited in the Republic of Indonesia, but also the national freedom and national dignity of the whole Indonesian people and the recognition o the fundamental rights of that people to live as a free and independent nation, on the soil and on that part of the world, which the Almighty God bestowed on them”   Djokjakarta, Dr. G.S.S.J. Ratu Langie (1948)

The words: : “but also the national freedom and national dignity of the whole Indonesian people”  were referring to the Indonesian people who at  that time were living on a part of Indonesia that was occupied by the  NICA (Netherlands Indies Civil Administration) dibawah van Mook. In these areas NICA established “states” such as the NIT (Negara Indonesia Timur) and also in Kalimantan and Sumatera and even in West Java (Negara Pasundan). These “states were hastily constructed with the aim of  “building a federation of Indonesian states”

Preparation of the “Manifes Ratulangie”

Or in Indonesian language:.

Kata2 : “but also the national freedom and national dignity of the whole Indonesian people”  berkaitan dengan Bangsa Indonesia yang saat itu mendiami daerah yang diduduki NICA (Netherlands Indies Civil Administration) dibawah van Mook. Di daerah2 ini oleh NICA dibentuk negara2 seperti NIT (Negara Indonesia Timur) juga di Kalimantan dan Sumatera dan bahkan juga misalnya di Jawa Barat (Negara Pasundan), yang dibentuk dengan dalih “Ingin mendirikan satu federasi negara2 Indonesia”.

In fact the situation for the Republic of Indonesia was precarious; pressed under threat of weapons of the Dutch (who just escaped from the second world war against the NAZI’s and using the weapons that they obtained from the Allied Forces) to exist in a relatively small are in Central and East Java. It was at this episode of development in our national history (very often forgotten now) that our group of seven ex-exiled arrived in Yogya.

The above mentioned basic consideration was later manifested in the so called “Manifes Ratu Langie” on 10 November 1948.

In my opinion the “Manifes Ratu Langie” called for an open and friendly position of the Republic of Indonesia towards the states that were created by van Mook. This was actually inevitabe because many of the personalities that were positioned as dignitaries were previous friends, and even also family members of Sam Ratu Langie. This resulted in a visitof the DPR members of the NIT to Yogyakarta under their chairman Arnold Mononutu. Planned was a visit of a visit of the KNIP members to Makassar. Unfortunately when the visitors were to depart to Makasar from the Jakarta Kemayoran Airport while already sitting in the plane, the flight was cancelled due to the “Operation Kraai” that was staged by the Dutch under the command of General Spoor.