Bung Karno's testament<\/p>\n
From Merdeka\"<\/p>\n
Indonesia's first president Bung Karno's family have made
\nstatements, which I have read in various newspapers, that
\nSoekarno wrote a testament describing the place he wanted to be
\nburied.<\/p>\n
The site was peaceful and comfortable, surrounded by trees and
\na river, filled with pristine water, flowed nearby, according to
\nthe testament. The gravestone would carry the following
\ninscription: \"Here rests in peace Bung Karno, the spokesman of
\nthe Indonesian people.\"<\/p>\n
I myself did hear this testament mentioned during one of Bung
\nKarno's addresses, aired through the Radio of the Republic of
\nIndonesia (RRI), in a repeat broadcast (the address being
\nbroadcast live during the day) some time in 1965 or 1966 when I
\nstill lived in Kebayoran Baru, Jakarta.<\/p>\n
According to Bung Karno's family, his testament refers, in
\nfact, to \"Ing Puri Bima Sakti\", located on Jl. Batu Tulis, Bogor.
\nThe environment is peaceful and comfortable with leafy trees and
\nthe pristine Cisadane river flowing nearby. This is indeed what
\nBung Karno meant in his testament.<\/p>\n
Let me quote the opinion of Kh. Fadholi el Manik, chairman of
\nthe Indonesian Moslems Assembly -- a mass organization affiliated
\nwith the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI). In the June 28 issue
\nof Terbit\" (if I am not mistaken), Fadholi said: \"According to
\nIslam, every testament, oral or written, must be fulfilled. And
\nif the testament is not fulfilled, those carrying the testament
\nwill have committed a sin and will be doomed to disaster. While
\nthose preventing the fulfillment of this testament must be made
\nto understand the reasons behind the need to fulfill the
\ntestament.\"<\/p>\n
(Bung Karno is buried in the town of Blitar, East Java,
\ndespite his wish to be buried in Bogor).<\/p>\n
Let me now write a brief account of Bung Karno's struggle for
\nindependence during the Dutch colonial years.<\/p>\n
From the time he graduated as an engineer from THS (now the
\nBandung Institute of Technology, ITB) in 1926, Bung Karno devoted
\nhimself to the political struggle to liberate Indonesia from the
\nDutch colonial yolk.<\/p>\n
He set up the Bandung \"Generasi Study Club\" in 1926 and served
\nas club secretary. Then in 1927 he established a new organization
\nbased on the concept of nationalism under the name of the
\nIndonesian Nationalist Association. This later became the
\nIndonesian Nationalist Party (PNI) and Bung Karno himself became
\nchairman. This party was based on the principle of non-
\ncooperation with Dutch colonial rule.<\/p>\n
Bung Karno (Soekarno) was intellectual, handsome, brave,
\npossessed charm and charisma and excelled as an orator. In a
\nshort time he had established support for PNI and successfully
\nfostered cooperation with a number of moderate leaders.<\/p>\n
He became known to the Priangan community as \"the wounded bull
\nof Priangan\" or \"the hero of Priangan\", titles bestowed on him by
\nthose involved in the movement for Indonesia's independence.<\/p>\n
In late 1929, a young Soekarno was arrested along with his
\ncolleagues. He was brought to the court and was sentenced to four
\nyears in prison. He was incarcerated in Sukamiskin jail. In late
\n1931 he was set free.<\/p>\n
However, in 1933, he was again arrested and then exiled to
\nEnde, in Flores, before being transferred to Bengkulu. Following
\nthe banishment of Soekarno, all other party leaders suffered
\nrepressive action and the new PNI chairman, Syahrir, was also
\nexiled.<\/p>\n
Then in early 1942 the Pacific War began and in March of that
\nyear the Japanese troops occupied Indonesia. Bung Karno, Bung
\nSyahrir and others were set free by the Japanese troops and
\nreturned to Jakarta.<\/p>\n
(On Aug. 17, 1945, two days after the Japanese surrendered to
\nthe Allied forces, Soekarno was named president of the newly
\nproclaimed Republic of Indonesia).<\/p>\n
E. KARTAAMIDJAJA<\/p>\n
Bogor, West Java<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/bung-karnos-testament-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }