'Cak' Roes: Bandung Conference mastermind<\/p>\n
Adianto P. Simamora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
On Friday and Saturday, Indonesia and South Africa will
\njointly host a gigantic summit of Asian and African leaders in
\nJakarta.<\/p>\n
For Indonesia, it will not be the first time for such a
\ngathering. Exactly, 50 years ago, Indonesia hosted the first-ever
\nAsia-Africa Conference (AAC) in Bandung in which 29 leaders from
\nthe two continents participated.<\/p>\n
Luckily, the man who played a key role in the success of the
\n1955 Bandung Conference is still alive to recount what happened
\nat that time. He is none other than 91-year-old Roeslan
\nAbdulgani.<\/p>\n
Roeslan, who is popularly known as Cak (brother) Roes, was no
\nordinary delegate, but secretary-general of the organizing
\ncommittee of the 1955 AAC. Thanks to his official position as
\nthen secretary-general at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he
\nbecame the chief organizer.<\/p>\n
\"It was (president) Sukarno's idea to host the Asia-Africa
\nConference to promote cooperation and solidarity between the
\npeoples,\" said Roeslan, who would became Indonesia's foreign
\nminister from 1956 to 1967.<\/p>\n
In an effort to reinvigorate the Bandung Spirit, Indonesia's
\nformer chief diplomat Roeslan was often invited as a speaker to
\nshare his experiences when the country hosted the AAC in Bandung
\nin 1955.<\/p>\n
Roeslan, a trusted aide of Sukarno -- the first president and
\ninspiration behind the conference -- has never grown tired of
\nrecounting Indonesia's first leader and his ideals. He always
\nquotes from the Sukarno's famous speech on anticolonialism:<\/p>\n
When the Liong-Sai Dragon of China works together with the
\nNandi (cow) of India, with the Sphinx of Egypt and the peacock of
\nBurma, with the white elephant of Siam, with the hydra of
\nVietnam, with the tiger of the Philippines and the Banteng (wild
\nox of Java) of Indonesia, then it is certain that international
\ncolonialism will be smashed to bits.<\/p>\n
The Bandung Conference, attended by 29 leaders of Asian and
\nAfrican countries, was credited with providing the impetus for
\nthe Non-Alignment Movement and for many southern hemisphere
\ncountries to cast off the shackles of colonialism and fight for
\ntheir independence.<\/p>\n
Cak Roes was born on Nov. 24, 1914 in Surabaya. His father,
\nDoelgani, was a trader and his mother, Siti Murad, was a
\nreligious teacher. Roeslan first entered the political world at
\nthe age of 17.<\/p>\n
He joined the Indonesia Moeda youth movement in 1930. The
\nmovement was an amalgamation of youth organizations, such as Jong
\nJava, Jong Sumatra, Jong Ambon. \"Jong\" is the Dutch word for
\n\"youth\".<\/p>\n
He was then elected as chairman of the Indonesia Moeda
\nProvincial Board in East Java in 1934 and became chairman of the
\nCentral Board from 1936 to 1937.<\/p>\n
As a result of his activities with Indonesia Moeda, Roeslan
\nwas arrested several times by the Dutch Police. He was also then
\ndismissed from the European Training Institute (Europese
\nKweekshool) where the graduates were allowed to teach European
\nchildren.<\/p>\n
Since Cak Roes' hobby was reading, he compiled books related
\nto the fight for freedom.<\/p>\n
Roeslan came into close contact with Indonesian political
\nleaders in the 1930s.<\/p>\n
When Roeslan left Indonesia Moeda, he joined Angkatan Muda
\n(AM, or Generation of Youth). AM's aim was to gain freedom from
\nJapan (which had conquered and occupied Indonesia throughout most
\nof World War II) through physical combat or\/and negotiation.<\/p>\n
He also joined an underground movement in Surabaya in 1945,
\nwhen Sukarno proclaimed independence. But Indonesians would not
\ngain full control for several years.<\/p>\n
After independence, Roeslan's career continued to rise and he
\nheld strategic positions in the government.<\/p>\n
Minister of Information Mohammad Natsir appointed Roeslan as
\nthe ministry's secretary-general. Roeslan and his family then
\nmoved to Yogyakarta.<\/p>\n
In Yogyakarta, the Dutch launched a military attack in
\nDecember 1948 and Roeslan was shot by a Dutch plane on his way
\nhome at Kali Code. The Dutch bullets shattered the fingers on his
\nright hand. Roeslan lost half of his thumb, forefinger and middle
\nfinger.<\/p>\n
Spending seven years at the Ministry of Information, Roeslan
\nthen stepped into a totally new world of foreign policy and
\ninternational diplomacy.<\/p>\n
Roeslan was appointed secretary-general at the ministry of
\nforeign affairs.<\/p>\n
\"It was not easy for me to simply change positions and jobs.
\nAs secretary-general at the information ministry I had much
\nknowledge about domestic affairs. My knowledge about foreign
\npolicy was limited,\" Roeslan explained in his book The Bandung
\nConnection.<\/p>\n
\"I never had a proper opportunity to learn the art of
\ndiplomacy,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Though still wet behind the ears as a diplomat, Roeslan was
\nthen assigned to prepare the Asia-Africa Conference in April
\n1955.<\/p>\n
With limited resources and time, Roeslan worked hard for the
\nsuccess of the AAC.<\/p>\n
After the 1955 general election here, Roeslan was promoted as
\nto minister of foreign affairs under prime minister Ali
\nSastroamidjojo.<\/p>\n
In a Cabinet reshuffle, Roeslan was then replaced by Subandrio
\nas foreign minister but Sukarno appointed Roeslan as vice
\nchairman and secretary-general of the Supreme Advisory Council
\n(DPA).<\/p>\n
In 1963, Roeslan was appointed by Sukarno as coordinating
\nminister.<\/p>\n
In the New Order era, Soeharto appointed Roeslan as chairman
\nof the Team of Seven of the Advisory Council for the
\nimplementation of the state ideology, Pancasila, (the five key
\nbeliefs that all citizens are required to adhere to).<\/p>\n
From 1967 to 1971 Roeslan served as Indonesian ambassador to
\nthe United Nations, in New York.<\/p>\n
In recognition of his meritorious service, the government
\nconferred the Bintang Mahaputra award on Roeslan.<\/p>\n
In her book titled A Fading Dream, Roeslan's daughter Retno
\nAbdulgani-Knapp said her father had been a key player in the \"old
\nera\", continued in the \"New Order\", and became an adviser to the
\nIndonesian Democratic Party for Struggle (PDI-P) in what is
\nsardonically referred to as the \"no order\".<\/p>\n
Roeslan was acquainted with the other presidents of this
\ncountry, namely BJ Habibie, Abdurrahman \"Gus Dur\" Wahid, Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri and Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.<\/p>\n
\"We may be getting older, but the spirit must keep going --
\nthere is always hope,\" says Roeslan, who received an honorary
\ndoctorate from Padjadjaran University in Bandung.<\/p>\n
\"For me, books are a window on the world. I read many books; I
\nread many newspapers every morning: That is an integral part of
\nmy daily routine,\" he said.<\/p>",
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