'Cak' Roes: Bandung Conference mastermind

Adianto P. Simamora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

On Friday and Saturday, Indonesia and South Africa will jointly host a gigantic summit of Asian and African leaders in Jakarta.

For Indonesia, it will not be the first time for such a gathering. Exactly, 50 years ago, Indonesia hosted the first-ever Asia-Africa Conference (AAC) in Bandung in which 29 leaders from the two continents participated.

Luckily, the man who played a key role in the success of the 1955 Bandung Conference is still alive to recount what happened at that time. He is none other than 91-year-old Roeslan Abdulgani.

Roeslan, who is popularly known as Cak (brother) Roes, was no ordinary delegate, but secretary-general of the organizing committee of the 1955 AAC. Thanks to his official position as then secretary-general at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he became the chief organizer.

"It was (president) Sukarno's idea to host the Asia-Africa Conference to promote cooperation and solidarity between the peoples," said Roeslan, who would became Indonesia's foreign minister from 1956 to 1967.

In an effort to reinvigorate the Bandung Spirit, Indonesia's former chief diplomat Roeslan was often invited as a speaker to share his experiences when the country hosted the AAC in Bandung in 1955.

Roeslan, a trusted aide of Sukarno -- the first president and inspiration behind the conference -- has never grown tired of recounting Indonesia's first leader and his ideals. He always quotes from the Sukarno's famous speech on anticolonialism:

When the Liong-Sai Dragon of China works together with the Nandi (cow) of India, with the Sphinx of Egypt and the peacock of Burma, with the white elephant of Siam, with the hydra of Vietnam, with the tiger of the Philippines and the Banteng (wild ox of Java) of Indonesia, then it is certain that international colonialism will be smashed to bits.

The Bandung Conference, attended by 29 leaders of Asian and African countries, was credited with providing the impetus for the Non-Alignment Movement and for many southern hemisphere countries to cast off the shackles of colonialism and fight for their independence.

Cak Roes was born on Nov. 24, 1914 in Surabaya. His father, Doelgani, was a trader and his mother, Siti Murad, was a religious teacher. Roeslan first entered the political world at the age of 17.

He joined the Indonesia Moeda youth movement in 1930. The movement was an amalgamation of youth organizations, such as Jong Java, Jong Sumatra, Jong Ambon. "Jong" is the Dutch word for "youth".

He was then elected as chairman of the Indonesia Moeda Provincial Board in East Java in 1934 and became chairman of the Central Board from 1936 to 1937.

As a result of his activities with Indonesia Moeda, Roeslan was arrested several times by the Dutch Police. He was also then dismissed from the European Training Institute (Europese Kweekshool) where the graduates were allowed to teach European children.

Since Cak Roes' hobby was reading, he compiled books related to the fight for freedom.

Roeslan came into close contact with Indonesian political leaders in the 1930s.

When Roeslan left Indonesia Moeda, he joined Angkatan Muda (AM, or Generation of Youth). AM's aim was to gain freedom from Japan (which had conquered and occupied Indonesia throughout most of World War II) through physical combat or/and negotiation.

He also joined an underground movement in Surabaya in 1945, when Sukarno proclaimed independence. But Indonesians would not gain full control for several years.

After independence, Roeslan's career continued to rise and he held strategic positions in the government.

Minister of Information Mohammad Natsir appointed Roeslan as the ministry's secretary-general. Roeslan and his family then moved to Yogyakarta.

In Yogyakarta, the Dutch launched a military attack in December 1948 and Roeslan was shot by a Dutch plane on his way home at Kali Code. The Dutch bullets shattered the fingers on his right hand. Roeslan lost half of his thumb, forefinger and middle finger.

Spending seven years at the Ministry of Information, Roeslan then stepped into a totally new world of foreign policy and international diplomacy.

Roeslan was appointed secretary-general at the ministry of foreign affairs.

"It was not easy for me to simply change positions and jobs. As secretary-general at the information ministry I had much knowledge about domestic affairs. My knowledge about foreign policy was limited," Roeslan explained in his book The Bandung Connection.

"I never had a proper opportunity to learn the art of diplomacy," he said.

Though still wet behind the ears as a diplomat, Roeslan was then assigned to prepare the Asia-Africa Conference in April 1955.

With limited resources and time, Roeslan worked hard for the success of the AAC.

After the 1955 general election here, Roeslan was promoted as to minister of foreign affairs under prime minister Ali Sastroamidjojo.

In a Cabinet reshuffle, Roeslan was then replaced by Subandrio as foreign minister but Sukarno appointed Roeslan as vice chairman and secretary-general of the Supreme Advisory Council (DPA).

In 1963, Roeslan was appointed by Sukarno as coordinating minister.

In the New Order era, Soeharto appointed Roeslan as chairman of the Team of Seven of the Advisory Council for the implementation of the state ideology, Pancasila, (the five key beliefs that all citizens are required to adhere to).

From 1967 to 1971 Roeslan served as Indonesian ambassador to the United Nations, in New York.

In recognition of his meritorious service, the government conferred the Bintang Mahaputra award on Roeslan.

In her book titled A Fading Dream, Roeslan's daughter Retno Abdulgani-Knapp said her father had been a key player in the "old era", continued in the "New Order", and became an adviser to the Indonesian Democratic Party for Struggle (PDI-P) in what is sardonically referred to as the "no order".

Roeslan was acquainted with the other presidents of this country, namely BJ Habibie, Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid, Megawati Soekarnoputri and Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

"We may be getting older, but the spirit must keep going -- there is always hope," says Roeslan, who received an honorary doctorate from Padjadjaran University in Bandung.

"For me, books are a window on the world. I read many books; I read many newspapers every morning: That is an integral part of my daily routine," he said.