Indonesian Minister Kidnapped by Armed Gang, Suspected Foreign Agents
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - The fate of Otto Iskandar Dinata, or Otista, remains one of the enduring mysteries of Indonesian history. The minister and independence fighter was kidnapped by an armed group that suspected him of being a foreign intelligence agent.
The public today knows him as a national hero whose face appears on the Rp20,000 banknote and whose name is immortalised on major streets in various cities. However, few are aware that the end of this early independence-era figure’s life was tragic.
Otto was a key figure in the national movement. According to the book Si Jalak Harupat, Biografi Otto Iskandardinata (2003), he was active in the Boedi Oetomo organisation during the 1920s. In the lead-up to independence, Otto was also involved in the political process as a member of the Investigating Committee for Preparatory Work for Indonesian Independence (BPUPKI) and the Preparatory Committee for Indonesian Independence (PPKI).
After the Proclamation of Independence on 17 August 1945, President Soekarno appointed Otto as Minister of State. At that time, Indonesia’s security situation was still chaotic and the government did not yet have a well-organised armed force. Otto was tasked with helping to form a national military force. The challenge was immense because many armed groups came from different backgrounds, ranging from former members of the Japanese-formed PETA and Heiho to former soldiers of the Dutch-era KNIL.
These differing backgrounds triggered sectoral egos. Many groups refused to be merged into a single command and chose to operate independently. Some even opposed the central government through harsh methods in their struggle for independence. This situation became the beginning of Otto’s downfall.
On 19 December 1945, Otto Iskandar Dinata was kidnapped by an armed group called Laskar Hitam in Tangerang. He was then taken towards the coastal area of Mauk Beach. From that moment on, Otto vanished without a trace.
According to Iip D. Yahya in the book Oto Iskandar di Nata: The Untold Stories (2017), the kidnapping was triggered by rumours spread by agents of the Netherlands Indies Civil Administration (NICA). Otto was accused of being a Dutch spy. The issue was allegedly deliberately stirred up to eliminate figures considered to be hindering Indonesian unity. Within Laskar Hitam, a rumour also circulated that Otto was in possession of one million Dutch guilders. This accusation was used to reinforce the narrative that Otto sided with the Dutch. In fact, according to Iip, the money came from Japanese war booty, which was indeed in the form of Dutch guilders.
Since the kidnapping, Otto’s whereabouts have never been known. He is believed to have been murdered and his body disposed of at sea. Because there was never any certainty regarding his fate, the government eventually designated 20 December 1945 as the date of Otto Iskandar Dinata’s death. Seven years later, the government held a symbolic funeral in Bandung. The coffin buried did not contain Otto’s body, but only sand and seawater. This symbolic grave is located at the Pasir Pahlawan Monument.