Princen sided with people

Princen sided with people

Anyone who cares about human rights in Indonesia will mourn
the passing of one of the greatest champions of human rights, and
more broadly the poor and oppressed in Indonesia.

While working in the U.S. Embassy from 1996 to 1999, I met
frequently with J.C. Princen -- often "summoned" to his office to
be pressed to follow up on some outrage by the Indonesian (or
U.S.) government, or sometimes simply to chat about events.

Among many inspiring memories of Princen one stands out: there
was a trial session for one of the Soeharto regime's young
"enemies" at the Central District Court in Jakarta. Shortly after
it had begun, the normally wheelchair-bound Princen appeared to
join friends of the defendant. As the trial session was taking
place on the third floor, and there was no elevator, many of us
were mystified as to how he had made it to the courtroom. As the
session ended, it became apparent. With the assistance of friends
he had climbed the multiple flights of stairs.

I was honored to be asked among others to help him as he made
the slow, painful descent back to the ground floor. His
willingness to sacrifice for others, his wisdom and his love for
the people of Indonesia, especially the poor, made him a tower of
strength for Indonesians in their darkest days.

I recall also a conversation in which I joked that it was
strange that he had been jailed by both president Sukarno and
president Soeharto, and that he had managed also to irritate
president Habibie. I said it seemed he was consistently against
all Indonesian governments. With his playful smile he responded,
"No you have it wrong; it is that I am always on the side
of the people."

I recall finally what he called his "anthem", Edith Piaf's
haunting Je ne regret rien. Truly, he had nothing to regret
throughout a long and noble life, but we who knew him regret his
passing profoundly.

ED MCWILLIAMS

Falls Church, Virginia