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