Romo Mangun dies of heart attack

JAKARTA (JP): Yusuf Bilyarta Mangunwijaya -- the writer, architect, social worker and Catholic priest popularly known as Romo Mangun -- died of a heart attack on Wednesday, shortly after addressing a seminar on the role of books in society's progress.

He was 69.

Kartini Nurdin, chairwoman of seminar's organizing committee, said he was pronounced dead at 1:55 p.m.

His body will be flown to his hometown of Yogyakarta on Thursday morning.

Romo Mangun collapsed as he was about to return to his seat at the event organized by Yayasan Obor Indonesia at Le Meridien hotel, Central Jakarta.

Assistance was quickly provided, including from the hotel's doctor, but it was to no avail.

The two-day seminar centered on the "Role of Books in New Indonesian Society". Romo Mangun addressed the second session of the seminar, delivering a 20-page paper on the wisdom of books in scientific and technological progress.

"He looked healthy and, as usual, was very witty and sharp, with his light jokes," said seminar participant Samsudin Berlian from the United Nations Development Program office in Jakarta. "There was nothing unusual (about his appearance) until he finished his paper."

Samsudin said the moderator's introduction included a mention of Romo Mangun service as a guerrilla fighter during the independence struggle in the late 1940s.

In his speech, Romo Mangun, a longtime critic of the far- reaching military role in Indonesian politics, picked up on the theme.

He related that he served under Army Maj. Soeharto, who later ruled the country for 32 years and became a frequent subject of the priest's criticism.

"In wayang (Javanese legends), the tentara (soldier) is equated with robbery," he said in a pointed comment which drew laughter from the audience.

President B.J. Habibie and First Lady Hasri Ainun Habibie paid their last respects to the priest at the cathedral in Central Jakarta on Wednesday evening.

Accompanied by Archbishop Julius Cardinal Darmaatmadja, Habibie laid a wreath in front of the coffin.

The President recounted to the cardinal that he first met Romo Mangun when they studied together in the 1960s.

"I knew this priest as a fighter, as a peace lover, who gave special attention to humanity," Habibie said in brief remarks.

The President bestowed a special award on the priest last August during commemoration of National Awakening of Technology Day at the State Palace.

Only one day later, the daily Kompas carried Romo Mangun's open letter urging the President to liberate the East Timorese from prolonged suffering.

"We will continue his struggle to make the nation live in peace and love," the President said.

He also offered a plane to transport the body to Yogyakarta.

"You can use a state plane," the President told the cardinal before ending his 10-minute visit.

In a magazine interview last year, Romo Mangun said he was not interested in writing an autobiography, quipping "I might be persuaded to write an anti-biography, though".

Friends were preparing a book on his life in conjunction with his 70th birthday in May.

Noted political observer J. Soedjati Djiwandono told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday that "a lot of writers were contributing to the book" which would serve as a "tribute to the man".

Soedjati, who also contributed an essay to the book, said it was scheduled for publication in May.

He characterized Romo Mangun as "a well-rounded man, a man of many hats and he was a very rare kind of man, and his death is a great loss to the country".

"I think it was a beautiful death because he died during a seminar just like Soedjatmoko," social and political observer Mochtar Buchori said, referring to the noted scholar who died of a heart attack during a discussion in Yogyakarta in 1989.

"Romo Mangun was a great humanist and a grass-roots worker ... the nation will miss a very great person, I hope that the nation will continue his noble work to educate the people to become a more humane nation."

Mochtar first met Romo Mangun through his daughter when she was a student at Gadjah Mada University, where the priest taught architecture.

Meanwhile, the leader of the 30 million-strong Nahdlatul Ulama Muslim organization, Abdurrahman Wahid, said Romo Mangun was "an honest man and one of the best intellectuals in the country".

Antara reported on Wednesday that Dili Bishop Carlos Felipe Ximenes Belo expressed his condolences, saying Romo Mangun had contributed "constructive ideas toward a peaceful, just and democratic solution to the East Timor problem".

The news agency said Belo, who was accompanied by Romo Mangun when he accepted the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo in 1996, also planned to hold a Mass for Romo Mangun in Dili.

Romo Mangun's personal secretary, Dini, revealed in Yogyakarta he once made a will stating his wish to donate his body to Gadjah Mada University's medical school for research. (emb/byg/ivy/edt/prb/23/44/Tedy Novan)