Tan Malaka : Indonesia's Che Guevara

He was the first communist-revolutionary activist who declared and popularized term "Indonesian Republic must be 100% free from colonialism and imperialism". One of his masterpiece, Naar de Republiek Indonesia ( Towards Indonesian Republic, published in 1924 ), had strong influence on Sukarno and other national movement leaders' idea about nationalism and communism.


Short Biography

Born in West Sumatra, June 2 1897 from a religious family. Tan Malaka was smart, well-educated person. At the age of 17, Tan got opportunity to study abroad in Netherland. There he getting acquainted with Marxism, socialism and revolutionary theories through books, brochure and discussions.

From Netherland, he started to travel around the world, fight for Indonesia's independence and spent a large part of his life in exile from Indonesia and was constantly threatened with arrest by the Dutch authorities and their allies such as British intelligence service and Americans (for example, in Philippine, Tan was arrested by American Police at the request of the Dutch). Dutch colonialist government labeled him as a "dangerous Bolshevik agitator".


Revolutionary and Political Activities

1. Nominate himself in Tweede Kamer (parliament) as a delegation for colony countries, but failed.

2. Became Indonesian Communist Party agitator when he back to Indonesia.

3. March 1922, exiled to Netherland because of his "dangerous activities".

4. October 1922, from Berlin, Tan went to Moscow, joined Communist party education program.

5. November 5 - December 5, 1922 : the fourth congress of Komintern was held in Moscow. Tan attended the congress as a delegation for Indonesia. He got opportunity to delivered his speech about Communism and Pan-Islamism in 7 minutes, while another delegations only got 5 minutes to speak. Tan Malaka's speech was actually criticize Lenin's idea on "struggle against Pan-Islamism". Tan offered a positive approach to collaborating communist movements with Islamic movements.

6. With Karl Radek's order, he wrote Indonezija, Ejo Mesto Na Proboezdajoesjtsjemsja Vostoke
(Indonesia and Its Place on the East which is Rising)

7. Became the chairman of Indonesian Communist Party ( PKI )

8. 1926 Failed Coup - Tan Malaka rejected PKI leadership's plan to made a coup against colonial government. As Komintern representative for Southeast Asia, Tan Malaka argued that he had authority to reject the PKI's plan and criticize it as " premature, adventurist coup " . But most of PKI leaders refuse Tan's prohibition. The coup itself was poorly prepared, with lack of coordination, logistic supplies and ended with mass execution of communist revolutionaries.

9. 1927 - He committed to split from Moscow and became an independent nationalist-communist. As the result, Tan Malaka's friends in PKI labeled him as a "Trostkyist-Revisionist traitor".

10. July 1927 - With some fellows Tan founded PARI ( Indonesian Republican Party ) in Bangkok. But ironically, the party was easily crushed by the colonial government.


Relationships with Nationalist Government after the Proclamation of Independence

1. 1942 - After being exiled for a long time, Tan Malaka decided to went back to Indonesia, disguising as Ramli Husein in Padang City.

2. 1943 - In Java Island he worked in a Japanese coal mine as a clerk named "Ilyas Hussein".

3. August 17 1945 - Proclamation of Independence

4. 19 September 1945 - Tan Malaka mobilized all youth nationalist movements from any ideological background to attend national meeting against fascism in Ikada Square. Sukarno delivered his speech at that meeting and walking side by side with Tan Malaka.

5. September 1945 - Sukarno gave a political testament to Tan Malaka. In the testament, Sukarno gave the mandate to Tan Malaka if he (Sukarno) couldn't lead or continue the national revolution.


Clash with the Nationalist Government and His Death

1. Tan rejected Prime Minister Syahrir's policy to make a "diplomacy" and "negotiation" tactics with the Dutch aggressor. Tan believed in armed struggle tactics and began to create his own militia.

2. His statement against government's "negotiation" policy was interpreted by The National Army as a subversive action against the republic.

3. Lieutenant Colonel Surachmat gave special orders to Lieutenant Sukoco to eliminate Tan Malaka and his followers.

4. February 21 1949 - Tan Malaka was arrested in his base in Selopanggung village. He was executed by a soldier named private Suradi Tekebek.

Tan Malaka's Alias Name

During his exile and political adventures, Tan Malaka disguised with at least 23 alias names to avoid British, Dutch and American intelligence pursuit. Below are his alias names :

In Philippine:
1. Elias Fuentes
2. Estahisalau Rivera
3. Alisio Rivera

In Singapore:
1. Hasan Gozali

In China:
1. Ossorio
2. Cheung Kun-Tat
3. Howard Law

In Hongkong:
1. Ong Song Lee ( He used 13 variants of alias name with this name)

In Indonesia:
1. Legas Hussein
2. Ramli Hussein
3. Ilyas Hussein

In Burma:
1. Tan Ming Slon

I like how you wrote "Netherland" as in "Nederland". Interesting read, pretty daring of him to even suggest an independent Indonesia already in 1924, I heard there was a lot of political repression back then in Hindia-Belanda (Dutch Indonesia).

Comrade Kaiwen wrote:

I like how you wrote "Netherland" as in "Nederland"

Apologize for my typing mistake, comrade Kaiwen. So the correct one is "Nederland", not "Netherland" ? Because here we usually type it "Netherland".

Comrade Kaiwen wrote:

I heard there was a lot of political repression back then in Hindia-Belanda (Dutch Indonesia).

Yes you're right, comrade. After PKI failed coup in 1926, the colonial government under Andries Cornelis De Graeff became more repressive. They banned all political movement and arresting national leaders.

Oh no comrade, I'm sorry, in English it's "the Netherlands", so plural, but in Dutch we write "Nederland". I found it funny how you said "Netherland", might just be a remnant of the colonial times.

I've recently seen a documentary on the Dutch East-Indies, and it features the only interview Mohammed Hatta ever gave on television. Very enlightening on the colonial times, but then I also have my grandmother who lived in Hindia-Belanda, she's also a very interesting source. I'll be visiting your country this summer, comrade.

I see. I thought that I made a mistake in typing

Hey, sounds interesting! What was the title of the documentary? Was it explain about the rise and role of communism in Hindia-Belanda, too, comrade Kaiwen ?

Of course and I have no doubt, comrade, your grandma is a good source to ask because she is a history witness . She must be had a lot of great experiences during that time here.

Comrade Kaiwen wrote:

I'll be visiting your country this summer, comrade.

Waiting for your arrival, then, comrade

The title of the documentary is called "Indonesia Merdeka", it's from 1976 and it's about the anti-colonial struggle. They interview different people, from ex-colonialists to anti-colonial freedom fighters. Unfortunately, it is in Dutch, but here you have link anyway: http://www.geschiedenis24.nl/speler.pro ... 83124.html

Bung Hatta has some very communist-like ideas on imperialism and democracy. I like him more than Sukarno, personally.

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She must be had a lot of great experiences during that time here.

Yes, pretty much. But she also suffered trauma's when everything she had was stolen by japanese soldiers, and many of her family members were locked up in so called "Japcamps". She likes talking about the past though.

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Waiting for your arrival, then, comrade

Where in Indonesia are you, comrade? I'll be visiting Bali for the second time, I love it there, but I really want to visit my family in Jakarta some day.

Ok, Nice share, I'll watch the video after I fix my problem with the bandwidth limit, Kaiwen. Apologize I can't see the film now

Bung Hatta was a good intellectual. Although he wasn't a communist, but some of his works such as Our Democracy was influenced by Marxism ideas. His personality, especially Hatta's simplicity life, is amazing.

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Yes, pretty much. But she also suffered trauma's when everything she had was stolen by japanese soldiers, and many of her family members were locked up in so called "Japcamps". She likes talking about the past though.

I've read from encyclopedia Soerabaia Tempo Doeloe ( Surabaya at the Past ) that during Japanese occupation the Dutch, and Europeans was moved to internee camp.

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Where in Indonesia are you, comrade? I'll be visiting Bali for the second time, I love it there, but I really want to visit my family in Jakarta some day

In Surabaya, comrade. You must be wanna surf in Bali, Kaiwen .

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I've read from encyclopedia Soerabaia Tempo Doeloe ( Surabaya at the Past ) that during Japanese occupation the Dutch, and Europeans was moved to internee camp.

Yeah, my grandmother is half-indonesian, half-dutch, what they call "indo". Luckily she didn't have to go to the camps herself.

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In Surabaya, comrade. You must be wanna surf in Bali, Kaiwen.

My grandmother lived there actually! When they still spelled it like "Soerabaja". I will be surfing in Bali definitely.

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Luckily she didn't have to go to the camps herself.

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My grandmother lived there actually! When they still spelled it like "Soerabaja".

Wow, it must be at 30's or 40's Kaiwen. . Surabaya's transformation name : Ujunggaluh or Ujung (Majapahit kingdom ) - Soerabaia - Soerabaja - Surabaya

Yes, my grandmother is from 1928, she was born in Buitenzorg which is now called Bogor, I think.

His ideas of Communists and Islamist uniting and working together is interesting. It is a useful strategy for the Middle East. The muslims in the Middle East will not simply forget their faith and turn atheist.

Red Brigade wrote:

His ideas of Communists and Islamist uniting and working together is interesting. It is a useful strategy for the Middle East. The muslims in the Middle East will not simply forget their faith and turn atheist.

He knew that the muslim will not accept Marxism ideas on religion and hardcore materialism . But, both Islam and Communism are rejecting imperialism and have the same ideals on classless society. He recognize this similarity, and create his own Marxism which labelled as "Murbaism". It's make him different with another Marxist thinkers.