University of Indonesia scholar and the Great Indonesia
Movement (Gerindra) politician Fadli Zon launched a book Wednesday
containing unpublished pictures of the execution of Sekarmadji Maridjan
Kartosoewirjo, leader of the Darul Islam (DI) movement and the
Indonesian Islamic State (NII) leader, 50 years after his execution in
September 1962.
The book, titled
Hari Terakhir Kartosoewirjo
(
Kartosoewirjo's Last Day), is the first to reveal visual evidence of
the last day of the West Java-based cleric, sentenced to death for
subversion and executed on Ubi island, Thousand Islands, just north of
Jakarta, rebutting speculation that he was executed and buried in Onrust
island, three kilometers away from Ubi island.
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| Press conference of the book launch "Hari Terakhir Kartosoewirjo" |
“The history was
written by the victors. But we need to know who Kartosoewirjo really was
and this book will complete the puzzle," Fadli said during the book
launch in Taman Ismail Marzuki, Cikini, Jakarta.
"Many people went
to Onrust island because they thought he was buried there. Even his
family didn’t know exactly where their father and grandfather was
buried,” he added.
As many as 81 pictures tell sequential moments
of Kartosoewirjo’s execution day, from his last supper with his wife and
children until he was buried.
The captions also help readers to
further understand the pictures as they clearly explain every moment,
such as what Kartosoewirjo and his family ate during their last
lunch--even the brand of Kartosoewirjo’s watch, what Kartosoewirjo was
doing during his last hours, and the execution process.
“From the
pictures we learned that the execution process was appropriate according
to the Islamic teachings that he was treated humanely during that
time,” he said.
Fadli said that he had bought the 81 pictures from
a collector he declined to identify at an auction in a hotel in Jakarta
two years ago. The same pictures were kept in the National Archives
under the category of unpublished documents.
“However, the ones kept by the National Archives were without captions, while the ones I got had captions,” he said.
Kartosoewirjo’s
youngest son, Sardjono, lauded the release of unpublished documents of
his father’s execution, saying that such publication could help
Indonesians understand their own history.
“Many of us never knew
what the real story was. Now it is crystal clear, including where my
father was executed and buried,” Sardjono said after the book launch,
adding that he and his family had only learned about facts from the
book.
“Me and my family will soon go to Ubi island to send him a prayer,” he added.
Fadli
pointed out that Kartosoewirjo was one of the most important actors in
Indonesian history, taking part in the Sumpah Pemuda (Youth Pledge) in
1928, representing Jong Java (Javanese youth) Surabaya chapter.
In
an interview with foreign journalist Cindy Adams President Soekarno
referred to Kartosoewirjo as his best friend, with whom he shared
dreams.
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| Kartosoewirjo with family |
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| Kartosoewirjo enjoying the last coffee with his wife |
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| Kartosoewirjo last eating with his family |
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| Kartosoewirjo on boat to Ubi Island |
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| Kartosoewirjo on boat to Ubi Island |
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| Kartosoewirjo and soldiers goes to the place of execution |
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| Kartosoewirjo tied pole of firing accompanied by soldiers |
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| Kartosoewirjo execution |
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| Kartosoewirjo on position |
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| Final chek after execution |
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| Kartosoewirjo after execution |
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| Bathed before buried |
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| Bathed before buried |
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| Prayer ceremony before buried |
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| Kartosoewirjo brought to the burial place |
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| Buried |
Kartosoewirjo established the Indonesian Islamic State
(NII) in August 1949 as a result of his disappointment over Renville
Agreement signed by representatives of the Republic and the Dutch on
Jan. 19, 1948, in which the Dutch only recognized Central Java,
Yogyakarta and Sumatra as parts of the Republic of Indonesia. The
agreement forced the Indonesian government to withdraw Indonesian
soldiers from West and East Java.
While Kartosoewirjo was executed
by the military in 1962, his ideas remain alive, and have inspired many
Muslims across Indonesia to fight for an Islamic caliphate.
NII’s
founding ideology has spawned a range of terrorist networks, including
Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), and a number of hard-line underground
organizations.
The father of chief patron of the Prosperous
Justice Party (PKS), Hilmi Aminuddin, was one of the NII’s leaders in
its early days.
Alleged terrorist mastermind Abu Bakar Ba’asyir,
who co-founded the JI with his senior, Abdullah Sungkar, was profoundly
inspired by the NII movement.
The Jakarta Post 
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