Tjilik Riwut

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Tjilik Riwut
Tjilik Riwut.jpg
2nd
In office
30 June 1958 – Februari 1967
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Personal details
Born(1918-02-02)2 February 1918
Kasongan, Katingan Regency, Central Kalimantan
Died17 August 1987(1987-08-17) (aged 69)
Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan
NationalityIndonesia
Political partyIndependent
Military service
Allegiance Indonesia
Branch/serviceInsignia of the Indonesian Air Force.svg Indonesian Air Force
Years of service1945-1987
RankPdu marsmatni komando.png First Marshal
UnitPaskhas

Anakletus Tjilik Riwut, commonly known as Tjilik Riwut (2 February 1918  – 17 August 1987), was an Indonesian journalist, military officer, and the second governor of Central Kalimantan (from 1958 to 1967). He was also a major figure that led nationalist uprisings in Dutch Borneo after World War 2.

Early life[]

Tjilik Riwut was born in a small Dayak village of Kasongan, modern Katingan Regency, on 2 February 1918. He was born in a Ngaju tribe family. He finished Sekolah Rakyat, native Indonesian school in Katingan and graduated in 1930.

Riwut moved to Java during his early teenage years where he met prominent Indonesian artist and nationalist Sanusi Pane.[1] He studied in Yogyakarta between 1933 and 1936 and briefly studied on a nursery school[2] in Purwakarta. His education was at first funded by Catholic missionaries.[2] Riwut became a journalist for the newspaper Harian Pembangunan and later worked to manage the newspaper Soeara Pakat which was owned by Sarikat Dayak (a political organization of Dayak people). During this time, he was exposed to the Indonesian National Awakening and began spreading it inside Sarikat Dayak.[3]

National Revolution[]

During the Indonesian National Revolution, Indonesian Air Force commander Surjadi Surjadarma asked all native Borneoan Indonesian nationalists to join the air force. Surjadarma wanted to establish a line of communication between Kalimantan and other regions in Indonesia and also to break the Dutch blockade between islands.[4] Riwut and around 60 Indonesian nationalists were trained in former Japanese facilities in Maguwo and Wonocatur.[4] However, only 12 were qualified for this mission, which would be the first airborne mission conducted by the Indonesian Air Force.[4] Riwut became a military officer with rank major and joined the operation on 17 October 1947.[4] The operation failed in its objective to transport native Borneoan Indonesian nationalists without being caught, and after waging more than a month of insurgency in Kalimantan jungles, all the personnel including Riwut were arrested and jailed in Banjarmasin.[5] They were released in the aftermath of Dutch–Indonesian Round Table Conference.

Riwut became a representative on behalf of the Dayak people in the Central Indonesian National Committee.[3]

Post-revolution[]

Riwut became military governor in charge of the Central Kalimantan region. During his tenure, he negotiated and protected the region from Darul Islam rebels from the South Kalimantan and Mandau Talawang Pancasila (GMTPs) insurgency.[6] During this time, he declared martial law in Central Kalimantan and led peace negotiations with Mandau Talawang Pancasila.[6]

He also saw the creation of the Central Kalimantan province in the aftermath of the insurgency. He mediated the selection of the provincial capital to avoid association with one tribe and avoiding futher conflicts between competing Dayak tribes. Pahandut village was chosen as it was neutral to major Dayak tribes and is now Palangka Raya.[7] Riwut became second governor of the province in 1958. However, in the aftermath of the 30 September Movement, he was forced to abdicate in February 1967 due to his being labelled "Sukarnoist" as he was a close friend of Sukarno and had tendencies to socialist politics.[2]

Riwut wrote several books about the Dayak people from his perspective and experiences during the National Revolution. In his books, he also expressed pride in calling himself "orang hutan", meaning "jungle people".[2] Most of his books were published by his daughter, Nila Riwut, after he died. Some of his books today are used as an introduction to Dayak culture in Indonesia.[8]

He died in 17 August 1987 in Banjarmasin due to complications from hepatitis and was buried in Sanaman Lampang Palangka Raya Heroes Cemetery. He was declared an Indonesian National Hero on 6 November 1998.[8] The biggest airport in Central Kalimantan, Tjilik Riwut Airport, is named after him.[9] On 2018, government of Palangka Raya city built a statue of him in the middle of the city.[10]

References[]

  1. ^ Raditya, Iswara N. "Meresapi Sejarah dalam Kronik Kalimantan ala Tjilik Riwut". tirto.id (in Indonesian). Retrieved 24 August 2021.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Fikrie, Muammar. "Tjilik Riwut, sang legenda Kalimantan Tengah". Lokadata.ID (in Indonesian). Retrieved 24 August 2021.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b RRI 2021, LPP. "Mengenang Tjilik Riwut, Pahlawan Nasional Asal Kalteng". rri.co.id. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Ahsan, Ivan Aulia. "Operasi Terjun Payung Pertama demi Eksistensi Republik Indonesia". tirto.id (in Indonesian). Retrieved 24 August 2021.
  5. ^ "Penerjunan Pertama Indonesia". Historia - Majalah Sejarah Populer Pertama di Indonesia (in Indonesian). 5 June 2019. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b van Klinken, Gerry (1 April 2006). "Colonizing Borneo: State-Building and Ethnicity in Central Kalimantan". Rochester, NY. SSRN 1876543. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  7. ^ Rahman Hakim, Arif (2003). Sejarah kota Palangka Raya. Palangka Raya: Palangka Raya : Pemerintah Kota Palangka Raya. pp. 8–13. ISBN 979-97978-0-2.
  8. ^ Jump up to: a b Raditya, Iswara N. "Meresapi Sejarah dalam Kronik Kalimantan ala Tjilik Riwut". tirto.id (in Indonesian). Retrieved 24 August 2021.
  9. ^ "Angkasa Pura II". www.angkasapura2.co.id. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
  10. ^ "Patung Pahlawan Nasional Tjilik Riwut Selesai Dibangun". Pemerintah Kota Palangka Raya (in Indonesian). 25 January 2018. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
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