The Blood of the People: Revolution and the End of Traditional Rule in Northern Sumatra

Chapter VI: The Agents of Revolution in East Sumatra

156 CHAPTER VI The Agents of Revolution in East Sumatra “After the Jalan Bali affair broke … like a great shock awakening the spirit of the Indonesian people, bands of pemuda were formed at various places in and around Medan, by themselves without being planned in advance, just like pools of water in low-lying places when a great flood retreats after overrunning the fields on either side of a river…. One man in each of these bands then came to the fore as a leader, on the basis of his ability and competence.” A City Leaderless Dramatic decisions were taken in Jakarta in the week following the Japanese surrender. The independence of Indonesia was declared; Sukarno and Hatta were elected President and Vice-President of a new Republic; a constitution was accepted. Sumatra was declared to be a Province of the new Republic, with Medan as its capital and Mr T.M. Hasan as its Governor. As the delegates sent to Jakarta by the Japanese, Hasan and Dr Amir participated in all these brave words and deeds. Yet as far as Medan itself was concerned, the whole drama might almost have taken place on the moon. The reality was of a Japanese régime about to end, and a British-Dutch régime expected to take its place. The Japanese maintained a stricter control of information in East Sumatra than elsewhere. Indonesians in the Domei news agency were barred  Aneka Minggu (Medan), 16 June 1970. A series of articles devoted to the military side of the independence struggle in the Medan area appeared twice-weekly in this newspaper between 12 May and 25 September 1970. 06 BP.indd 156 2/27/14 1:25:10 PM Map 4 Medan in 1945 06 BP.indd 157 2/27/14 1:25:16 PM 158 The Blood of the People from work from 14 August. Few even of the privileged Indonesian leaders appear to have heard of the surrender of 15 August or the independence proclamation two days later. Only on 22 August, after a Singapore meeting of commanders had agreed to accept the surrender, was the news publicly broadcast that “the war has come to a standstill”. The Japanese, it was insisted, continued to be responsible for law and order. Immediately before this public announcement the chōkan had tearfully given the same message to the circle of Indonesian pemimpin in Medan. In response to a question he told some of them afterwards about a report that an independence declaration had been made in Jakarta. During August it was only on this level of distant rumour that the Republic was known, and it seemed to have little enough relevance to the situation in the city. The prime concern of most leaders was with the effect that another change of colonial master would have on the delicate balance between rival Indonesian groups. How far would the solidarity of the favoured élite group extend in this new crisis? Dr Tengku Mansur, who had a certain primacy as chairman of the shū sangi kai, invited a select group of leaders to his house on 25 August to discuss this problem. The majority of those present were from the kerajaan, although the pergerakan was represented by the obvious people—Xarim M.S. and Mr Joesoef among them. All were concerned to prevent an outbreak of reprisals and denunciations of “collaborators” to the incoming Allies. The group circulated a statement calling on the population to remain calm, and elected a committee headed by the Sultan of Langkat and Dr Mansur to explain to the Allies why it had been necessary for everybody to co-operate with the Japanese. This appears to be the factual basis for a widespread impression that the kerajaan had formed a Comité van Ontvangst (reception committee) to welcome the Dutch and even seize power before their arrival. “The Sultan of Langkat and Dr Mansur were said to have formed a committee to arrest the leaders of the pergerakan.” The gathering may indeed have consciously excluded those it felt had gone too far with the Japanese, as even Xarim had his suspicions of the gerindo/Kenkokutai group. It certainly had neither the power nor the unity to act in the manner suspected. The com­ mittee was very rapidly overtaken by events, and the contacts the rajas did  K-S-S, 22 and 24-viii-2605. Aneka Minggu, 12 May 1970. Interviews...