Feed: The FEER Forum Posted on: Monday, 04 February, 2008 17:04 Author: admin Subject: Jusuf Ronodipuro 1919-2008: The Quiet Revolutionary By Michael Vatikiotis Jusuf Ronodipuro never wore his revolutionary credentials on his sleeve. The man who first brought knowledge of Indonesia’s freedom to the world’s attention by reading out the proclamation of independence on 17 Aug. 1945 was never one to boast about his role in the country’s colonial struggle. He called himself a “bit player.” Yet Ronodipuro, who died at the age of 88 on 27 Jan. 2008 in Jakarta, was a quiet inspiration for generations of Indonesians who, if they were lucky enough to know him, saw through him the extent to which the ideals and values of nationhood had been squandered and lost. Born in Salatiga, in central Java in 1919, Jusuf enjoyed the reasonably privileged upbringing of the Javanese priyayi class. He attended good native schools and found work in Jakarta working for General Motors. When the Japanese invaded the young Jusuf found work as a reporter for the Hoso Kyoko Japanese military radio station. It was here in August 1945 that Jusuf was called upon to broadcast the declaration of independence, which was hastily read out on 17 August by Sukarno. (more…) <http://www.feer.com/forum/?p=106#more-106> View article... <http://www.feer.com/forum/?p=106> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
