President shines a light on a hero

Theresia Sufa, The Jakarta Post, Bogor | Mon, 03/02/2009 2:13 PM  

President Yudhoyono will inaugurate a new statue next week at the Pembela Tanah Air (Peta) museum in Bogor dedicated to the volunteer army that fought for independence. 

"President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono will visit the Peta museum on March 3 to inaugurate a statue of Supriyadi, a national hero, who fought among the Peta rebel forces" said Lt. Col. Marthen L. Djari, head of the officiating ceremony. 

Supriyadi led some 200 members of Pembela Tanah Air in a revolt against Japanese troops in Blitar, East Java, on Feb. 14, 1945. He held the Japanese rank of Sho Dan Cho at the time. 

After the Peta revolt, which was quashed by the Japanese administration, Supriyadi disappeared, never to appear in public again. The Japanese military police Kenpentai arrested the field commander of the uprising, Muradi, along with five other soldiers. On May 16, 1945, they were beheaded at Ancol beach in North Jakarta. 

After independence, Supriyadi was appointed in absentia as the people's defense minister in the country first cabinet on Oct. 6, 1945. On Oct. 20, the office of People's Security Army (TKR) commander was bestowed upon him. He was summoned several times to fill these offices, but he never came forward. He was then believed missing. 

A lecturer at Yogyakarta's Sanata Dharma University, Baskara T. Wardaya has said many people have claimed to be Supriyadi over the years. Baskara wrote a book, Mencari Supriyadi (In search of Supriyadi) when an 88-year-old man Andaryoko Wisnuprabu came forward claming he was the missing hero. 

In the lead-up to the President's visit, staff at the Peta Museum have been busy cleaning up the exhibit rooms in the museum. 

Former president Suharto, who had been a member of Peta himself, officiated at the opening of the museum in 1995. The museum was sited in Bogor because that city was the center for training Peta soldiers. The training area was called Jawa Boei Giyugun Kanbu Kyo Iku Tai. 

The museum has 14 dioramas that describe the activities and training of the Peta rebels. The museum also displays collections of weapons and Peta uniforms. 

Bogor Tourism and Culture Agency head Ade Syarif Hidayat said that the museum was one of Bogor's icons of tourism. 

He said the museum commemorated and preserved the memorabilia as historical evidence of the existence of the volunteer soldiers who joined the rebel forces. Though their revolt failed, the fighters helped prepare the way for Indonesia's struggle for independence. 

"We're very proud as Bogor residents that Bogor was once a training center for Peta soldiers," he said. 

Peta was formed during the Japanese occupation on Oct. 3, 1943 and was the starting point for the formation of the Indonesian National Military or TNI.- JP