Amir Sjarifuddin

Amir Sjarifuddin Harahap (EVO: Amir Sjarifoeddin Harahap; 27 April 1907 – 19 December 1948) was an Indonesian politician and journalist who served as the second prime minister of Indonesia from 1947 until 1948.

Amir Sjarifuddin Harahap was born in Medan, Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia), on 27 April 1907.

He was born into the Sumatran aristocracy.

His grandfather, Mangaraja Monang, was a Batak nobleman – who had been baptized into Christianity and named Ephraim – with the title of Sutan Gunung Tua.

Amir's father, Djamin, was also a nobleman, with the title of Sultan Soripada Harahap, however he later left the religion and became a Muslim, after marrying Amir's mother, Basunu Siregar, a devout Muslim woman who came from a well-respected family from the Malay-Islamic community.

Amir was the eldest child of seven children and was given the title of Sutan Gunung Sualoon.

He came from a family of prosecutors, with both his grandfather and father practicing the profession.

In Leiden, Amir stayed at the house of Mrs. Antonie Aris van de Losdrecht–Sizzo, the widow of the evangelist and missionary Antonie Aris van de Loosdrecht, who was killed in Tana Toraja in 1913.

He became involved in the Batak student organization Jong Batak and was becoming increasingly interested in Christianity and the Bible.

As a student, he would become a member of the Perhimpoenan Indonesia ("Indonesian Association"), under the leadership of future-Indonesian vice president Mohammad Hatta.

During his time in Leiden, he began to admire and be influenced by the Count of Mirebeau, Honoré Gabriel Riqueti, and Maximillien Robespierre, both of whom would influence Amir in his later career.

He returned to Indonesia following family troubles, as his father had lost his job as Chief Prosecutor because he punched a prisoner.

Amir began his education in 1914 when he attended the Europeesche Lagere School (ELS) in Medan.

However, in 1916, he was forced to attend a different ELS in Sibolga, as his father was transferred there.

In August 1921, he and his older cousin, Todung Sutan Gunung Mulia, left for the Netherlands.

There, he resided with the Smink family in Haarlem, 29 kilometers north of Leiden.

He continued his education at the Gymnasium in Haarlem, though Mulia returned to Indonesia, as he had completed his schooling already.

After only a year at the Haarlem Gymnasium, he moved to the State Gymnasium of Leiden.

Throughout the 1930s, Amir was active in literary and journalistic circles, joining the editorial board of the newspaper Panorama, together with Liem Koen Hian, Sanusi Pane, and Mohammad Yamin.

He would continue his education at the Rechts Hogeschool, and later converted from Islam to Christianity in 1931, being baptized in the Huria Church, in Batavia.

He would go on to give sermons at the church.

In 1933, due to his political activities, Amir was imprisoned, and almost exiled to the Boven-Digoel concentration camp, had it not for the efforts of his cousin and teacher.

During the Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies, Amir was one of a few prominent Indonesian politicians who actively fought against the Japanese, together with fellow future Prime Minister Sutan Sjahrir.

Following the Proclamation of Indonesian Independence, he was appointed Minister of Information in President Sukarno's Presidential Cabinet.

Later, he was appointed the Minister of Defense following the absence of Supriyadi.

After the fall of Sjahrir's cabinet, Amir was chosen to head the new cabinet, with the backing of a broad coalition.

He faced a backlash over the cabinet's decision to ratify the Renville Agreement, and he resigned from the prime ministership, being succeeded by Vice President Mohammad Hatta as prime minister.

After his ousting, he became involved in the People's Democratic Front (FDR).

Following the beginning of the Madiun Affair, Amir and other FDR leaders rushed to assume control of the newly formed "National Front" government.

In the following weeks, pro-government forces, led by the Siliwangi Division, began pushing the leftist forces back.

During the fighting, Amir was captured, and imprisoned in Yogyakarta.

After the withdrawal of Republican forces after Operation Kraai, he was executed, along with fifty other leftist prisoners.

In 1933, Amir was imprisoned by the Dutch for his Aksi Massa ("Mass Action") essay, an essay published in the Banteng Partindo magazine that encouraged the public to drive out the colonial invaders.

Though in actuality, the essay was written by Mohammad Yamin, with Amir only stated as the author in the published version.

A major leader of the left wing during the Indonesian National Revolution, he previously served as Minister of Information from 1945 until 1946 and Minister of Defense from 1945 until 1948.

Amir was born into the Sumatran aristocracy and was educated at Leiden University.

At Leiden, he became a member of the board of the Gymnasium student association in Haarlem and was involved in the Batak student organization Jong Batak.

He returned to Indonesia due to family troubles but continued his education at the Rechts Hogeschool in Batavia.

After graduating, he became active in literary and journalist circles, joining the editorial board of the newspaper Panorama.

He also became involved with left-wing politics and led a group of younger Marxists in the establishment of the Indonesian People's Movement (Gerindo).