B.M. Diah

Burhanuddin Mohammad Diah (7 April 1917 – 10 June 1996), born only as Burhanuddin, was an Indonesian journalist, diplomat, and businessman, who served as the 18th Indonesian Minister of Information from 1966 until 1968, under the presidencies of Sukarno and Suharto, during the transition to the New Order.

He was present at the time of the Proclamation of Independence was being formulated, and was a figure who played an important role in saving the original text of the Proclamation.

Born in Banda Aceh, on 7 April 1917.

He was educated at the Hollandsch-Inlandsche School (HIS) and continued his education at Taman Siswa Medan.

He migrated to Jakarta, and studied at the Ksatrian Instituut, majoring in journalism.

He worked as a newspaper editor and later worked at a number of media positions during the Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies.

He was present at the creation of the Proclamation of Independence, and he saved the original handwritten draft of the proclamation by Sukarno, after taking the draft from a trash can.

After Indonesia's independence, he served in government, becoming ambassadors to both Communist Hungary and Czechoslovakia.

Burhanuddin Mohammad Diah, born only as Burhanuddin, was born on 7 April 1917, in Kotaraja (now Banda Aceh).

His father was Mohammad Diah, a customs officer and translator from Barus, North Sumatra.

While his mother was an Acehnese housewife named Siti Sa'idah.

He was the youngest of 8 children, he also has two half brothers from his father's second marriage.

He grew up moderately wealthy, though a week after his birth, his father passed away.

His mother took over responsibility of him, before dying 8 years later, resulting in him being raised by his older sister, Siti Hafsyah.

He underwent his education at the Hollandsch-Inlandsche School (HIS) and continued his education at Taman Siswa Medan.

When he was 17 years old, he migrated to Jakarta and studied at the Ksatrian Instituut, which was led by Ernest Douwes Dekker, where he majored in journalism.

After graduating, he returned to Medan and became editor of the daily Sinar Deli.

A year and a half later, he returned to Jakarta and worked at the Sin Po daily as a temporary worker.

Soon, he moved to Warta Harian, though Seven months later, the newspaper was disbanded because it was considered a security hazard.

Burhanuddin later set up his own business, the monthly Pertjatoeran Doenia.

After the Japanese invaded and occupied the Dutch East Indies, Burhanuddin worked at Radio Hosokyoku as an English broadcaster.

At the same time he also worked at Asia Raya as an assistant editor.

In April 1945, with his wife, he founded an English-language newspaper, the Indonesian Observer.

When it was discovered that he also worked elsewhere, he was sent to prison for four days.

In June 1945 Diah was involved in the founding of the Indonesian New Forces Movement, a federation of youth groups for the struggle for Indonesian independence.

The meeting was held at Villa Isola in Bandung.

Diah was appointed chairman of the founding committee.

"'The New Forces movement that I lead is a group of young people who are eager to do something, want to act, are restless in their dynamics and militancy to consciously determine the fate of their own nation and homeland. [...] It needs to be formed to overcome the inertia of thinking and acting from the older people, even though they are considered to be more experienced in the political field,'"

Following the end of World War II, after the surrender of Japan, the Asia Raya newspaper was closed.

He, together with a number of colleagues, such as Joesoef Isak and Rosihan Anwar, took up arms and seized the "Djawa Shimbun" printing press, a Japanese printing press which previously published Asia Raya.

On 1 October 1945, he founded the Harian Merdeka.

Burhanuddin became the editor-in-chief, while Joesoef Isak became his deputy, and Rosihan Anwar became the editor.

Later, Joesoef Isak, a Sukarnoist, had to be dismissed at the insistence of the New Order government, while Rosihan Anwar eventually founded his own newspaper the "Harian Pedoman."

Burhanuddin was also present during the writing of the Proclamation of Independence, in the house of Japanese admiral Tadashi Maeda, where Sukarno, Hatta, and Achmad Soebardjo drafted the text of the proclamation.

After the draft was approved members of the Preparatory Committee for Indonesian Independence (PPKI) who were present, Sukarno asked Sayuti Melik to type it.

Burhanuddin accompanied Sayuti Melik while he typed.

After the typed text was signed by Sukarno and Hatta, Sayuti simply threw away the draft.

In 1964, he was appointed Ambassador to the United Kingdom, and later became the Minister of Information in 1966, during the uneasy transition to the New Order. Later he served in the People's Representative Council and the Supreme Advisory Council.

He also founded a hotel in Jakarta, the Hyatt Aryaduta.

He died on 10 June 1996, his body was interred at the Kalibata Heroes Cemetery in a military ceremony, with Harmoko acting as the ceremonial inspector.