Musso and the Madiun Movement

By Budi Setyarso et al.

His name was Musso, a son of Kediri known for his religious diligence as a child. Having received his political education while staying at the boarding house of HOS Tjokroaminoto, his influence during the early years of independence should not be underestimated. In fact, the role played by Musso should be set alongside those played by Sukarno, Hatta, Sjahrir and Tan Malaka.

He studied politics in Moscow, Russia, and observed up-close the strategies employed by European communist movements. He dreamed that his homeland would one day be a just, egalitarian and free nation. He opted for the radical path, parting company with his non-communist contemporaries, even those on the left whom he deemed insufficiently radical. It was radicalism that drove him, and he devoted himself to cultivating a movement that was little more than a seed in his youth. At the end of October, 62 years ago, Musso joined the ranks of the fallen.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tempo Publishing
• Release date: Sep 3, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301369683

Book preview

Musso and the Madiun Movement

By Budi Setyarso et al.

Published by Tempo Publishing at Smashwords

Copyrights 2013 Tempo

ISBN: 9781301369683

Illustration on Cover by Kendra H. Paramita

MADIUN was shaken by violence on September 18, 1948. Troops of the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) led by Soemarsono disarmed members of the army and the police. After taking control of Madiun, PKI leaders replaced all administrators from the level of regents to village chiefs with PKI cadre, experts in war and propaganda. Although the city was retaken two weeks later, the Madiun Movement to this day is known as a rebellion.

Why are the surviving PKI leaders and historians denying this?

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TABLE OF CONTENT:

From Pious Youth to Radical Left The Proclaimer’s Political Guru

Betrayal in Singapore

Back from the Dead

An Indonesian Voice from the Steppes

Going to Ground

A Bloody End in Madiun

The Return of the Old Communist

Walking the Radical Road

A Month with Oude Heer

One Night at Proklamasi 56

American Myths at the Base of Lawu

A Diversion Before Madiun

After the Three Gunshots

Soemarsono: We did not rebel

Mystery of the Letter for Sukarno-Hatta

A Post-Madiun Clean Sweep

Premature in Madiun

The Chairman's End Game

Deaths at Rawa Klambu

Released for Revolution’s Sake

Madiun and Musso’s New Road

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MUSSO SPECIAL REPORT TEAM OF TEMPO NOVEMBER 16, 2010

TEAM LEADER: Budi Setyarso PROJECT HEAD: Wahyu Dhyatmika EDITORS: Toriq Hadad, Wahyu Muryadi, Arif Zulkifli, Budi Setyarso, Muhammad Taufiqurohman, Idrus F. Shahab, Purwanto Setiadi, L.R. Baskoro, Amarzan Loebis, Bina Bektiati, Nugroho Dewanto, Seno Joko Suyono, Wahyu Dhyatmika, Setri Yasra WRITERS: Wahyu Dhyatmika, Setri Yasra, Sunudyantoro, Dwidjo U. Maksum, Oktamandjaya Wiguna, Purwani Diyah Prabandari, Widiarsih Agustina, Yandhrie Arvian, Yandi M. Rofiyandi, Ramidi, Sapto Pradityo, Budi Riza, Ignatius Yophiandi Kurniawan, Muchamad Nafi , Anton Aprianto, Yuliawati, Erwin Dariyanto, Stefanus Teguh Edi Pramono, Cheta Nilawaty, Nieke Indrieta CONTRIBUTORS: Philipus Parera, Bernarda Rurit (Yogyakarta), Kukuh S. Wibowo (Surabaya), Hari Tri Wasono (Kediri), Ishomuddin (Madiun, Magetan, Ponorogo), Ahmad Rafiq (Solo), Ging Ginanjar (Belgium, Holland) LANGUAGE: Uu Suhardi, Dewi Kartika Teguh W., Sapto Nugroho PHOTOS: Bismo Agung, Hari Tri Wasono, Ishomuddin.

DESIGN: Eko Punto Pambudi, Ehwan Kurniawan, Kendra Paramita, Aji Yuliarto, Hendy Prakasa, Kiagus Aulianshah, Agus Darmawan S.

**

Musso and The Madiun Movement

Many know him as an Indonesian Communist Party leader during the rebellions of 1926 and 1948, the first of which was against the Netherlands Indies colonial government, while the second, in Madiun, East Java, was against the newly established Indonesian government.

His name was Musso, a son of Kediri known for his religious diligence as a child. Having received his political education while staying at the boarding house of HOS Tjokroaminoto, his influence during the early years of independence should not be underestimated. In fact, the role played by Musso should be set alongside those played by Sukarno, Hatta, Sjahrir and Tan Malaka.

He studied politics in Moscow, Russia, and observed up-close the strategies employed by European communist movements. He dreamed that his homeland would one day be a just, egalitarian and free nation. He opted for the radical path, parting company with his non-communist contemporaries, even those on the left whom he deemed insufficiently radical. It was radicalism that drove him, and he devoted himself to cultivating a movement that was little more than a seed in his youth. At the end of October, 62 years ago, Musso joined the ranks of the fallen.

* *

From Pious Youth to Radical Left

The young Musso was a devoted Muslim. He was only introduced to left-wing ideology after he left home to attend school.

BORN as Munawar Muso in 1897, he grew up in Jagung village, Pagu district, Kediri regency, East Java, he and his younger brother were raised in comfortable surroundings. His father, Mas Martoredjo, was an employee at a bank in Wates district, not far from where the family lived. His mother ran the home and the family’s coconut and mango plantations.

In his small village, Musso’s constant companions were Ronodihardjo and a boy who later became known as Kiai Memendung. They were all pious lads and spend much of their time at the Ar-Rahman prayer house, owned by Ki Demang Telo, Ronodihardjo’s father, who made sure that the trio performed their prayers diligently. The prayer house was only 50 meters from the Musso family home. They were always together, recalled Agus Pitono, 47, Ronodihardjo’s grandson, who heard stories about the boys from his grandfather.

Agus said that Musso and Ronodihardjo rode a Soviet-made Ural motorcycle. Not surprising given that their parents were quite well-off. In fact, the Ronodihardjo family owned one-third of the land in Jagung village, while the Musso family also had large landholdings, including holdings in other villages. The Musso home itself was surrounded by some 3 hectares of family-owned land, much of it planted with coconut palms.

Agus said that his mother and grandmother recalled Musso as being a good organizer. Musso, Ronodihardjo and Kiai Kemendung had to part when Musso left home to continue his education at the age of 16. Ronodihardjo inherited his father’s position, while Kiai Kemendung went on the found a pesantren (Islamic religious school) in Kemendung hamlet, Jagung village, which is why he subsequently came to be called Kiai Kemendung.

Whenever Musso returned home to visit his parents, the three boyhood friends would get together. However, as time went by Kiai Kemendung was more often than not absent due to pressure of work in connection with his pesantren. So, there was only my grandfather and Musso. They were like blood brothers, Agus said.

A plot of vacant land in Jagung village now bears mute witness to the early life of Musso, a future leader of the Indonesian Communist Party. The family home, a Javanese aristocratic mansion, has vanished without a trace, having been demolished many years ago. The land, which is now given over to impenetrable scrub and stands of bamboo, is owned by Erny, 55, no relative of Musso.

Erny bought the land from one Sidik, who had acquired the house and 3 hectares that once belonged to Musso’s parents. In the 1970s, Sidik divided up the land into nine plots and sold them for Rp50,000 per ru, a unit of measurement equivalent to 1 x 14.5 meters. Sidik moved to near Mojoroto prison, said Erny three weeks ago. Mojoroto is a district within the municipality of Kediri. However, no trace of Sidik could be found.

About 200 meters from where the Musso house once stood, Nyatin, 80, who had worked there as a maid, now runs a coffee stall. However, she was unwilling to say much about the family. She said she had been warned to keep quiet by men purporting to be intelligence officials. I’m scared, she said.

According to Ruth T. McVey in The Rise of Indonesian Communism, published by Cornell University Press, Ithaca, New York, in 1965, Musso attended teacher training school in what was then Batavia, or Jakarta today. While there, he met Alimin, destined to also become a leading light in the Indonesian leftist struggle. Musso was taken under the wing of G.A.J. Hazau, an advisor on indigenous affairs to the Netherlands Indies government. Hazen had also taken Alimin under his wing. When Hazau