TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Upon receiving news of the Dutch assault on Yogyakarta, Sumitro Djojohadikusumo rushed to Washington, D.C., on December 19, 1948. At the time, he had been in New York. He traveled some 364 kilometers carrying a document he called a memorandum.
Yogyakarta was then serving as Indonesia's temporary capital. Sumitro headed to Washington to meet United States Secretary of State Robert A. Lovett.
Meeting Lovett the following day, Sumitro verbally outlined the contents of the letter. He said the Dutch had violated the Renville Agreement brokered by the United Nations Security Council. Under the accord signed earlier that year, both the Netherlands and Indonesia were supposed to withdraw troops from the battlefield.
Indonesia, Sumitro argued, had complied with the agreement by withdrawing 33,000 troops. The Dutch violation became even more severe, he said, after they arrested Indonesian leaders such as Sukarno, Mohammad Hatta, and Sutan Sjahrir during what became known as the Second Dutch Military Aggression.
Sumitro believed the Dutch had stabbed Indonesia in the back. He compared the Netherlands to Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, who attacked France and its allies in 1940, as well as Japan's assault on Pearl Harbor in 1941. "They gave no warning before launching the attack," Sumitro wrote, as quoted by Aristides Katoppo in Sumitro Djojohadikusumo: Jejak Perlawanan Begawan Pejuang (Sumitro Djojohadikusumo: The Resistance Journey of a Warrior Sage).
The Apple Falls Far from the Tree
5 jam lalu
Prabowo's programs are considered as contradicting many of the ideas championed by Sumitro Djojohadikusumo. The state's role is excessive.
Speaking Through Writing
1 hari lalu
Sumitro Djojohadikusumo enjoyed a measure of privilege because his father, Margono Djojohadikusumo, was a banker during the Dutch colonial era.
A Populist Vision That Ended in Disappointment
1 hari lalu
With a populist economic vision, Sumitro initiated food diversification during the New Order era.
Is Prabowonomics Consistent with Sumitronomics?
1 hari lalu
On many occasions, President Prabowo has stated that his economic worldview was profoundly shaped by the ideas of his father, the late Sumitro.
The Divergent Economics of Sumitro's Son
2 hari lalu
Unlike his father, Prabowo Subianto is running Indonesia's economy recklessly and without fiscal discipline.
CIA's Arms Offer in Singapore
2 hari lalu
Sumitro Djojohadikusumo became one of the figures who opened path for PRRI to obtain weapons supplies. The movement was not controlled by CIA, he says
Prabowo's Suharto-style Budgeting
16 Januari 2026
The government was late publishing the 2026 State Budget Law. Economic risks are increasing at a time when budgeting is losing credibility.
Prabowo Says His Economic Thinking Shaped by Sumitro's Philosophy
16 Oktober 2025
President Prabowo said his late father, Sumitro Djojohadikusumo, adhered to a mixed economic philosophy that integrated socialism and capitalism.
Profile of Sumitro Djojohadikusumo, Prabowo's Father and Leader of the Indonesian Socialist Party
24 Juli 2025
President Prabowo Subianto recalls his father, Sumitro Djojohadikoesoemo, when hearing the acronym PSI, which stands for the Solidarity Indonesia Party.
Prabowo's Style of Capitalism
18 Februari 2025
Danantara is President Prabowo's style of capitalism. Realizing the dream of his father.
