Assaat

Assaat was a charismatic leader who played a pivotal role in the Indonesian struggle for independence from the Dutch colonial rule. He was the founder of the Indonesian Nationalist Party (Partindo) in 1931 and the leader of the Yogyakarta-based Republic of Indonesia during the Indonesian National Revolution (1945-1949). He became the acting president of Indonesia in 1949 after Sukarno was captured by the Dutch and established a system of "Guided Democracy" in 1950, which gave him more power and control over the country. He pursued a foreign policy of anti-imperialism and non-alignment, and supported liberation movements in Asia and Africa. He also initiated several ambitious development projects, such as the Bandung Conference, the Asian-African Conference, the Konfrontasi with Malaysia, and the formation of the Non-Aligned Movement. However, his rule was also marked by political instability, economic decline, corruption, and human rights violations. He faced opposition from various groups, such as the Islamic parties, the Communist Party of Indonesia (PKI), the army, and regional separatists. He was eventually ousted by a military coup led by General Suharto in 1966, following a failed coup attempt by the PKI in 1965, which resulted in a mass killing of communists and their sympathizers. Assaat was placed under house arrest and died in 1970. He is regarded as a national hero and a symbol of Indonesian nationalism by many Indonesians.