Ali Sastroamidjojo

Ali Sastroamidjojo was an Indonesian politician and diplomat who served in various political and diplomatic roles during the presidency of Sukarno, most notably as a cabinet minister, prime minister, chairman of the Indonesian National Party (PNI), and permanent representative to the United Nations. Ali was born in Grabag, Purworejo, Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia), to an aristocratic family from Magelang and studied at Leiden University. During his studies, he was active in a number of youth organizations, including the Jong Java and the Perhimpoenan Indonesia associations. He was briefly arrested by the Dutch in 1927, but was released shortly thereafter. In 1928, he began practicing as a lawyer and began publishing the Djanget magazine in Surakarta. During this time, he became involved in the struggle for independence, joining the Indonesian Nationalist Party (PNI). However, when the PNI was dissolved by Dutch authorities, he moved to Gerindo (Indonesian People's Movement). Following the proclamation of Indonesian Independence in 1945, he continued his activities in politics and government, becoming deputy minister of education in the first Indonesian cabinet. He would go on to serve as Minister of Education in the Amir Syarifuddin Cabinet and the Hatta Cabinet. He then served as deputy chairman of the delegation of the Republic of Indonesia in negotiations with the Netherlands and became a member of the delegation of the Republic of Indonesia in the negotiations of the Round Table Conference. In 1950, he became the first Indonesian ambassador to the United States, and later also served as ambassador to Canada. In 1953, he returned to Indonesia and became the eighth prime minister of Indonesia, succeeding Wilopo. He led the first Ali Sastroamidjojo Cabinet, which lasted until 1955. During his tenure, he oversaw the first general election in Indonesia, the establishment of the Planning Bureau, and the Bandung Conference. He also faced several challenges, such as regional rebellions, economic difficulties, and political conflicts. In 1956, he became the tenth prime minister of Indonesia, succeeding Burhanuddin Harahap. He led the second Ali Sastroamidjojo Cabinet, which lasted until 1957. During his second term, he issued the Djuanda Declaration, which asserted Indonesia's sovereignty over its surrounding waters and established it as an archipelagic state. He also faced the escalation of the conflict with the Netherlands over West Papua, which led to the nationalization of Dutch assets and the withdrawal of Indonesia from the United Nations. In 1957, Sukarno appointed himself prime minister but retained Ali as first minister with much the same duties as before. He continued to serve in this position until 1959, when Sukarno abolished the parliamentary system and introduced the Guided Democracy. Ali then became the chairman of the PNI, but his influence in politics declined as Sukarno favored the Indonesian Communist Party and the army. In 1960, he became the permanent representative of Indonesia to the United Nations, and served until 1963. He then retired from politics and lived a quiet life until his death in 1975. He was buried in the Kalibata Heroes Cemetery in Jakarta. He is regarded as one of the founding fathers of Indonesia and a respected statesman and diplomat. He is also depicted in the recent 2016 edition of Rp 50,000 Indonesian rupiah banknotes.