Subandrio | |
|---|---|
 Subandrio in 1964 | |
| 10th Minister of Foreign Affairs | |
| In office 9 April 1957 – 28 March 1966 | |
| President | Sukarno |
| Preceded by | Ruslan Abdulgani |
| Succeeded by | Adam Malik |
| 1st Ambassador of Indonesia to the United Kingdom | |
| In office 1949–1954 | |
| President | Sukarno |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Soepomo |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1914-09-15)15 September 1914 Malang,Dutch East Indies |
| Died | 3 July 2004(2004-07-03) (aged 89) Jakarta, Indonesia |
| Political party | PSI (former member) |
| Occupation | |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Indonesia |
| Branch/service | Indonesian Air Force |
| Years of service | 1945–1964 |
| Rank | Air admiral (titular)[1] |
| Commands | State Intelligence Agency |
| Battles/wars | Indonesian National Revolution |
Subandrio (15 September 1914 – 3 July 2004) was an Indonesian politician Foreign Minister and First DeputyPrime Minister of Indonesia under PresidentSukarno.[2] Removed from office following thefailed 1965 coup, he spent 29 years in prison.
The spelling "Subandrio" has been official in Indonesia since 1947 but the older spellingSoebandrio is still sometimes used.
Subandrio was born inMalang,East Java, and educated at the Sekolah Tinggi Kedokteran Jakarta (GHS) inJakarta. As a medical student, he was active in the independence movement. DuringWorld War II, while practicing medicine, he worked withanti-Japanese resistance forces. His wife,Hurustiati Subandrio, was also a politically active medical doctor. After the war, he was appointed secretary-general of the information ministry.
After 1945 Subandrio became a supporter of the nationalist leader Sukarno and was sent as Sukarno's special envoy inEurope, establishing an information office inLondon in 1947. From 1954 to 1956, he was ambassador to theSoviet Union. During this time he developed strong left-wing views, although he was never a Communist as later alleged.
In 1956 Sukarno recalled him to Jakarta to become secretary-general of the foreign ministry, and thenForeign Minister. In 1960 he was also made Second Deputy Prime Minister, and in 1962 he was appointed Minister for Foreign Economic Relations. He held all three posts, and also acted as intelligence chief, until 1966.
Subandrio was the main architect of Indonesia's left-wing foreign policy during this period, including the alliance with thePeople's Republic of China and the policy of "Confrontation" withMalaysia, which created great hostility between Indonesia and the Western powers, particularly theUnited States and theUnited Kingdom. He was heavily involved in theSunda Straits Crisis of 1964 when the British aircraft carrierHMSVictorious passed through Indonesian waters without proper approval.[3]
On 30 September 1965 a group of army officers, allegedly supported by the powerfulCommunist Party of Indonesia (PKI), attacked a part of the Army leadership that was supposedly plotting to overthrow Sukarno. Six Army generals were killed but the alleged "coup attempt" failed. In the resultinganti-communist backlash, an anti-communist GeneralSuharto took control of the government. Sukarno tried to retain Subandrio in the cabinet, but in 1966 he was forced to agree to his dismissal.
Subandrio was sentenced to death by the Extraordinary Military Court on charges of being involved in the "30 September Movement," although there was no real evidence that Subandrio knew of the plot in advance or played any part in it (he was inSumatra at the time[4]). This sentence was afterward reduced to life imprisonment upon the request of the British government on behalf ofQueen Elizabeth, as it was remembered that Subandrio was Indonesia's first envoy to theU.K. He remained in prison until 1995 when he was released due to ill health. He died in Jakarta in 2004.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Foreign minister ofIndonesia 1957–1966 | Succeeded by |
| Diplomatic posts | ||
| New title Position established | Ambassador of Indonesia to the United Kingdom 1949–1954 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Ambassador of Indonesia to the Soviet Union 1954–1956 | Succeeded by |
 | .svg) | ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
