A HANDFUL OF TRIBUTE:
Somenggalan War Heroes Cemetery, Kemusuk village, Argomulyo, Bantul, Yogyakarta.
Author: Roto Suwarno
Publisher: -
Year: 1991
ISBN: -
EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK:
Kemusuk Village, Sedayu Sub district, Bantul Regency, in the Exclusive Region of Yogyakarta, has become well known because a son of the village has become the second President of the Republic of Indonesia.
Not only is the village famous for this fact, but it is steeped in stories of heroic struggles, worthy of historical recognition. This is especially true for the village residents. Not so long ago, in early 1949, when the city of Yogyakarta was occupied by the Dutch military, the Kemusuk Village received many onslaughts by the Dutch Military during its ‘cleansing operations’. One of the Dutch Military’s main objectives was to capture Soeharto who, at the time, was the highest ranking Military Commander in the Exclusive Region of Yogyakarta. This is a man born in Kemusuk, and regarded by the Dutch Military as a gang leader or the head of the Yogyakarta Extremists. He was accused of aggressions by the Dutch Military due to his tactical guerilla warfare against them.
Just like the other villages throughout the country, Kemusuk lost a lot of lives during the struggles to gain national independence, battling against the threats of the enemies’ return. It is believed that, between the period of January and May 1949, as many as 198 people (both combat fighters and civilians) lost their lives in Kemusuk and the surrounding area during confrontations with the Dutch Military.
The leaders of this resistance became known as war heroes or martyrs of the struggles for independence.
“Only great nations can appreciate their heroes”, said Bung Karno, the Proclaimer of Independence of the Republic of Indonesia.
Please note that this book is only available in the Indonesian language. The translation above is only intended to provide a limited description of the book.