Maybe you have seen Frans Kaisiepo on a ten thousand rupiah note issued by Bank Indonesia in 2016. When you saw his name on the 10,000 Rupiah bill issued in 2016, not many people knew who Frans Kaisiepo was and what his services were for Indonesia. What makes it even sadder is when there are a handful of people who also hurl insults at their pictures on the bills.
Frans Kaisiepo is a National Hero who has an important role in the unification of Papua with Indonesia. He was born on October 10, 1921 in Biak, Papua. He was the first person to fly the Red and White Flag in West Irian with great pride. His father was a chief of the Biak Numfor tribe and a blacksmith. His mother died when Frans was two years old. Frans was then entrusted to his aunt so that he grew up with his cousin, Mark. Even though Frans grew up in Wardo Village, which is located in the interior of Biak, he was fortunate to be able to pursue School Education with the Dutch Education system.
In 1928-1931, Frans attended the People's School (Sekolah Rakyat / SR). After graduating from SR he continued to LVVS in Korido until 1934 then to the Normalist Teacher School in Manokwari. Then Frans Kaisiepo attended a crash course in the Civil Service School in the City of Nica, Hollandia (now called Kampung Harapan Jaya) during March to August 1945. At this School, Frans was taught by Soegoro Atmoprasodjo. A teacher from Java who was trusted by the Dutch but taught his students about nationalism.
Soegoro Atmoprasodjo himself was actually an activist from the Indonesian Party (Partindo) and a teacher in Taman Siswa formed by Ki Hadjar Dewantara. In 1935 he was exiled to Boven Digoel Papua because he was accused of being involved in a rebellion against the Dutch. The meeting with Soegoro added to Frans Kaisiepo's love for Indonesia. It was from Soegoro that Frans and his friends at the school knew Indonesia Raya song.
Long before the Free Papua movement emerged. On July 15 to 25, 1946 a conference aimed at forming Indonesian States was held in Malino City, South Sulawesi. The conference was known as the Malino Conference. Frans Kaisiepo attended the Conference as a Representative from Papua.
At the conference, he strongly opposed the Dutch intentions of combining Papua with the Moluccas and including Papua in the State of East Indonesia (Negara Indonesia Timur / NIT). In the end, the State of East Indonesia consisted only of:
- Maluku
- Sulawesi
- Bali
- Nusa Tenggara
While Papua did not become free. The region remained in the grip of Dutch rule and was named Hollandia. At the same conference, Frans also proposed that Papuan leaders be elected from among their own groups and change the name of Papua to Irian. The name Irian comes from the term in Biak which means Hot. The term Irian is often used by Biak Sailors who must wait for the Sun's heat to go to sea. The use of the name Irian as a substitute for Papua seemed to hope that Irian could become the Light of the Attack that drove out the darkness in Indonesia. In the end the name Irian was also made as an acronym (short for words) by President Soekarno from the abbreviation "Join the Republic of Indonesia Anti Netherlands". However, the proposal to change the name and unite Irian with Indonesia did not get support at all, both from the Government of Indonesia or the Netherlands.
Since 1946 there has never been a Representative from Papua for any conference. As a punishment, Frans was sent to study at Opleidingsschool voor Inheemsche Bestuursambtenaren (OSIBA) in the Netherlands.
Fifteen years have passed since the Malino Conference, in 1961, President Ir. Soekarno formed the Mandala Command to plan, prepare and organize a Military Operation to merge Papua and Indonesia. The military operation was given the name Trikora (Tri Komando Rakyat). When he realized that Trikora's goal was in line with his desire to unite Papua with Indonesia, Frans tried to provide as much assistance as possible.
At that time Frans had just founded a Political Party called Irian Partial Indonesia (ISI). Through ISI, Frans Kaisiepo provided assistance to Indonesian volunteers who landed in Mimika. The business was successful. In 1964, the Governor of Papua named Eliezer Jan Bonay was demoted from his position and detained by the Government. Instead, Frans Kaisiepo was appointed Governor of Papua. During his tenure as Governor, many improvements occurred in Papua compared to when led by the Dutch Government. Among these are population growth and increasing levels of community education.
Five years later, in 1969 in West Papua there was a poll to determine the status of the area belonging to Indonesia or the Netherlands. The poll was called Determination of the People's Opinion or better known as the PEPERA. Each region sends representatives to vote and determine the status of Papua.
At that time Frans Kaisiepo had an important role. He often conducts united campaigns with Indonesia to remote areas of Papua, such as: Jayapura, Jayawijaya, Paniai, Fak-Fak, Shove, Manokwari, Teluk Cendrawasih, up to Merauke with the aim of trying to convince Council Members in these areas to choose to join Indonesia.
Not stopping there, Frans Kaisiepo was chosen as the Indonesian Delegation to witness the ratification of the results of the Act at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. After retiring as Governor of Papua, Frans Kaisiepo was asked to move to Jakarta by the Indonesian Government. In the capital, he was appointed as an employee in the Ministry of the Interior and a Member of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR). In addition he was also appointed as a Member of the Supreme Advisory Council (DPA) for the period 1973-1979.
Frans was first married to Anthomina Arwam and has three children. Two of them are girls, named Beatrix Kaisiepo Wanma and Susana Kaisiepo Manggaprouw, and a boy named Manuel Kaisiepo. After his wife died, he remarried a woman from Demak, Central Java named Maria Magdalena Moorwahyuni. From the marriage that took place on November 12, 1973, both of them were blessed with a son named Victor Kaisiepo
Frans died in Jakarta on April 10, 1979 due to a heart attack after being treated for several days in a hospital in Jakarta. Frans's death is filled with mystery. At that time, it was said that Frans was trying to uncover the truth about fraud in the implementation of the Act of Free Choice. But suddenly he was rumored to have died. Even so, no one knows for sure whether his death was normal or someone killed him.
Fourteen years passed, precisely on September 14, 1993, the Government of Indonesia finally recognized its services to Indonesia. For his services, Frans Kaisiepo was awarded the National Hero. In addition, his name was also immortalized as the name of one of the Navy Warships under the name KRI Frans Kaisiepo (368). This warship was made in 2006 in the Netherlands and began serving in 2009 at the Eastern Armada Navy Base in Surabaya City.
Not only as the name of a warship, the name Frans Kaisiepo was also embedded in the name of the International Airport on Biak Island. This airport is the 4th longest runway airport in Indonesia after Hang Nadim Airport (Batam), Kaualanamu (Medan), and Soekarno-Hatta (Tangerang).
This is the figure of Frans Kaisiepo, the first Red and White Pengibar in the Land of Papua. So hard was his struggle as a child of the nation who was deeply in love with his country. And we should also appreciate our government for not forgetting his services by giving awards as an Indonesian National Hero and pinning his name on Indonesian Warships, Airports and Banknotes. It is appropriate that we all try to recognize and respect every Hero in Indonesia. Because without the presence of these heroes, Indonesia would not be a country as it is today. Now ask each of us "What have we done to appreciate his services so far" ? Don't forget to help support us by Follow or Ikuti this blog. Hope it is useful for all of us. :)
Source : wikipedia, kokominfo.
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