Kemal Idris

Ahmad Kemal Idris (born Singaraja, Bali, February 10, 1923 – died Jakarta, July 28, 2010) was a prominent Indonesian Army general during the 1950s and 1960s. He was an Indonesian guerrilla leader during the Indonesian National Revolution, who in 1949 was involved in continued resistance to the Dutch forces after they occupied Yogyakarta.

Poncke Princen, the Dutch soldier who went over to the guerrillas, served under Idris's command.

Idris participated in the October 17, 1952 affair in which a group of Indonesian Army officers staged a failed coup attempt that would have forced the dissolution of the People's Representative Council (DPR, the parliament) and put President Sukarno as the supreme leader of Indonesia.^[1] As a consequence of his action, Idris failed to receive any significant promotion within the Army for 13 years.^[1]

In 1965–1966, Idris was chief of staff of the Strategic Reserve Command (KOSTRAD), and had an important role in the overthrow of Sukarno and the rise of General Suharto to power.^[2]

Nevertheless, by 1980 Idris had a falling out with Suharto and he was part of group of senior Indonesian retired generals and politicians to sign a petition highlighting their concerns against Suharto increasing authoritarian rule. This group was later known as the Petisi 50 group, highlighting the number of its signatories.^[1]

As a result of his involvement with Petisi 50, Idris and his colleagues were sidelined and isolated by the Suharto government. Nevertheless, he managed to set up a garbage collection company in Jakarta, earning him the nickname of jenderal sampah ("waste general").^[1]

Idris died in Jakarta on July 28, 2010, due to complications from pneumonia.^[3]

References

1. "Obituary: Dissident 'waste general' Kemal Idris dies". The Jakarta Post. 29 July 2010.
2. John Bresnan, "Managing Indonesia – The Modern Political Economy", Ch. 2., Columbia University Press, New York, 1993
3. "Former Army general, govt critic Kemal Idris dies". The Jakarta Post. 28 July 2010.