Dutch Minister Soepeno Shot Dead In Today's History, 24 February 1949

JAKARTA - Today, 73 years ago, or on February 24, 1949, the Minister of Development and Youth in the Hatta I Cabinet, Minister Soepeno, was shot dead by the Dutch. He died during a guerrilla against the Dutch. Previously, Soepeno's decision for the guerrilla was to follow General Sudirman's steps. The reason is that the capital city of Indonesia, Yogyakarta has been controlled by the Dutch. Soepeno chose to take up arms. As a form of appreciation, the Indonesian government gave him the title of a national hero.

Since the proclamation of independence, the Dutch have never been willing to let Indonesia go. Dutch military aggression I rolled out. Then the Dutch Military Aggression II. The goal is to return to control Indonesia as before. In the Second Dutch Military Aggression, on December 19, 1948, the Dutch focused their attacks on the Indonesian capital at that time, Yogyakarta.

The attack was carried out by airstrikes. Various buildings were blown up. Including the Republic of Indonesia Radio. As a result, the president and Indonesian ministers were taken prisoner by the Dutch. The ministers who escaped the attack then chose to join the guerrillas with General Sudirman. Soepeno, one of them.

Guerrilla warfare became the way of ninja for the man who was born in Pekalongan, June 12, 1916, to fight. However, his fate was unlucky. He was arrested by the Dutch when Soepeno and his bodyguards were bathing in a spring in Gater Village, Hamlet Ngliman, Nganjuk. In fact, the Dutch have been monitoring Soepeno's activities all this time.

He was also interrogated. The Dutch did not believe that Soepeno came from the common people. According to the Dutch, Soepeno's body odor is different from that of commoners. Not musty. The suspicion made Soepeno shot dead. According to eyewitnesses, when he was shot dead Soepeno was not the least bit scared.

“He (the Dutch soldier) did not believe that Soepeno was just an ordinary resident from that area. Indeed, Soepeno wore a black Warok Ponorogo dress. However, his body odor is not the smell of the people. There is no musty smell like in the common people."

"The Dutch soldier asked once again. But Soepeno kept his mouth shut. The Dutch soldier became irritated. He immediately put the weapon in his hand, right on Soepeno's left temple. But, even so, Soepeno remained strong," concluded Rosihan Anwar regarding the shooting. Minister Soepeno in his book In memoriam: Mengenang yang Wafat (2002).

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