Today's History, May 19, 1933: Netherlands Orders Arrest Of Rasuna Said

The arrest of a female Indonesian independence fighter, Rasuna Said, by the Dutch is noted as today's historical events, May 19, 1933. (Indonesian National Archives)

JAKARTA - In today's history, 89 years ago, on May 19, 1933, the Attorney General for the Dutch East Indies, RJM Verheijen, suggested to immediately paralyzing movement figures in Minangkabau. Rasuna Said is at the top of the list. The movement of the woman who is familiarly called Sis Una is considered dangerous.

She was able to burn the spirits of the Minangkabau people with her rhetoric. In fact, the echo is not inferior to the figures of the male movement. The Netherlands was in trouble. It's against two sides. The men's movement and the women's movement.

Education is an important thing that is obtained by women. That is the message that is often voiced by Rasuna Said. Because, she herself felt it when she entered the Thawalib School in Panyinggahan, Maninjau. The school makes you able to think critically. She also became sensitive to the suffering of the people because they were colonized by the Dutch.

She also equipped herself with sufficient religious knowledge. Because of that, Una grew up to be an anti-colonial person. After that, she also devoted herself to politics in West Sumatra. This provision gave her the opportunity to hone her rhetorical skills on the podium.

The house where Rasuna Said was born in Maninjau, West Sumatra which is now used as a cultural heritage by the Regional Government of Agam Regency. (Wikimedia Commons)

Every time Sis Una gave a speech on the pulpit, the freedom fighters and women were immediately filled with enthusiasm. Her ability is what makes Una nicknamed the Minangkabau Lioness.

All of her messages were able to pounce on the souls of fighters to immediately launch resistance to the Dutch colonialists. She's not afraid to die either. In fact, Una has always been at the forefront of mobilizing women.

“Rasuna Said's speech ability that she got from her teacher, H. Udin Rahmani in Sumatra, (School) Thawalib, turned out to be very helpful for her party's political propaganda activities. When she comes to a place, people come in and listen to her political lectures."

“PID (Dutch secret police) agents always target her and follow her movements. Not infrequently in the middle of her speech, Rasuna was forced to stop and was lowered from the podium. Because of her courage to criticize the Dutch government, she was nicknamed: the lioness,” Jajang Jahroni in the book Ulama Perempuan Indonesia (2002).

Sis Una's ability to burn the spirit of the Minangkabau people was heard by the rulers of the Dutch East Indies. Sis Una's spirit must be extinguished immediately, they thought. The Attorney General of the Netherlands, Verheijen, has repeatedly sent messages to the Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies, Bonifacius Cornelis de Jonge, to monitor the actions of the Minangkabau Lioness.

Rasuna Said's self-portrait. (Wikimedia Commons)

The latest message came on May 19, 1933. It contained Verheijen urging De Jonge to immediately turn off the steps of Rasuna Said and her friends. The message was responded to immediately. Sis Una was also arrested by the Dutch. But prison did not deter her. She still struggles in her own way to liberate the nation.

“There are not many figures like Rasuna Said and Rasimah Ismail. At many meetings, women make up the majority. Often they speak more sharply and more passionately than the men. The Dutch East Indies government saw the possibility of greater difficulties in the future, so if necessary it prohibited a woman from speaking at a meeting.”

“Among the women speakers, of course, there were those who often cited India who passively and non-violently resisting colonial rule, as taught by Mahatma Gandhi. The opinion of the Dutch official clearly shows that the Netherlands respects Minangkabau women who play a role in political movements," said Rosihan Anwar in the book Sejarah Kecil “Petite Histoire” Indonesia Jilid 1 (2009).

The order for the arrest of the Indonesian independence fighter, Rasuna Said by the Dutch on May 19, 1933, is part of today's history.