TWO photographs from historian Harry A. Poeze’s collection capture the final moments of a man dressed entirely in white. He walked with a straight back even as death approached. Several armed soldiers escorted him to his predetermined place of execution. Meanwhile, thousands of pairs of eyes, from small children to adults, stared intently at him.
The man was Dr. Wiroreno, the Regent of Pati who sided with Musso during the 1948 Madiun Incident. He served as Chairman of the People’s Democratic Front (FDR) in Pati. Musso was declared responsible for the events in Madiun. The Indonesian Communist Party was accused of being the culprit of the incident. The FDR, led by former Prime Minister Amin Sjarifuddin, was also implicated.
As a party deemed guilty by the Sukarno-Hatta government, Wiroreno faced the death penalty imposed by the military authorities. He died after a bullet pierced his heart during an execution under a shady banyan tree in Pati’s town square. That news in November 1948 was the first tragedy for Maria Ullfah and Santoso.
Ingin membaca lebih lanjut?
Langgani historia.id untuk terus membaca postingan eksklusif ini.
