Sutomo

Sutomo (3 October 1920 – 7 October 1981), also known as Bung Tomo (meaning Comrade or Brother Tomo), is best known for his role as an Indonesian military leader during the Indonesian National Revolution against the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. He played a central role in Battle of Surabaya when the British attacked the city in October and November 1945. Sutomo was born in Kampung Blauran in the centre of Surabaya to a clerk father, Kartawan Tjiptowidjojo, and mother of mixed Javanese, Sundanese and Madurese descent. He had received Dutch secondary education before the Japanese occupation. Alongside menial jobs, he joined the Indonesian Scouting organisation and at the age of seventeen as the second Pramuka Garuda; a rank achieved by only three Indonesians before the Japanese occupation during World War II. During the Japanese occupation period, Sutomo was worked for the Dōmei Tsushin (the official news agency of the Empire of Japan) in Surabaya. He became famous by setting up Radio Pemberontakan (Resistance Radio), which promoted unity and fighting spirit among pemuda-pemuda Indonesia (Indonesian youth). In 1944, Sutomo was chosen as a member of the Japanese-sponsored Gerakan Rakyat Baru (New People's Movement) and officer of Pemuda Republik Indonesia (Youth of Indonesian Republic). Indonesian National RevolutionIndonesian People's Revolutionary Front and Battle of Surabaya In 12 October 1945, Sutomo founded and become a leader of Indonesian People's Revolutionary Front (Barisan Pemberontakan Rakyat Indonesia), abbreviated as BPRI, is an Indonesian militia, with its headquarters in Surabaya. BPRI was aimed at realizing and defending the Proclamation of Indonesian Independence, they rallied the people's resistance against the Dutch who wanted to reign Indonesia after the Surrender of Japan in World War II. During the Netherlands Indies Civil Administration (NICA) occupation, in the early stages of the Indonesian National Revolution, in the Bersiap period, Sutomo encouraged atrocities against Indonesians of mixed European–Asian ancestry and personally supervised the summary executions of hundreds of civilians.