The Short, Troubled Life of a Presidential Aide's Memoir

The nearly 600-page memoir of Oei Tjoe Tat, a former state minister under President Sukarno, faced a long and uncertain path to potential publication. Oei began writing his life story in 1985, prompted by his wife, Kwee Loan Nio, who wished for their children to know the man behind his public persona.

Oei Tjoe Tat endured nearly 12 years of detention without ever standing trial, a consequence of his close ties to President Sukarno. The manuscript first came to the attention of Stanley Adi Prasetyo, the memoir's eventual main editor, in 1986. Prasetyo received it from Soe Hok Djin, also known as Arief Budiman, a prominent Chinese-Indonesian activist and the elder brother of another activist, Soe Hok Gie.

Initially, Prasetyo reproduced the manuscript using a mimeograph machine and distributed it on a limited basis among academics and discussion groups at Satya Wacana Christian University in Salatiga, Central Java. Oei himself remained hesitant about wider distribution. Even after Prasetyo moved to Jakarta for work in 1990, he continued to persuade Oei to publish the memoir. He garnered support from notable figures such as writer Pramoedya Ananta Toer, future president Abdurrahman Wahid, American scholar Daniel Saul Lev, and Catholic priest Yusuf Bilyarta Mangunwijaya.

The article also references related pieces about Oei Tjoe Tat, highlighting his role in Indonesian history, his appointment as minister due to his work in civic organizations and closeness to Sukarno's family, his experiences and loyalty tested during imprisonment, his involvement in the "Crush Malaysia" campaign, and his significance as a loyalist of Sukarno who fought for equal rights for Chinese Indonesians.

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Pak Oei still refused to distribute the memoir widely.