Pramoedya Ananta Toer
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Pramoedya Ananta Toer ( EYD: Pramudya Ananta Tur; 6 February 1925 – 30 April 2006), also nicknamed Pram, was an Indonesian
novelist A novelist is an author or writer of novels, though often novelists also write in other genres of both fiction and non-fiction. Some novelists are professional novelists, thus make a living wage, living writing novels and other fiction, while other ...
and writer. His works span the colonial period under Dutch rule, Indonesia's struggle for independence, its occupation by Japan during
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, as well as the post-colonial authoritarian
regime In politics, a regime (also spelled régime) is a system of government that determines access to public office, and the extent of power held by officials. The two broad categories of regimes are democratic and autocratic. A key similarity acros ...
s of
Sukarno Sukarno (6 June 1901 – 21 June 1970) was an Indonesian statesman, orator, revolutionary, and nationalist who was the first president of Indonesia, serving from 1945 to 1967. Sukarno was the leader of the Indonesian struggle for independenc ...
and
Suharto Suharto (8 June 1921 – 27 January 2008) was an Indonesian Officer (armed forces), military officer and politician, and dictator, who was the second and longest serving president of Indonesia, serving from 1967 to 1998. His 32 years rule, cha ...
, and are infused with personal and national history. Pramoedya's writings sometimes fell out of favour with the colonial and later the
authoritarian Authoritarianism is a political system characterized by the rejection of political plurality, the use of strong central power to preserve the political ''status quo'', and reductions in democracy, separation of powers, civil liberties, and ...
native governments in power. He faced
censorship Censorship is the suppression of speech, public communication, or other information. This may be done on the basis that such material is considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, or "inconvenient". Censorship can be conducted by governmen ...
in Indonesia during the pre- ''Reformasi'' era even though he was well-known outside Indonesia. Dutch authorities imprisoned him from 1947 to 1949 during the War of Independence. During the transition to the Suharto regime, he was caught up in the shifting tides of political change and power struggles. Suharto had him imprisoned from 1969 to 1979 on the Maluku island of
Buru Buru (formerly spelled Boeroe, Boro, or Bouru) is the third largest island within the Maluku Islands of Indonesia. It lies between the Banda Sea to the south and Seram Sea to the north, west of Ambon Island, Ambon and Seram Island, Seram island ...
and branded him a Communist. He was seen as a holdover from the previous regime, despite having struggled with it. It was on the Island of Buru that he composed his most famous work, the Buru Quartet. Not permitted access to writing materials, he recited the story orally to other prisoners before it was written down and smuggled out. Pramoedya opposed some policies of founding President
Sukarno Sukarno (6 June 1901 – 21 June 1970) was an Indonesian statesman, orator, revolutionary, and nationalist who was the first president of Indonesia, serving from 1945 to 1967. Sukarno was the leader of the Indonesian struggle for independenc ...
as well as the New Order regime of
Suharto Suharto (8 June 1921 – 27 January 2008) was an Indonesian Officer (armed forces), military officer and politician, and dictator, who was the second and longest serving president of Indonesia, serving from 1967 to 1998. His 32 years rule, cha ...
, Sukarno's successor. Political criticisms were often subtle in his writing, although he was outspoken against colonialism, racism, and corruption of the new Indonesian government. During the many years in which he suffered imprisonment and house arrest (in Jakarta after his imprisonment in Buru), he became a ''
cause célèbre A ( , ; pl. ''causes célèbres'', pronounced like the singular) is an issue or incident arousing widespread controversy, outside campaigning, and heated public debate. The term is sometimes used positively for celebrated legal cases for th ...
'' for advocates of human rights and freedom of expression.


Early years

Pramoedya was born on 6 February 1925, in the town of Blora in the heartland of
Java Java is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea (a part of Pacific Ocean) to the north. With a population of 156.9 million people (including Madura) in mid 2024, proje ...
, then a part of the
Dutch East Indies The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies (; ), was a Dutch Empire, Dutch colony with territory mostly comprising the modern state of Indonesia, which Proclamation of Indonesian Independence, declared independence on 17 Au ...
. He was the firstborn son in his family; his father was a teacher, who was also active in Boedi Oetomo (the first recognized indigenous national organization in Indonesia) and his mother was a rice trader. His maternal grandfather had taken the pilgrimage to
Mecca Mecca, officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, is the capital of Mecca Province in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia; it is the Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, in a narrow valley above ...
. As it is written in his semi-autobiographical collection of short stories "Cerita Dari Blora", his name was originally Pramoedya Ananta Mastoer. However, he felt that the family name Mastoer (his father's name) seemed too aristocratic. The Javanese prefix "Mas" refers to a man of a higher rank in a noble family. Consequently, he omitted "Mas" and kept Toer as his family name. He went on to the Radio Vocational School in
Surabaya Surabaya is the capital city of East Java Provinces of Indonesia, province and the List of Indonesian cities by population, second-largest city in Indonesia, after Jakarta. Located on the northeastern corner of Java island, on the Madura Strai ...
but had barely graduated from the school when Japan invaded Surabaya (1942). During
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, Pramoedya (like many Indonesian Nationalists,
Sukarno Sukarno (6 June 1901 – 21 June 1970) was an Indonesian statesman, orator, revolutionary, and nationalist who was the first president of Indonesia, serving from 1945 to 1967. Sukarno was the leader of the Indonesian struggle for independenc ...
and
Suharto Suharto (8 June 1921 – 27 January 2008) was an Indonesian Officer (armed forces), military officer and politician, and dictator, who was the second and longest serving president of Indonesia, serving from 1967 to 1998. His 32 years rule, cha ...
among them) at first supported the occupying forces of
Imperial Japan The Empire of Japan, also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was the Japanese nation state that existed from the Meiji Restoration on January 3, 1868, until the Constitution of Japan took effect on May 3, 1947. From Japan–Kor ...
. He believed the Japanese to be the lesser of two evils, compared to the Dutch. He worked as a typist for a Japanese newspaper in
Jakarta Jakarta (; , Betawi language, Betawi: ''Jakartè''), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta (; ''DKI Jakarta'') and formerly known as Batavia, Dutch East Indies, Batavia until 1949, is the capital and largest city of Indonesia and ...
. As the war went on, however, Indonesians were dismayed by the austerity of wartime
rationing Rationing is the controlled distribution (marketing), distribution of scarcity, scarce resources, goods, services, or an artificial restriction of demand. Rationing controls the size of the ration, which is one's allowed portion of the resourc ...
and by increasingly harsh measures taken by the Japanese military. The Nationalist forces loyal to
Sukarno Sukarno (6 June 1901 – 21 June 1970) was an Indonesian statesman, orator, revolutionary, and nationalist who was the first president of Indonesia, serving from 1945 to 1967. Sukarno was the leader of the Indonesian struggle for independenc ...
switched their support to the incoming Allies against Japan; all indications are that Pramoedya did as well. On 17 August 1945, after the news of the Allied victory over Japan reached Indonesia, Sukarno proclaimed Indonesian independence. This touched off the
Indonesian National Revolution The Indonesian National Revolution (), also known as the Indonesian War of Independence (, ), was an armed conflict and diplomatic struggle between the Republic of Indonesia and the Dutch Empire and an internal social revolution during A ...
against the forces of the British and Dutch. In this war, Pramoedya joined a paramilitary group in
Karawang Karawang (Kota Karawang or Karawang Kota) is the capital of the Karawang Regency of West Java, Indonesia. It is 32 miles east of Jakarta Jakarta (; , Betawi language, Betawi: ''Jakartè''), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta ( ...
, Kranji (
West Java West Java (, ) is an Indonesian Provinces of Indonesia, province on the western part of the island of Java, with its provincial capital in Bandung. West Java is bordered by the province of Banten and the country's capital region of Jakarta to t ...
), and eventually was stationed in
Jakarta Jakarta (; , Betawi language, Betawi: ''Jakartè''), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta (; ''DKI Jakarta'') and formerly known as Batavia, Dutch East Indies, Batavia until 1949, is the capital and largest city of Indonesia and ...
. During this time he wrote short stories and books, as well as
propaganda Propaganda is communication that is primarily used to influence or persuade an audience to further an agenda, which may not be objective and may be selectively presenting facts to encourage a particular synthesis or perception, or using loaded l ...
for the Nationalist cause. He was eventually imprisoned by the Dutch in Jakarta in 1947 and remained there until 1949, the year the Netherlands recognised Indonesian independence. While imprisoned in Bukit Duri from 1947 to 1949 for his role in the Indonesian Revolution, he wrote his first major novels ''The Fugitive'' and ''Guerilla Family'' with financial support from the Opbouw-Pembangoenan Foundation, which also published the books.


Post-Independence prominence

In the first years after the struggle for independence, Pramoedya wrote several works of fiction dealing with the problems of the newly founded nation, as well as semi-autobiographical works based on his wartime memoirs. He was soon able to live in the Netherlands as part of a cultural exchange program. In the years that followed, he took an interest in several other cultural exchanges, including trips to the
Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
and the
People's Republic of China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
, as well as translations of Russian writers
Maxim Gorky Alexei Maximovich Peshkov (;  – 18 June 1936), popularly known as Maxim Gorky (; ), was a Russian and Soviet writer and proponent of socialism. He was nominated five times for the Nobel Prize in Literature. Before his success as an aut ...
and
Leo Tolstoy Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy Tolstoy pronounced his first name as , which corresponds to the romanization ''Lyov''. () (; ,Throughout Tolstoy's whole life, his name was written as using Reforms of Russian orthography#The post-revolution re ...
. In Indonesia, Pramoedya built up a reputation as a literary and social critic, joining the
left-wing Left-wing politics describes the range of Ideology#Political ideologies, political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy either as a whole or of certain social ...
writers' group Lekra and writing in various newspapers and literary journals. His writing style became more politically charged, as evidenced in his story ''Korupsi'' (''Corruption''), a critical fiction of a civil servant who falls into the trap of corruption. This created friction between him and the government of
Sukarno Sukarno (6 June 1901 – 21 June 1970) was an Indonesian statesman, orator, revolutionary, and nationalist who was the first president of Indonesia, serving from 1945 to 1967. Sukarno was the leader of the Indonesian struggle for independenc ...
. From the late 1950s, Pramoedya began teaching literary history at the left-wing ''Universitas Res Publica''. As he prepared the material, he began to realise that the study of the Indonesian language and literature had been distorted by the Dutch colonial authorities. He sought out materials that had been ignored by colonial educational institutions, and which had continued to be ignored after independence. Having spent time in China, he became greatly sympathetic to the Indonesian Chinese over the persecution they faced in post-colonial Indonesia. Most notably, he published a series of letters addressed to an imaginary Chinese correspondent discussing the history of the Indonesian Chinese, called ''Hoakiau di Indonesia'' ( History of the Overseas Chinese in Indonesia). He criticised the government for being too centred on Java and insensitive to the needs and desires of the other regions and peoples of Indonesia. As a result, he was arrested by the Indonesian military and jailed at Cipinang prison for nine months.


Imprisonment under Suharto

In an October 1965 coup, the army took power after alleging that the assassination of several senior generals was masterminded by the
Communist Party of Indonesia The Communist Party of Indonesia (Indonesian language, Indonesian: ''Partai Komunis Indonesia'', PKI) was a communist party in the Dutch East Indies and later Indonesia. It was the largest non-ruling communist party in the world before its Indo ...
(PKI). The transition to Suharto's New Order followed, and Pramoedya's position as the head of the People's Cultural Organisation, a literary group with connections to the PKI, caused him to be considered a communist and an enemy of the "New Order" regime. During the violent anti-Communist purge, he was arrested, beaten, and imprisoned by Suharto's government and named a ''tapol'' ("political prisoner"). His books were banned from circulation, and he was imprisoned without trial, first in
Nusa Kambangan Nusa Kambangan is an island located in Indonesia, separated by a narrow strait from the south coast of Java. The closest port is Cilacap in Central Java province. It is known as the place where the fabled ''wijayakusuma'', which translates as th ...
off the southern coast of Java, and then in the penal colony of
Buru Buru (formerly spelled Boeroe, Boro, or Bouru) is the third largest island within the Maluku Islands of Indonesia. It lies between the Banda Sea to the south and Seram Sea to the north, west of Ambon Island, Ambon and Seram Island, Seram island ...
in the eastern islands of the Indonesian archipelago. He was banned from writing during his imprisonment on the island of Buru but still managed to compose - orally - his best-known series of work to date, the Buru Quartet, a series of four
historical fiction Historical fiction is a literary genre in which a fictional plot takes place in the Setting (narrative), setting of particular real past events, historical events. Although the term is commonly used as a synonym for historical fiction literatur ...
novels chronicling the development of Indonesian nationalism and based in part on his own experiences growing up. The English titles of the books in the
tetralogy A tetralogy (from Greek τετρα- ''tetra-'', "four" and -λογία ''-logia'', "discourse") is a compound work that is made up of four distinct works. The name comes from the Attic theater, in which a tetralogy was a group of three tragedies ...
are '' This Earth of Mankind'', '' Child of All Nations'', '' Footsteps'', and '' House of Glass''. The main character of the series, Minke, a Javanese minor royal, was based in part on an Indonesian journalist active in the nationalist movement, Tirto Adhi Soerjo. The quartet includes strong female characters of Indonesian and Chinese ethnicity and addresses the discrimination and indignities of living under colonial rule and the struggle for personal and national political independence. Like much of Pramoedya's work, it tells personal stories and focuses on individuals caught up in the tide of a nation's history. Pramoedya had researched for the books before his imprisonment in the
Buru Buru (formerly spelled Boeroe, Boro, or Bouru) is the third largest island within the Maluku Islands of Indonesia. It lies between the Banda Sea to the south and Seram Sea to the north, west of Ambon Island, Ambon and Seram Island, Seram island ...
prison camp. When he was arrested, his library was burned, and much of his collection and early writings were lost. In Buru, he was not permitted even to have a pencil. Doubting that he would ever be able to write the novels down himself, he narrated them to his fellow prisoners. With the support of other prisoners who took on extra labour to reduce his workload, Pramoedya was eventually able to write the novels down, and the published works derived their name "Buru Quartet" after the prison. They have been collected and published in English (translated by Max Lane) and Indonesian, as well as many other languages. Though the work is considered a classic by many outside of Indonesia, the publication was banned in Indonesia, causing one of the most famous of Indonesia's literary works to be mostly unavailable to the country's people whose history it addressed. Copies were scanned by Indonesians abroad and distributed via the Internet to people inside the country. Pramoedya's works on colonial Indonesia recognised the importance of
Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...
as a vehicle for widespread opposition to the Dutch, but his works are not overtly religious. He rejected those who used religion to deny critical thinking, and on occasion wrote with considerable negativity to the religiously pious.


Release and subsequent works

Pramoedya was released from imprisonment in 1979 but remained under house arrest in Jakarta until 1992. During this time he released ''The Girl From the Coast'', another semi-fictional novel based on his grandmother's own experience (volumes 2 and 3 of this work were destroyed along with his library in 1965). He also wrote ''Nyanyi Sunyi Seorang Bisu'' (1995); ''A Mute's Soliloquy'', an autobiography based on the letters that he wrote for his daughter from imprisonment in Buru but were not allowed to be sent, and ''Arus Balik'' (1995). He wrote many columns and short articles criticising the Indonesian government. He wrote the book ''Perawan Remaja dalam Cengkeraman Militer'' (''Young Virgins in the Military's Grip''), a documentary showcasing the plight of Javanese women who were forced to become
comfort women Comfort women were women and girls forced into sexual slavery by the Imperial Japanese Armed Forces in occupied countries and territories before and during World War II. The term ''comfort women'' is a translation of the Japanese , a euphemism ...
during the Japanese occupation and were subsequently subject to oppression by their Indonesian society. The women were brought to Buru where they were sexually abused by the Japanese and ended up staying there instead of returning to Java. Pramoedya's fellow political prisoners were able to meet some of these women (generally only once) and relate this information to Pramoedya, who wrote it down in narrative form in the 1970s, providing the basis for the book published in 2001. Pramoedya was hospitalised on 27 April 2006, for complications brought on by diabetes and heart disease. He was also a heavy smoker of Kretek (clove) cigarettes and had endured years of abuse while in detention. After his release, his health deteriorated and on 30 April he died in his daughter's home. Pramoedya earned several accolades and was frequently discussed as Indonesia's and Southeast Asia's best candidate for a
Nobel Prize in Literature The Nobel Prize in Literature, here meaning ''for'' Literature (), is a Swedish literature prize that is awarded annually, since 1901, to an author from any country who has, in the words of the will of Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel, "in ...
. Pramoedya's writings on Indonesia address the international and regional currents caused by political events in history and how these events flowed through his homeland and buffeted its people. Pramoedya also shares a personal history of hardship and detention for his efforts of self-expression and the political aspects of his writings and struggles against the censorship of his work by the leaders of his people.


Personal life

Pramoedya married Arvah Iljas in 1950. However, the couple divorced in 1954. He remarried to Maemunah Thamrin in 1955. She died a couple of months before Pramoedya's death in 2006.


Awards

*1988 PEN/Barbara Goldsmith Freedom to Write Award. *1989 The Fund for Free Expression Award, New York, USA. *1992 English P.E.N Centre Award, Great Britain. *1992 Stichting Wertheim Award, Netherland. *1995
Ramon Magsaysay Award The Ramon Magsaysay Award (Filipino language, Filipino: ''Gawad Ramon Magsaysay'') is an annual award established to perpetuate former Philippine President Ramon Magsaysay's example of integrity in governance, courageous service to the people, ...
for Journalism, Literature, and Creative Communication Arts. *1999 Doctor Honoris Causa from the
University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...
. *1999 Chancellor's Distinguished Honor Award from the University of California, Berkeley. *2000 Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres Republic of France. *2000 11th Fukuoka Asian Culture Prize. *2004 Norwegian Authors' Union award for his contribution to world literature and his continuous struggle for the right to freedom of expression. *2004
Pablo Neruda Pablo Neruda ( ; ; born Ricardo Eliécer Neftalí Reyes Basoalto; 12 July 190423 September 1973) was a Chilean poet-diplomat and politician who won the 1971 Nobel Prize in Literature. Neruda became known as a poet when he was 13 years old an ...
Award, Chile *2005 Global Intellectuals Poll by the '' Prospect''.


Major works

*''Kranji-Bekasi Jatuh'' ("The Fall of Kranji-Bekasi") (1947) *''Perburuan'' ('' The Fugitive (novel)'') (1950) *''Keluarga Gerilya'' ("Guerilla Family") (1950) *''Bukan Pasar Malam'' ('' It's Not an All Night Fair'') (1951) *''Cerita dari Blora'' (''Story from Blora'') (1952) *''Gulat di Jakarta'' ("Wrestling in Jakarta") (1953) *''Korupsi'' (''Corruption'') (1954) *''Midah - Si Manis Bergigi Emas'' ("Midah - The Beauty with Golden Teeth") (1954) *''Cerita Calon Arang'' (''The King, the Witch, and the Priest'') (1957) *'' Hoakiau di Indonesia'' (''Chinese of Indonesia'') (1960) *''Panggil Aku Kartini Saja I & II ("Just Call Me Kartini I & II") (1962) *''Gadis Pantai'' ('' Girl from the Coast'') (1962) *The Buru Quartet **''Bumi Manusia'' ('' This Earth of Mankind'') (1980) **''Anak Semua Bangsa'' ('' Child of All Nations'') (1980) **''Jejak Langkah'' ('' Footsteps'') (1985) **''Rumah Kaca'' ('' House of Glass'') (1988) *''Nyanyi Sunyi Seorang Bisu'' ('' A Mute's Soliloquy'') (1995) *''Arus Balik'' (1995) *''Arok Dedes'' (1999) *''Mangir'' (1999) *''Larasati'' (2000) *''Perawan Remaja dalam Cengkeraman Militer: Catatan Pulau Buru'' (2001) *'' All That Is Gone'' (2004) * Narration for the Dutch film Jalan Raya Pos ''
Great Post Road The Great Post Road (, ) is the name for the historical road that runs across Java and connects Anyer with Panarukan. It was built during the administration of Herman Willem Daendels (1808–1811), Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies, ...
''


Notes


Further reading

Books on Pramoedya Ananta Toer *''Citra Manusia Indonesia dalam Karya Pramoedya Ananta Toer'', by A. Teeuw, Pustaka Jaya,
Jakarta Jakarta (; , Betawi language, Betawi: ''Jakartè''), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta (; ''DKI Jakarta'') and formerly known as Batavia, Dutch East Indies, Batavia until 1949, is the capital and largest city of Indonesia and ...
, 1997. *', by Eka Kurniawan, Gramedia Pustaka Utama,
Jakarta Jakarta (; , Betawi language, Betawi: ''Jakartè''), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta (; ''DKI Jakarta'') and formerly known as Batavia, Dutch East Indies, Batavia until 1949, is the capital and largest city of Indonesia and ...
, 2006. * ''Exile : Pramoedya Ananta Toer in conversation with Andre Vltchek and Rossie Indira'' (Chicago, Ill. : Haymarket Books, 2006). .


External links


Pramoedya Ananta Toer: Why you should know him
(''Al Jazeera'', February 6)
Pramoedya Ananta Toer information page
(''The New York Times'', April 30) * ttp://www.EquinoxPublishing.com Equinox Publishingbr>Pramoedya and PoliticsPramoedya Ananta Tour digital illustration portraits
First on the Battlefield, Pramoedya Ananta Toer, by Gig Ryan, The Age, 6 May 2006 {{DEFAULTSORT:Toer, Pramoedya Ananta 1925 births 2006 deaths 20th-century Indonesian male writers 20th-century short story writers Diabetes-related deaths Indonesian collaborators with Imperial Japan Indonesian male novelists 20th-century Indonesian novelists Political prisoners in Indonesia Indonesian short story writers Indonesian socialists Inmates of Nusa Kambangan prison Javanese people Members of the Lembaga Kebudajaan Rakjat People from Blora Regency