Portal:Indonesia/BOTW/4, 2007

Abdul Haris Nasution (born Kotanopan, North Sumatra 3 December 1918 - died Jakarta 5 September 2000) was an Indonesian general. Nasution was born in Sumatra on 3rd December 1918. His father was a farmer but was also active in Sarekat Islam (Islamic Union), a pro-Independence movement. After completing his education in 1935, Nasution had originally chosen a teaching career. Under Japanese occupation, Nasution continued to stay in Bandung and served as a civil servant.

After the Indonesian proclamation of independence in 1945, Nasution joined the fledgling Indonesian Army which was then known as the People's Security Army (TKR) and was appointed Regional Commander of the Siliwangi Division, which looked after the security of West Java in May 1946. In 1950, Nasution took on his position as Army Chief of Staff, with TB Simatupang replacing Sudirman as the Commander of the newly dubbed ABRI (Armed Forces of the Republic of Indonesia).

Nasution narrowly escaped an assassination attempt during the military coup in 1965, although his daughter was fatally shot. Despite the assistance that Nasution gave him in his rise to the Indonesian Presidency, Suharto viewed Nasution as a rival and immediately began working to remove him from power. Once he fell out of power, Nasution developed into a political opponent of the New Order Regime. Nasution died on 5 September 2000 after a stroke and going into a coma. Nasution was married to Johanna Sunarti, with whom he had two daughters. (Read more...)