Sjafruddin Prawiranegara - PRRI Rebellion

PRRI Rebellion

Sjafruddin in 1957 came into conflict with the President over his opposition to nationalization of Dutch economic interests, and his opposition to Guided Democracy, culminating in the writing of a letter to Sukarno on 15 January 1958, from Palembang, South Sumatra, where Sjafruddin was in talks with the rebellious Colonel Barlian, telling Sukarno to return to the Indonesian Constitution.

He was sacked as Bank Indonesia governor as a result, as Sjafruddin became more involved with the rebels called Pemerintahan Revolusioner Republik Indonesia. Sjafruddin was less reckless than some of his PRRI colleagues, opposing the five-day ultimatum (on strategic military grounds) on 10 February 1958 to Prime Minister Djuanda Kartawidjaja to establish a new Cabinet with Hatta and Hamengkubuwono IX, the Sultan of Yogyakarta, at its head. Therefore, on 15 February 1958, Sjafruddin became Prime Minister of PRRI; his signature, which had appeared on banknotes of the republican period (1945–1949), and as governor of Bank Indonesia (1951–1958), appeared on the notes of PRRI. Sjafruddin opposted the establishment of a separate country of Sumatra, instead seeing PRRI as a movement for Indonesian integrity, opposed to the centralization of power in Indonesia. Then, the rebellion was a failure, and on 25 August 1961, Sjafruddin surrendered to the army. He was imprisoned until 26 July 1966, although he was granted official amnesty in 1961.