Chailan Syamsu

Rangkayo Khailan Syamsu (6 April 1905 – 23 September 1962) was an Indonesian human rights activist and Esperantist who was a prominent figure in the struggle for women's rights and Indonesian independence in the Dutch East Indies. In addition, Khailan was active in the Esperanto language movement, and served as president of both the South Asian Esperanto Federation and the Islamic Esperanto Association.

Early life Khailan was born on 6 April 1905 in Bukittinggi on the island of Sumatra, into a Minangkabau family. She attended Dutch-language schools as a child. She married Lanjumin Dt. Tumangguang, a journalist from Sungai Puar who had represented the indigenous civil service in the Volksraad; they had five children together and lived in Jakarta.

In 1931, Khailan became the chairperson of the newly founded Perkumpulan Pemberantasan Perdagangan Perempuan dan Anak-Anak (P4A; ), which addressed issues of trafficking and child marriage, remaining in the role for four years. In 1932, she founded the magazine Pedoman Isteri , serving as its editor until 1939; in addition to reporting on politics and women's issues, the magazine also provided advice and tips on baking, ironing and washing. The magazine became the mouthpiece of the Persatuan Isteri Pegawai/Priyayi Bestuur (PIPB; ), of which she served as president.

Alongside Liem Tjong Hie, Soen Kiat Liong and Hasan Basri, Khailan was among the key figures of the Esperanto movement in Indonesia. Following her death in 1962, the movement began to fall apart, particularly following the anti-communist mass killings of the mid-1960s, due to Esperanto being perceived as linked with communism.

Death Khailan died in Jakarta on 23 September 1962 at the age of 57.