Soedjono Hoemardani

Major General Soedjono Hoemardani (7 September 191812 March 1986) was an Indonesian military officer.

Soedjono originated from Surakarta and after an early career in his father's trading business he joined the fledgling Indonesian National Armed Forces in 1945, at the start of the Indonesian National Revolution, as a financial officer in Kodam IV/Diponegoro. He built up a relationship with Suharto during his time under him, and as Suharto took power as President in 1966, he was appointed as a personal assistant (Aspri). In this capacity, Soedjono was a major player in the economic relations between Indonesia and Japan. His actions in this role generated significant controversy, which culminated in 1974 when he was a target of demonstrators during the Malari incident. After the incident, he toned down his relations with Japan publicly, though he maintained his Japanese connections until his death in 1986.

Early life Soedjono was born in Surakarta on 7 September 1918 as the son of Raden Hoemardani, a local entrepreneur in Surakarta. He studied in Surakarta for some time and then went to a trading school in Semarang, before returning to Surakarta to work on his father's business in 1937, and he also became the treasurer of a nationalist youth organisation Indonesia Muda (Young Indonesia).

Career After the Japanese took power in Indonesia, Soedjono joined the Japanese reserve police force (Keibōdan) and became a deputy commander. He was further appointed as an armed forces representative to the People's Consultative Assembly in 1971.

Malari incident Soedjono and Ali Murtopo were known in the early 1970s to be in opposing factions within the military leadership against Sumitro. Soedjono's well-known position as the conduit for Japanese investors became target of student protesters, who on 15 January 1974 rioted in what became known as the Malari incident. Effigies of Soedjono and Japanese PM Kakuei Tanaka (who was visiting) were burned by the protesters; eventually, Aspri was disbanded, and Soedjono was reassigned as an inspector general of national development in July 1974.

After the incident, Soedjono's publicly visible relationship with Japanese investors diminished, though he maintained ties with his Japanese network throughout the 1970s and 1980s.

Spiritual advisor There was a popular belief that Suharto had relied on Soedjono for spiritual advice (Alamsyah had once referred to Soedjono, in criticism, as a "dukun"). Suharto himself denied this in his autobiography, claiming that Soedjono had more often approached him for spiritual affairs.

Death Soedjono died on 12 March 1986 in Tokyo, Japan, due to internal bleeding. Before his body was transported back to Indonesia, he was visited by multiple of his Japanese colleagues (many from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs), and his burial procession was accompanied by the Japanese Ambassador to Indonesia at the time. He was buried outside Surakarta.