Tan Boen Soan

Tan Boen Soan (; 25June190512August1952) was an ethnic Chinese Malay-language writer and journalist from Sukabumi, Java. He was the author of works such as Koetoekannja Boenga Srigading, Bergerak (1935), Digdaja (1935) and Tjoban (1936). He later wrote for the Sunday Courier of Jakarta. He later attended the Koningin Wilhelminaschool in Batavia (now Jakarta). Afterwards he spent some time working for the rail line Staats Spoorwagen in the city, before returning to Sukabumi and writing articles for the Chinese-owned dailies Sin Po and Perniagaan. This silent film in black-and-white was the second adaptation of a novel in the Indies.

Through the 1930s, Tan headed a variety of publications, including Warna Warta (1931–32), the Sukabumi-based biweekly Asia, and the Semarang-based Soeara Semarang. However, he also saw the dangers of blindly adhering to tradition, and his (1933) urged that divorced or widowed women be allowed to remarry – something forbidden at the time. Chinese nationalist themes, likely included as a protest against the 1933 Japanese occupation of Jehol, can be seen in his silat novel Pendekar Merah (1935). Tan's 1935 novel Bergerak focused on the role of women in social movements; this novel was republished in 2002 as in the sixth volume of the anthology series Kesastraan Melayu Tionghoa dan Kebangsaan Indonesia.

Sukarno proclaimed Indonesian independence in 1945, and this was recognised by the Dutch in 1949. During this time frame Tan headed Sin Min in Semarang. He also contributed writings to the Jakarta-based Sedar and the Sunday Courier. In 1951 Tan was accused of being a member of "Barisan Tjitaroem", considered a subversive group by the Indonesian government. He was imprisoned and tortured before being released. Tan died not long afterwards, on 12 August 1952.

Partial bibliography (98 pages) (104 pages) (126 pages) (115 pages) (121 pages) (128 pages; adapted from The Kreutzer Sonata by Leo Tolstoy) (101 pages) (131 pages) (102 pages) (118 pages) (116 pages) (112 pages; sequel to Digdaja) (110 pages) (121 pages; based on Claude Anet's Mayerling) (98 pages) (120 pages) (104 pages) (109 pages) (138 pages)