Charles Tambu, Consul General of the Republic of Indonesia in Manila, 1949-1953.
(Source: Madjalah Merdeka, No. 43, Th. II, October 22, 1949: front cover)
Charles Tambu is of Tamil descent and was born in Sri Lanka. He first appeared in historical records when he worked in Singapore as a journalist for a British newspaper in the 1930s. (Sanders, 1969: 25). Since both Ceylon (Sri Lanka) and Singapore was a British colony in the Far East, it is possible that Tambu may have moved to Singapore for a better income or the British colonial government could have transferred him.
Unfortunately, not much is known about him before that period. Shortly after World War II broke out on the Pacific Front, Singapore fell to the Japanese Empire on February 15, 1942. Under Japanese occupation, British colonial officials and elements of society who were deemed to be pro-British were detained by the Kempeitai, the Japanese Secret Police. Charles Tambu was one of them. The Japanese captured him and brought him to Batavia (now Jakarta), where they put to use his English skills by making him listen to Allied radio transmissions in English to collect information for the Japanese military.
As a result of Tambu’s interactions with his Indonesian coworkers, such as Mochtar Lubis, who is also a friend of Sutan Sjahrir, he developed more sympathy for the Indonesian independence movement. It was from that location that he first started assisting in distributing uncensored world news to young people and students. An Indonesian magazine Madjalah Merdeka (No. 43, Th. On October 22, 1949:4), noted at that time about Charles Tambu, writing “Charles Tambu: Turunan asing tapi djiwanja Indonesia”, which translates to: Charles Tambu was of foreign descent but had an Indonesian soul.
Despite not being of Indonesian ancestry, Tambu represented and fiercely defended Indonesia in international forums, from New York to New Delhi, and Bangkok to Kuala Lumpur. President Sukarno of Indonesia gave Tambu an Indonesian passport in recognition of his compassion for the Indonesian people and his intellectual and moral support for the Indonesian people's cause. Tambu went on to serve as Indonesia's Consul General in Manila from 1949 until 1953, after he was nominated to the position by President Sukarno following the Dutch's acknowledgment of Indonesian sovereignty that year.
Indonesian delegation for the UN Security Council meeting on 14-8-1947. Charles Tambu is the first from right
In the 1940s, President Sukarno, with the political authority at his disposal, immediately issued an Indonesian passport for Charles Tambu, although he wasa child of immigrants from Sri Lanka. But Tambu was derided by the Dutch as "A tambi who fled from Singapore, then collaborated with the Japanese., then became an accomplice of the Sukarno-Hatta Republic…" (Madjalah Merdeka, No. 43, Th. II, October 22, 1949: 4). He, however, sympathized with all his heart and soul for the struggle for Indonesian independence.
When Indonesia declared independence on 17th August, 1945 from almost 350 years of Dutch rule, it was met with military aggression from Dutch forces. This was the background for a United Nations Security Council session that took place on August 14, 1947 in New York. Charles Tambu was an important member of the Dutch delegation sent on a mission to fight for Indonesian sovereignty on the world’s stage. He was joined by other high profile members like Sutan Sjahrir, Indonesia’s first Prime Minister, and H. Agus Salim, Soedjatmoko, and Sumitro Djojohadikusumo. It is said that Tambu helped Sutan Sjahrir compile his English speeches. It did prove effective as Indonesia engaged in a ‘war of words’ against the Dutch delegation in the trial and it was noted that their performance made Van Klefens, the head of the Dutch delegation, to stammer like a prisoner being tried.
The Indonesian delegation speaking at the 1947 United Nation Security Council. From left to right: Soedjatmoko, Soemitro Djojohadikusumo, Sutan Sjahrir, Charles Tambu, H. Agus Salim,
As the independence revolution continued in Indonesia, Charles Tambu lent his support through diplomacy. He spent most time outside the country and managed the Indonesian Information Office in New York, working under Indonesia’s first Ambassador to the United Nations, L. N. Palar. This organisation played a key role in maintaining the good relationship between the United Nations and the Republic of Indonesia in subsequent years.
After his stint as Indonesia’s Consul General to Manila, Charles Tambu returned back to Indonesia and took up the appointment as editor-in-chief of the country’s first English-language newspaper, the ‘Times of Indonesia’. Tambu’s former co-worker Mochtar Lubis was instrumental in setting up this newspaper in 1952 and was himself the editor-in-chief of ‘Indonesia Raya’.
However, following the PRRI/Permesta affair, a rebel movement in Indonesia, both the newspapers were deemed unfit for publication. After that, life became more challenging and Charles Tambu disappeared from historical records. Later, he is known to have relocated to Kuala Lumpur, where he remained until his death in 1965.
Bibliography:
Joshua, Norman. Captivated by Revolution: Charles Tambus Against Colonialism. https://www.tumblr.com/normanjoshua/116091464363/terpikat-revolusi-charles-tambu-melawan. Accessed on October, 22nd 2022.
14Kompasiana. Hikayat Arcandra Tahar dan Charles Tambu. https://www.kompasiana.com/suryadileiden/57b25615cf7a610f265306f9/hikayat-arcandra-tahar-dan-charles-tambu. Accessed on October 22nd, 2022.
Subroto, Lukman Hadi. Delegasi Indonesia di Sidang Dewan Keamanan PBB Tahun 1947. https://www.kompas.com/stori/read/2022/04/23/110000579/delegasi-indonesia-di-sidang-dewan-keamanan-pbb-tahun-1947. Accessed on October 22nd, 2022.