Chris Soumokil

His father was Moluccan and his mother was an Indo (mixed Dutch and indigenous Indonesian descent). After high school, he studied law at the University of Leiden before returning to Indonesia in 1935 and finding work as a law official in Java.^[1]

Between May 1947 and February 1950, he served as Minister of Justice in four cabinets of the State of East Indonesia.^[2]

In April 1950, Soumokil, Johanis Manuhutu, and Albert Wairisal signed a declaration proclaiming the independence of the South Moluccas from the United States of Indonesia and the founding of an independent Republic of South Maluku. He became its second president on 3 May, a week after its creation.

After the Indonesian invasion of Ambon and its successful attack on the rebel capital of Ambon, Soumokil fled to the nearby island of Seram, where he led a small band of guerillas until his capture on 2 December 1963. He was initially imprisoned on Java.

Soumokil was executed by firing squad on 12 April 1966, on Pulau Ubi Basar by forces loyal to Suharto.^[1][3][4]

• Maluku sectarian conflict

• Ide Anak Agung Gde Agung (1996) [1995]. From the Formation of the State of East Indonesia Towards the Establishment of the United States of Indonesia. Translated by Owens, Linda. Yayasan Obor. ISBN 979-461-216-2.
• Hellwig, T.; Tagliacozzo, E., eds. (2009). The Indonesia Reader. Durham: Duke University Press. ISBN 9780822344247.
• Hol, Antoine; Vervaele, John, eds. (2005). Security and Civil Liberties: The Case of Terrorism. Intersentia. ISBN 978-90-5095-508-9.
• "Chris Soumokil, Proklamator Republik Maluku Selatan", Tempo.co (in Indonesian), 6 October 2010, retrieved 17 December 2018^{[permanent dead link]}