Ibu Maluku: The Story of Jeanne van Diejen by Ron Heynneman
This is an epic story of a resolute woman, Jeanne van Diejen-Roemen, who survived the hardships of remote jungles, the horrors of two world wars - including a three and a half year internment by the Japanese - and the life-threatening political upheavals that preceded the birth of the Republic of Indonesia.
In the course of her difficult life, Diejen-Roemen distinguished herself as a planter, army nurse-midwife, gardener and social worker. During the horrific Japanese occupation of the Moluccas Islands in central Indonesia, her stout-heartedness probably saved Ternate from total annihilation.
After the war, the Dutchwoman tenaciously spearheaded the fight against leprosy, enabling hundreds of Moluccan lepers to again assume a useful role in the same society that had once exiled them. She also implemented plans to bring isolated forest people into the 20th century, founded a hospital, a school, an orphanage and a home for the elderly.
In recognition of all of her tireless efforts, Indonesia’s first president Sukarno started calling her Ibu Maluku – Mother of the Moluccas – and the name stuck. Though she had a carte blanche with Sukarno, her outspokenness finally brought her in conflict with the dictator. This forced her to leave the Moluccas and the people who had given her their trust, settling in the Netherlands in 1957.
In 1978, Diejen-Roemen returned to the Moluccas to celebrate her 82nd birthday among “her people.” It is fortunate that she never lived to see the vicious and seemingly intractable internecine warfare that has become almost routine in the Moluccas, having killed over 6,000 people in the last three years. She undoubtedly would be appalled.
As purely an historical account, Ibu Maluku is also an invaluable reference work chronicling a tumultuous period of Maluku and the archipelago’s history – an eye witness story of a remarkable and observant human being in a remarkable place. One cannot help but hope that this brave woman, whose humane contributions are virtually unknown, is finally receiving the recognition she deserves.
Ibu Maluku is a compelling, entertaining and informative memoir. With great skill, Heynneman has conveyed the unbelievable anecdotes and experiences of Diejen-Roemen’s life in such a way that convinces the reader that they are listening to her tell her fascinating story face-to-face.
Ibu Maluku by Ron Heynneman, Sidharta Publishers, 2002, 636 pages, black and white illustrations, paperback, ISBN 1-877059-08-0.
Available for Rp105,000 at Periplus Bookshops in the Bali Galleria and in the Matahari in Kuta, Warung Made in Seminyak, Ngurah Rai Airport, Keris Gallery in Nusa Dua, Gramedia bookstores, as well as Ubud book outlets Ary’s and Ganesha.
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