Mochtar Lubis : author, editor, political actor

Abstract

This thesis is a biographical study of the Indonesian author and journalist, Mochtar Lubis (from his birth in 1922, to 1982, when he turned 60), examining the nexus between journalism, fiction and politics in his life. It sees Mochtar Lubis as a prism, through which one can view his various milieux -- intellectual, artistic, journalistic and political -- and the national history of the times through which he has lived. Mochtar Lubis has been Indonesia's best known journalist internationally and was for a long time the country's most translated author. This study aims to contribute to our general understanding of the socio-political roles of intellectuals like Mochtar Lubis, in Indonesia in the first instance, but also, by extension, in other Southeast Asian countries. The thesis has been influenced primarily by two main bodies of academic writing: firstly, an ongoing debate regarding the relationship between literature and politics; and, secondly, discussions of the role of Indonesian political intellectuals described variously as secular, liberal, modernising or Westernised. After detailing Mochtar Lubis's early life, the thesis follows his career as a journalist and political activist since 1949. Chief concerns are the political characteristics of Mochtar Lubis as editor of the daily newspaper Indonesia Raya in two periods: 1949-58 and 1968-74. The circumstances leading to his detentions in December 1956 and again in February 1975, and the paper's subsequent closures are examined, as are Mochtar Lubis's responses to his arrests. Attention is given to his move away from political journalism, after 1975, towards cultural and sociological writings, as part of his increasing international activities. The development of his reputation as an author and cultural figure is discussed with reference to the Indonesian cultural politics since 1949. After 1966, Mochtar Lubis has been involved in some of the principal institutions of the national artisitc Establishment as well as various international organisations. Critiques of Mochtar's novels and a major public lecture follow, with emphasis on the insight they provide into his attitudes to his society, its history and its structure. The thesis concludes by locating Mochtar Lubis within his social and political context, with reference to the assessments of other Indonesians and comparisons with his peers, and by reviewing the qualities he has displayed during his political career.