Simba Wir: The Story of an Indonesian Contract Worker in Suriname
$99.00
Heidi S. Wirjosentono
Indonesia was almost 350 years a Dutch colony until its independence in 1949. Simba Wir, a factory worker, was born in Java around 1898. As a 22 year old foreman in a petroleum company, he protested to the inhuman punishment of workers by the Dutch supervisors. The workers resistance resulted in a fatal incident when the Dutch supervisor was stabbed by Simba Wir. As Simba Wir was hunted by the colonial authorities, he fled and arrived in a spiritual group who taught him in secret spiritual power. From 1890 to 1939 more than 32000 Indonesians were recruited to migrate to Suriname for contract work on plantations. Simba Wir took the chance to escape as a stowaway on a ship, that departed from Java to Suriname with more than 1000 contract workers. In 1919 the ship Karimoen I arrived with contract workers and Simba Wir in Suriname, where he was employed as a contract worker on various plantations. He married his 18 year-old girlfriend and got 12 children. Simba Wir was also active in the founding of the first Javanese political party in Suriname. This young courageous worker in colonial Indonesia was transformed into a contract worker, citizen and wise ancestor in Suriname, where he died at the age of 95.
Heidi S. Wirjosentono
Indonesia was almost 350 years a Dutch colony until its independence in 1949. Simba Wir, a factory worker, was born in Java around 1898. As a 22 year old foreman in a petroleum company, he protested to the inhuman punishment of workers by the Dutch supervisors. The workers resistance resulted in a fatal incident when the Dutch supervisor was stabbed by Simba Wir. As Simba Wir was hunted by the colonial authorities, he fled and arrived in a spiritual group who taught him in secret spiritual power. From 1890 to 1939 more than 32000 Indonesians were recruited to migrate to Suriname for contract work on plantations. Simba Wir took the chance to escape as a stowaway on a ship, that departed from Java to Suriname with more than 1000 contract workers. In 1919 the ship Karimoen I arrived with contract workers and Simba Wir in Suriname, where he was employed as a contract worker on various plantations. He married his 18 year-old girlfriend and got 12 children. Simba Wir was also active in the founding of the first Javanese political party in Suriname. This young courageous worker in colonial Indonesia was transformed into a contract worker, citizen and wise ancestor in Suriname, where he died at the age of 95.
As Simba Wir was hunted by the colonial authorities, he fled and arrived in a spiritual group who taught him in secret spiritual power.