Atjèh Shimbun was the Malay-language newspaper published in Koetaradja throughout the Japanese occupation of Atjèh (1942–1945), serving — in Piekaar’s words — as the principal propaganda organ of the Masubuchi-kikan and as “a valuable, albeit one-sided, mirror of the times.” Founded in the first months of the occupation under the editorship of Masubuchi himself, and placed under the Resident’s Information Service (Atjèh-senden-han) from March 1943, the Atjèh Shimbun published the official notices, propaganda essays, gun-chó appointments, and public proclamations through which the occupation was administered and the Asia Timoer Raja and Indonesia Merdéka ideas were drummed into the gampóng population.
Foundation and early editorship
The Atjèh Shimbun was established in 1942 as part of the first consolidation of Japanese authority, and “Masubuchi” — the head of the M-organisatie — “since October 1942 also as director (kepala pedjabat) of the ‘Atjèh-Shimbun’” served as its first chief. As of 16 January 1943 he relinquished the editorship when he was appointed head of the department of general affairs; “in the latter position he was succeeded by the Japanese S. Sagawa, head of the information service. Alongside Sagawa, the ‘kepala pedjabat’ (directeur), we see from March 1943 in the head of the paper as ‘kepala pengarang’ (chief editor) mentioned the Japanese T. Kodera. In that same month, the publication of the ‘Atjeh Shimbun’ was placed under the information service, with which the primary function as a propaganda organ was once again emphasized.”
Uses as a source
Piekaar drew heavily on the Atjèh Shimbun for the second part of his study: “the second part, which deals with the events during the occupation years, is based on data from that period found in the archive of the administrative office in Sabang and in the ‘Atjèh Shimbun’, the newspaper published in Koetaradja during the Japanese occupation, written in the Malay language, of which a large but unfortunately incomplete number of copies could be traced.” He cites individual issues by number and date throughout: no. 7 of 23 January 1943 (the “Pilot” article demanding a council of oelama’s for Abdoel Azis); no. 22 of 14 March 1943 (the famous misprint of Kipling’s “twin” for “twain”); nos. 101–107 of 15–25 December 1943 (the lists of F-people); no. 96 of 8 December 1943 (the Schiller quotation by Oesman Raliby); no. 70 of 4 September 1943 (the fasting-month fatwa).
The propaganda apparatus
The newspaper was the public face of the senden-han (information service). “Continuously, propagandists of the senden-han traveled through the country, for the dissemination of the Asia Timoer Raja and the anti-Western ideas. In mass meetings, people like Kodera and Hasjmy of the ‘Atjeh Shimbun’, Said Ahmad Dachlan from the F-movement, and Teukoe Sabi, the oelèëbalang-tjoet of Oelèë Glé (Samalanga, subdistrict Bireuën) who had been banished under the Dutch administration, all connected to the senden-han, spoke.” During the great propaganda drives — the celebration of 8 December (anniversary of the war), the second annual conference of the Maibkatra in June 1944, the independence-promise celebrations of November 1944 — “the ‘Atjèh Shimbun’ appeared temporarily daily.” The newspaper also published the death sentences of General Overakker and G. F. V. Gosenson on 9 January 1945, and the official reports of the Atjèh Council sessions.
Decline
By 1945 the Atjèh Shimbun’s scope had contracted sharply. “The Japanese propaganda diminished in strength, the fierce articles by oelèëbalangs, oelama’s and intellectual youth, which made the ‘Atjèh Shimbun’ such a valuable, albeit one-sided, mirror of the times, belonged to the past. Paper shortage had moreover already limited the scope for a long time.” The newspaper’s last months were given over to slogans such as: “If there are among the Indonesians spectators in the war for a Great East Asia, then they are our absolute enemies.”
See Also
Source
Atjèh and the War with Japan, by Dr. A. J. Piekaar, translated from the Dutch original Atjèh en de oorlog met Japan (1949) (‘s-Gravenhage/Bandung: N.V. Uitgeverij W. van Hoeve; English edition), Foreword, Introduction, Chapter VII §§ 1–4, Chapter XI.
Atjèh Shimbun was the Malay-language newspaper published in Koetaradja throughout the Japanese occupation of Atjèh (1942–1945), serving — in Piekaar’s words — as the principal propaganda organ of the Masubuchi-kikan and as “a valuable, albeit one-sided, mirror of the times.” Founded in the first months of the occupation under the editorship of Masubuchi himself, and placed under the Resident’s Information Service (Atjèh-senden-han) from March 1943, the Atjèh Shimbun published the official notices, propaganda essays, gun-chó appointments, and public proclamations through which the occupation was administered and the Asia Timoer Raja and Indonesia Merdéka ideas were drummed into the gampóng population.
Foundation and early editorship
The Atjèh Shimbun was established in 1942 as part of the first consolidation of Japanese authority, and “Masubuchi” — the head of the M-organisatie — “since October 1942 also as director (kepala pedjabat) of the ‘Atjèh-Shimbun’” served as its first chief. As of 16 January 1943 he relinquished the editorship when he was appointed head of the department of general affairs; “in the latter position he was succeeded by the Japanese S. Sagawa, head of the information service. Alongside Sagawa, the ‘kepala pedjabat’ (directeur), we see from March 1943 in the head of the paper as ‘kepala pengarang’ (chief editor) mentioned the Japanese T. Kodera. In that same month, the publication of the ‘Atjeh Shimbun’ was placed under the information service, with which the primary function as a propaganda organ was once again emphasized.”
Uses as a source
Piekaar drew heavily on the Atjèh Shimbun for the second part of his study: “the second part, which deals with the events during the occupation years, is based on data from that period found in the archive of the administrative office in Sabang and in the ‘Atjèh Shimbun’, the newspaper published in Koetaradja during the Japanese occupation, written in the Malay language, of which a large but unfortunately incomplete number of copies could be traced.” He cites individual issues by number and date throughout: no. 7 of 23 January 1943 (the “Pilot” article demanding a council of oelama’s for Abdoel Azis); no. 22 of 14 March 1943 (the famous misprint of Kipling’s “twin” for “twain”); nos. 101–107 of 15–25 December 1943 (the lists of F-people); no. 96 of 8 December 1943 (the Schiller quotation by Oesman Raliby); no. 70 of 4 September 1943 (the fasting-month fatwa).
The propaganda apparatus
The newspaper was the public face of the senden-han (information service). “Continuously, propagandists of the senden-han traveled through the country, for the dissemination of the Asia Timoer Raja and the anti-Western ideas. In mass meetings, people like Kodera and Hasjmy of the ‘Atjeh Shimbun’, Said Ahmad Dachlan from the F-movement, and Teukoe Sabi, the oelèëbalang-tjoet of Oelèë Glé (Samalanga, subdistrict Bireuën) who had been banished under the Dutch administration, all connected to the senden-han, spoke.” During the great propaganda drives — the celebration of 8 December (anniversary of the war), the second annual conference of the Maibkatra in June 1944, the independence-promise celebrations of November 1944 — “the ‘Atjèh Shimbun’ appeared temporarily daily.” The newspaper also published the death sentences of General Overakker and G. F. V. Gosenson on 9 January 1945, and the official reports of the Atjèh Council sessions.
Decline
By 1945 the Atjèh Shimbun’s scope had contracted sharply. “The Japanese propaganda diminished in strength, the fierce articles by oelèëbalangs, oelama’s and intellectual youth, which made the ‘Atjèh Shimbun’ such a valuable, albeit one-sided, mirror of the times, belonged to the past. Paper shortage had moreover already limited the scope for a long time.” The newspaper’s last months were given over to slogans such as: “If there are among the Indonesians spectators in the war for a Great East Asia, then they are our absolute enemies.”
See Also
Source
Atjèh and the War with Japan, by Dr. A. J. Piekaar, translated from the Dutch original Atjèh en de oorlog met Japan (1949) (‘s-Gravenhage/Bandung: N.V. Uitgeverij W. van Hoeve; English edition), Foreword, Introduction, Chapter VII §§ 1–4, Chapter XI.