User:The man from Gianyar/Marsinah

Marsinah
Portrait, date unknown
Born	Marsinah (1969-04-10)10 April 1969 Nglundo, Sukomoro, East Java, Indonesia
Disappeared	May 5, 1993 (aged 24) Tanggulangin, Sidoarjo, East Java, Indonesia
Status	Disseapeared from 5 – 8 May 1993 (3 days)
Cause of death	Likely to be murder
Body discovered	8 May 1993 Wilangan, Nganjuk Regency, East Java, Indonesia
Nationality	Indonesian
Education	Senior High School (SLTA)
Occupations	Factory worker trade unionist
Parents	Astin (father) Sumini (mother)
Awards	Yap Thiam Hien Award (1993)

Marsinah (10 April 1969 - 8 May 1993), was an Indonesian activist and trade unionist, who was kidnapped and later found dead on May 8 1993, after she was reported missing for three days. Her death sparked outrage, and drew international attention to President Suharto's brutal repression of workers, under his New Order regime. Born from humble beginnings in the province of East Java, she became a factory worker.

Working for the Bata and the PT Catur Putera Surya corporations. In 1993, when East Java governor Soelarso announced a raise in the provincial minimum wage, PT Catur Putra Surya refused to comply. And on 3 – 4 May 1993, factory workers began going on strike, demanding the implementation of the minimum wage and the local unit of the state-controlled union, the All Indonesian Workers Union, be disbanded. During the strike, she became a negotiator for the workers. On 5 May 1993, the Sidoarjo District Military Command summoned 13 workers to its headquarters, and forced them to resign from their jobs. Outraged by this turn of events, Marsinah went to the command's headquarters, and demanded an explanation. She was never seen alive again.

She was not heard from for three days, and on 8 May, her body was eventually found in Tanggulangin. Two autopsies conducted following her death, concluded that Marsinah died as a result of severe trauma. She was posthumously awarded the Yap Thiam Hien Award, and her murder was officially noted by the International Labour Organization as Case number 1773. The events of her death have since been adapted into a number of media, including a film by Slamet Rahardjo, called Marsinah: Cry Justice.

Early life

Marsinah was born in the cillage of Nglundo, Sukomoro, on 10 April 1969. He was the second child of three siblings, of Sumini and Mastin. He was brought up by her grandmother, Pu’irah, and her aunt, Sini. She finished her Primary education at SD Karangasem 189, and and her Secondary education at SMPN 5 Nganjuk. Using her spare time to gain extra income by selling snacks. While being a student at SMA Muhammadiyah, she couldn’t finish her schooling because she didn’t have enogh money.

Legacy

Demonstration on the 25th anniversary of Marsinah's murder, Jakarta, 8 May 2018

Honors and awards

• Yap Thiam Hien Award, 1993

In popular culture

• Film maker Slamet Rahardjo later adapted the events of Marsinah's death into a film, with the title of Marsinah: Cry Justice.
• Singer Mus Mulyadi launched a music album with the title Marsinah, to commemorate Marsinah's death.
• The anarcho-punk band Marjinal wrote a song with the title of Marsinah, which was dedicated to Marsinah.

References

Bibliography

• Pratama, Angga Yudha (10 April 2018). "Mengenang Kelahiran Marsinah dan Kekejaman Rezim Orde Baru" [Commemorating the Birth of Marsinah and the Cruelty of the New Order Regime]. merahputih.com (in Indonesian). Merah Putih. Retrieved 27 November 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link) CS1 maint: url-status (link)
• Khoir, Fatkhul (8 March 2010). "Marsinah: An Inspiration For the Working Class Struggle". Marxist.com. Retrieved 27 November 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link) CS1 maint: url-status (link)