Frans Kaisiepo, National Hero Featured on Indonesia’s Rp10,000 Note

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Have you ever wondered the figure on Indonesia’s Rp10,000 banknote? He was Frans Kaisiepo, a Papuan figure known for his role in the struggle to unite Papua with Indonesia.

Frans Kaisiepo was born in Wardo, Biak, on October 10, 1921. During the struggle for independence, he actively fought for the interests of the Papuan people while opposing Dutch efforts to maintain control over the region.

One of the important moments in his struggle took place on August 31, 1945. At a time when Papua was still under Dutch rule, Frans helped affirm the presence of the Republic of Indonesia in Papua by becoming the first person to raise the Indonesian Red-and-White flag and sing the national anthem, “Indonesia Raya.”

A year later, in July 1946, Frans became the only Papuan representative at the Malino Conference in South Sulawesi. At the conference, he strongly opposed the Dutch plan to merge Papua with Maluku and argued that Papua should be led by its own people.

Frans also proposed using the name Irian instead of Nederlands Nieuw Guinea. The name came from the Biak language and was interpreted as “light that drives away darkness.” It was later turned into an acronym by Indonesian nationalist groups in Papua, meaning “Ikut Republik Indonesia Anti Nederlands” or “Join the Republic of Indonesia Against the Netherlands.”

In 1961, Frans founded the Partai Irian Sebagian Indonesia (ISI), which aimed to push for the integration of Papua with the Republic of Indonesia. He also supported Indonesia’s efforts through Tri Komando Rakyat (Trikora), or the Three People's Command, launched by President Soekarno, which was followed by diplomatic efforts and the New York Agreement on May 1, 1963, concerning the transfer of administration of Papua from the Netherlands to Indonesia.

He remained active in politics and government afterward. He became a member of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) in 1973 and was appointed to the Supreme Advisory Council (DPA) in 1977 as a representative for Papua, following his efforts to unite Papua with Indonesia.

Frans Kaisiepo passed away on April 10, 1979, and was buried at the Cendrawasih Heroes Cemetery in Biak. For his contributions, he was named a National Hero of Indonesia in 1993, and his portrait was later featured on the Rp10,000 banknote issued in 2016 as a tribute to his contributions to the country. His name has also been honored through KRI Frans Kaisiepo-368, an Indonesian Navy warship, as well as Frans Kaisiepo International Airport on Biak Island, Papua.