A Test of Loyalty Behind Bars
This article recounts the experiences of Oei Tjoe Tat, a former Indonesian minister imprisoned during the New Order era. It highlights the role of his wife, Rika, in providing food and emotional support amidst the harsh conditions of his 11-year detention.
Why it matters
It provides a historical perspective on the human cost of political imprisonment and the resilience of families during Indonesia's authoritarian period.
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - During the 11 years he spent imprisoned under the New Order, Oei Tjoe Tat most looked forward to the food containers sent by his beloved wife, Kwee Loan Nio, better known as Rika. Though the meals often arrived mangled after prison guards had torn them apart during inspections, they became an oasis amid prison rations that were both meager and nutritionally inadequate.From the time he was first detained at the Budi Utomo Military Detention Center (RTM) in Central Jakarta until he was transferred to the Nirbaya Rehabilitation Facility in East Jakarta, the former State Minister belonged to a small communal dining group with several other prisoners.
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