thumb|Prijono '''Prijono''' (20 July 1907 – 6 March 1969<ref name="his">Vickers, Adrian. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=RWrm7tPzs1AC&pg=PA146 A History of Modern Indonesia]''. Cambridge [u.a.]: Cambridge Univ. Press, 2007. pp. 146-147</ref>) was an Indonesian politician and academic. Prijono was a leading figure of the Murba Party and the Indonesian Peace Committee.<ref name="au"/> Prijono served as Minister of Education and Culture between 1957 and 1966.<ref name="app"/><ref name="edu"/> He was one of the intellectual ideologues who surrounded President Sukarno.<ref name="his"/>
In December 1954 he was awarded the Stalin Peace Prize.<ref name="au">Australian Institute of International Affairs. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=uNFBAAAAYAAJ The Australian Outlook]'', Volume 12-13. [Sydney]: Australian Institute of International Affairs, 1958. p. 265</ref>
==Academic== Prijono studied in Paris and obtained a Ph.D. at the Leiden University (studying medieval Javanese texts).<ref name="his"/>
In 1954 Prijono presented a proposal for a new orthography for Indonesian. Prijono suggested that letter combinations such as 'nj' and 'ng' be substituted with IPA characters. A similar orthography, 'Ejaan Kongres', was in use in Malaya. The Indonesian government appointed Prijono as chairman of a spelling commission. In 1960 Prijono's orthography was the basis of the MELINDO proposal for a joint Melayu-Indonesian orthography. The Malaysian and Indonesian government agreed to implement the MELINDO orthography, but the project fell into oblivion as relations between the two countries became increasingly hostile.<ref>Sebba, Mark. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=JHgsfADZF9IC&pg=PA92 Spelling and Society The Culture and Politics of Orthography Around the World]''. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2007. p. 92</ref>
==Minister== Prijono was appointed as Minister of Basic Education and Culture in the Djuanda Cabinet formed in 1957. His appointment was met with opposition from anti-Communist sectors, who claimed that he was linked to the Communist Party of Indonesia.<ref name="app">Lev, Daniel S. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=ybL_CsT93w4C&pg=PT35 The Transition to Guided Democracy: Indonesian Politics, 1957-1959]''. Jakarta: Equinox Publishing, 2009. p. 35</ref> Prijono continued to serve as a minister in all cabinets until the end of the Sukarno period.<ref name="edu">Mujiburrahman. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=g2AtOlJMPTUC&pg=PA228 Feeling Threatened: Muslim-Christian Relations in Indonesia's New Order]''. Leiden: ISIM, 2006. pp. 228-229</ref> As a government minister, Prijono was frequently targeted by the army and Islamic organizations.<ref name="app"/><ref name="p43"/>
In October 1960 Prijono introduced the principle of ''Pancawardhana'' ('five principles of development') in the primary and secondary education system. This was followed by Prijono's linking of ''Pancawardhana'' to the principle of ''Pancacita'' ('five loves') in February 1963. The secular ''Pancacita'' principle was developed by National Education Institute, an institution dominated by the Communist Party.<ref name="edu"/> However, Prijono's policies met with opposition from General Nasution.<ref name="p43">Bresnan, John. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=k08lQsHEv84C&pg=PA43 At Home Abroad: A Memoir of the Ford Foundation in Indonesia, 1953-1973]''. Jakarta, Indonesia: Equinox, 2006. p. 43</ref> From 1961 Prijono would share the Ministry of Education with Sjarif Thajeb (a high-ranking officer with links to Islamic organizations, Minister of Higher Education and Science).<ref name="edu"/> Prijono was pro-Soviet whilst Sjarif Thajeb was pro-American.<ref>Bresnan, John. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=k08lQsHEv84C&pg=PA66 At Home Abroad: A Memoir of the Ford Foundation in Indonesia, 1953-1973]''. Jakarta, Indonesia: Equinox, 2006. p. 66</ref> And whilst Prijono promoted secularism in the primary and secondary education system, Sjarif Thajeb introduced compulsory classes on religion in the universities. Thus the wider political confrontation between the army and the Communist Party was reproduced within the walls of the Ministry of Education.<ref name="edu"/>
During his government tenure, Prijono established various cultural institutions with the objective to promote new national and revolutionary culture. These institutions taught new worker-peasant folk dances and revolutionary songs.<ref name="his"/>
On March 16, 1966 Prijono was kidnapped by activists of the Islamic students movement KAPPI and Laskar militia. He was brought to the headquarters of KOSTRAD.<ref>Crouch, Harold. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=TJptHWc4i1EC&pg=PA194 The Army and Politics in Indonesia]''. Equinox Publishing (Asia), 2007. p. 194</ref>
==Honour== ===Foreign honour=== * {{flagu|Malaya}} : **50px Honorary Commander of the Order of the Defender of the Realm (PMN (K)) - '''Tan Sri''' (1959)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.istiadat.gov.my/v8/images/stories/1959.pdf|title=Senarai Penuh Penerima Darjah Kebesaran, Bintang dan Pingat Persekutuan Tahun 1959.}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Commander of the Order of the Defender of the Realm}} {{Authority control}}
Category:Indonesian politicians Category:1907 births Category:1969 deaths Category:Sukarno Category:Stalin Peace Prize recipients Category:Honorary commanders of the Order of the Defender of the Realm Category:Leiden University alumni