Sjafruddin Prawiranegara (1911–1989) was an Indonesian statesman and economist. He became active in politics after an education in law, and joined the Indonesian nationalist movement during the Japanese occupation of 1942–1945. He was appointed finance minister in the republican government during the Indonesian National Revolution of 1945–1949. In December 1948, the Indonesian revolutionary leaders were captured and Sjafruddin served as head of government for seven months. After Indonesia's independence he first served as deputy prime minister, then again as finance minister until 1951. A pragmatic policymaker, he espoused religious socialism based on a liberal interpretation of Islam; he was a staunch opponent of communism. Sjafruddin's opposition to the government's system of Guided Democracy resulted in his leading three years of guerrilla warfare, which ended with his surrender in 1961. Imprisoned until 1966, he became a vocal critic of the Indonesian government until his death in 1989. (Full article...)