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Guerrilla Professor: Dr. Katrina Tendean’s Secret Role in Indonesia’s Rebellion


From Classroom to Combat: The Untold Story of a Scholar Who Led a CIA-Backed Revolution Known as ‘Permesta’


New York, N.Y. — Dr. Katrina Tendean was a respected professor of pedagogy at a North Sulawesi university — Universitas Sam Ratulangi — a woman known for her sharp intellect and dedication to education.


But beneath her academic veneer lay a secret past: she had once been a commander in Permesta, a fierce rebellion against the Indonesian central government that raged from 1957 to 1961. Few knew of her role in the movement—until now.

Permesta, short for Perjuangan Semesta (Universal Struggle), was a regional uprising born from economic disparity, political marginalization, and resentment toward Java-centric governance. Declared in 1957, the movement initially thrived in Makassar before shifting its base to Manado, where Tendean and other leaders waged a guerrilla campaign against Jakarta’s forces.


The Spark of Rebellion

The roots of Permesta lay in frustration. Eastern Indonesia, rich in resources, felt neglected by the central government.

Military leaders and civil figures like Governor Andi Pangerang demanded greater autonomy and a fairer distribution of wealth. When diplomacy failed, rebellion ignited.

Dr. Tendean, then a young but formidable intellectual, was drawn into the movement’s ideological core.

Unlike many female revolutionaries relegated to support roles, she took on strategic leadership, helping organize supply lines, training recruits, and even advising combat operations.

“No one would believe a woman was capable of being a rebel leader, so her cover was perfect,” a member of her family explained.


In Indonesian language (Bahasa) with English subtitles.

Indonesian Navy military operations against Permesta in 1958. Image credit: Wikipedia.

The CIA’s Covert Hand

By 1957, the U.S., fearing communist influence in Indonesia under Sukarno, saw Permesta as a counterweight.

The CIA began funneling weapons, aircraft, and mercenaries to the rebels.

Fifteen B-26 bombers and P-51 Mustangs bolstered Permesta’s makeshift air force, the Angkatan Udara Revolusioner (AUREV).

Yet foreign backing proved fickle. In May 1958, CIA pilot Allen Pope was shot down over Ambon, exposing U.S. involvement.

Washington withdrew support, leaving Permesta vulnerable.

Indonesian government forces seized Manado in June 1958, forcing rebels high into the mountains.


In Indonesian language (Bahasa) with English subtitles.

Guerrilla Warfare and Gradual Defeat

For three years, Permesta fighters held out in North Sulawesi’s rugged terrain. Rebel units—comprising former Dutch colonial soldiers (KNIL) and local youth—relied on hit-and-run tactics. But dwindling supplies, infighting, and relentless military campaigns wore them down.

By 1961, amnesty offers from Jakarta splintered the movement. Many, including Tendean, laid down arms. She returned to academia, her wartime role fading into obscurity.


Indonesian Naval commandos chasing Permesta troops through the swamps of North Sulawesi outside the provincial capital city of Manado, 1959.

In Indonesian language (Bahasa): 310,604 views. Original video footage of the Indonesian National Army crushing the resistance of the Universal People’s Struggle (Permesta) in North Sulawesi. The involvement of the United States CIA supporting Permesta was also found.

A Legacy Rediscovered

Dr. Katrina Tendean and nephew arrive at JFK to visit her son in New York, 1994.

Decades later, her family learned the truth.

It was hard for me to reconcile this retired professor — my then-mother-in-law — with the extraordinary revolutionary. But her strength, her defiance—it explained so much about her son. She passed away in 1995.

Tendean’s story mirrors Permesta’s complexities: a fight for regional justice, entangled in Cold War politics, ultimately absorbed into Indonesia’s tumultuous march toward unity.

Summary for Audio (75 words)

Dr. Katrina Tendean, a university professor, secretly commanded guerrillas in Indonesia’s 1957–1961 Permesta rebellion. Fighting for regional autonomy, Permesta gained CIA support before collapsing. Tendean’s dual life as scholar and revolutionary reveals the untold struggles of Eastern Indonesia against centralized rule. Her story, long hidden, illuminates the personal costs of rebellion and the shadows of Cold War interference in Southeast Asia.


Guerrilla Professor: Dr. Katrina Tendean’s Secret Role in Indonesia’s Rebellion (July 8, 2025)


#PermestaRebellion #IndonesianHistory #GuerrillaScholar #ColdWarAsia #WomenInWar

Tags: Permesta, Indonesian rebellion, Cold War, guerrilla warfare,
women leaders, CIA Indonesia, North Sulawesi, Sukarno era


Jim Luce
Jim Lucehttps://stewardshipreport.org/
Raising, Supporting & Educating Young Global Leaders through Orphans International Worldwide (www.orphansinternational.org), the J. Luce Foundation (www.lucefoundation.org), and The Stewardship Report (www.stewardshipreport.org). Jim is also founder and president of the New York Global Leaders Lions Club.

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