Safi'i Kemamang (born (1976-06-05)5 June 1976) is an Indonesian activist of the Partai Rakyat Demokratik (PRD) in East Java who operates underground. Safi'i is known for creating the song "Buruh Tani (Pembebasan)" to encourage those who were struggling under the Orde Baru regime.[1]
Safi'i Kemamang was born with the name Arifin in Lamongan, East Java. He was born into a poor farming family. His grandfather, grandmother, father, mother, and other family members were farmers. His father's name was Mustofa and his mother's name was Siti Karmiati. He only has one sibling, namely an older sister.[2]
Personal life
Safi'i has been involved in political movements since he was a child, he was already interested in the world of politics as a child. His began to plunge into the world of movement since entering the State Vocational School (Indonesian: Sekolah Teknik Menengah; STM) of Tuban, East Java. He claimed that there were practices of misappropriation and corruption carried out by the principal. Then, Safi'i and his friends from STM held a demonstration to protest the corrupt practices.[3]
Activist and political career
Safi'i's interest in the world of political movements continued when he entered college. He continued his studies at a private university in Surabaya. The frequency of his movement activities increased when he joined SMID (Indonesian Student Solidarity for Democracy) and PRD (People's Democratic Party).[3]
When the song "Pembebasan" was written, Safi'i had already joined the PRD in East Java, which at that time was still operating underground. However, he was forced to appear legally when the National Committee for Democratic Struggle (KNPD) was formed because no one wanted to, due to the trauma of the Kudatuli incident in 1996.[1]
Supporting liberation
Safi'i was also involved in the actions and organization of the national liberation movements of East Timor (Timor-Leste) and West Papua. On 2 July 1996, he was kidnapped to be killed, but managed to escape.
Until now, he has lived in Timor Leste, since the country officially became independent from Indonesia in 2002. He commuted between Indonesia and Timor Leste and back. While in Timor-Leste, Safi'i worked for the Ministry of Agriculture as an advisor to the minister for seven years.[3]
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