Harry Kawilarang

Harry Alexander Kawilarang was born on September 27th 1944, in Tondano, North Sulawesi. His career as journalist started as an active member of the Indonesia's Student Journalist Association (Ikatan Pers Mahasiswa Indonesia, IPMI), while at the same time studied at the Publicity Faculty of Prof. Moestopo University in 1965 in Jakarta. He was also an activist with the Student Movement during the "Silent Revolution" in 1966 in changing the Indonesian Old Order Regime. Harry went to Europe and studied on press-photography and journalism courses in Amsterdam, the Netherlands in 1966. He continued his to study in Hamburg and Berlin the following year. During the student years in Europe, he was appointed by the Indonesian student paper, KAMI as correspondent in Europe in 1966-68.

After finishing study in Europe for two years, he started his career as photo-reporter with Utusan Malaysia newspaper, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 1968 for one year. In widening his experience on journalism, he became a free-lance war-photographer and was working as a stringer to various media and news-agencies covering the Vietnam War (1969-70). After three years adventuring in Southeast-Asia, Harry returned to Indonesia in 1971, and start working as photo-journalist with Indonesia Raya daily (1971-1972), Sinar Harapan daily (1973-1980), Mutiara Biweekly (1980-1986), the TSM (Teknology Strategy & Militer) military monthly (1987-1993) and Suara Pembaruan (1991-2001).

Harry was more the less self-made, with full of initiatives in creating his identity not only as a photojournalist, but also as an active writer. Not only his pictures were eye-catching, but he has also a strong readership as a travel writer with his feature stories. His East-Timor story was among the well-known "scoop" stories in his career, when as the first journalist that enter Dili, two days after the dictatorship in Portugal was toppled through the "Flower Revolution" in Lisbon in late April 1974. Since that time, he has two jobs, in photo as well as writer, on travel, environment, social-economy, history, politics, general features, etc.

Harry became more active and well known as a writer specializing on international relation and military affairs since beginning 1980 and was appointed as foreign desk editor at Mutiara biweekly magazine. Because of his interest on military affairs, he was appointed as senior editor to the TSM (Teknologi Strategi & Militer), the first Indonesian military monthly magazine that was founded in 1987. Through this medium gave him the opportunity in widening this interest and was attending to many military institutes abroad, attending various international seminars and met prominent figures that are well-known on military affairs. As result of all the experiences, gave him the idea since 1980 collecting and compiling quotations, proverbs, wise sayings, and important military historical events. All of these sources he got it from reading books, newspapers, magazines, following speeches, and interviewing and oral conversations with many prominent figures from 120 countries he had ever visit.

Harry has retired as senior editor from Suara Pembaruan, the Indonesian daily since 2001, but his dedication as photo-reporter, photo-journalist, foreign correspondent to senior editor, had enriched his experience, and is now an active book writer on politics, military, international relations.


Indonesian Version :
Harry Alexander Kawilarang dilahirkan pada 27 September 1944, di Tondano, Sulawesi Utara.Karirnya sebagai wartawan mulai sebagai seorang anggota aktif Ikatan Pers Mahasiswa Indonesia, IPMI, sedangkan sekaligus dia belajar di Fakultas Publisitas Prof Moestopo University pada 1965 di Jakarta.Dia adalah juga seorang aktivis dengan Gerak-gerik Mahasiswa selama "Revolusi Diam" pada 1966 dalam berganti Rezim Orde Lama Indonesia.Harry pergi ke Eropa dan ikut belajar press fotografi dan kursus jurnalis di Amsterdam, Belanda pada tahun 1966.Dia meneruskan studinya di Hamburg dan Berlin tahun berikutnya.Selama tahun-tahun mahasiswanya di Eropa dia diangkat oleh majalah mahasiswa Indonesia KAMI sebagai koresponden di Eropa pada tahun 1966-68.

Sesudah menyelesaikan studinya di Eropa selama dua tahun, dia mulai karirnya sebagai wartawan-foto dengan surat kabar Utusan Malaysia, di Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, pada tahun 1968 selama satu tahun. Memperluas pengalamannya di bidang jurnalistik, dia menjadi juru potret perang freelance dan bekerja untuk berbagai media dan agen-berita meliputi Perang Vietnam (1969-70). Sesudah tiga tahun bertualang di Asia Tenggara, Harry pulang kembali ke Indonesia pada tahun 1971, dan mulai bekerja sebagai wartawan-foto di harian Indonesia Raya (1971-1972), harian Sinar Harapan (1973-1980), dwi-mingguan Mutiara (1980-1986), TSM (Teknology Strategy & Militer) majalah bulanan militer (1987-1993) dan Suara Pembaruan (1991-2001).

Harry lebih kurang auto didact, penuh inisiatif dalam membuat identitasnya, tak hanya sebagai wartawan-foto, tetapi juga sebagai seorang penulis yang aktif. Tidak hanya gambarnya yang menarik, tetapi sebagai seorang penulis perjalanan dengan ciri-ciri ceritanya, dia juga mempunyai sejumlah penggemar pembaca. Cerita Timor-Timurnya adalah salah satu cerita "scoop" yang terkenal di karirnya, menjadi wartawan pertama yang memasuki Dili, dua hari setelah diktatur di Portugal dijatuhkan lewat "Flower Revolution" di Lisbon, menjelang akhir April 1974.Sejak saat itu, dia mempunyai dua pekerjaan, sebagai seorang wartawan foto serta seorang penulis, atas perjalanan, lingkungan, ekonomi sosial, sejarah, politik, ciri-ciri umum, dll.

Harry menjadi lebih aktif dan tenar sebagai seorang penulis khusus dibidang hubungan internasional dan urusan militer dari awal tahun 1980 dan ditunjuk sebagai seorang foreign desk editor di majalah Mutiara dwi-mingguan. Karena ketertarikannya dalam urusan militer, dia diangkat sebagai senior redaktur kepada TSM (Teknologi Strategi & Militer), majalah bulanan militer pertama Indonesia yang didirikan pada 1987.Medium ini memberinya kesempatan untuk memperluas tertarikannya, selanjutnya menghadiri banyak institut militer yang di luar negeri, menghadiri berbagai seminar internasional dan menemui tokoh prominen yang beken di bidang militer. Hasil semua pengalaman ini memberinya gagasan mulai tahun 1980 untuk mengumpulkan dan menyusun kutipan, pepatah, pepatah bijaksana, dan peristiwa sejarah militer yang penting. Semua sumber ini dia mendapat dari membaca buku, koran, majalah, mengikuti pidato, mewawancarai dan dari percakapan lisan dengan banyak tokoh prominen dari 120 negara yang dia sudah berkunjung.

Harry sudah mengundurkan diri sebagai seorang redaktur senior dari Suara Pembaruan, harian Indonesia sejak 2001, tetapi pengabdiannya sebagai wartawan-foto, wartawan asing sampai senior redaktur, sudah memperkaya pengalamannya. Saat ini Harry Kawilarang adalah seorang penulis buku aktif dibidang politik, militer dan hubungan internasional.