Chris Soumokil


Christiaan Robbert Steven Soumokil, known as Chris Soumokil was the President of the self-proclaimed Republic of South Maluku.
His father was South Moluccan, and his mother was Indo Eurasian. After high school, he studied law at the University of Leiden before returning to Indonesia in 1935 and working as a law official in Java. Between May 1947 and February 1950, he served as Minister of Justice in four cabinets of the State of East Indonesia. In April 1950 he declared the self-proclaimed Republik Maluku Selatan and served as President. After the successful central government attack on rebel capital Ambon, Soumokil fled to nearby Ceram Island where he led small guerilla resistance until he was captured in 1963. He was imprisoned on Java Island and later executed by firing squad by order of President Suharto on 12 April 1966.