Machmud Singgirei Rumagesan was a king of Sekar and pro-integration activist from West Papua. He founded the movement Gerakan Tjendrawasih Revolusioner Irian Barat (GTRIB) in 1953, and became the member of Supreme Advisory Council in 1959. On 10 November 2020, Singgirei Rumagesan was posthumously declared a National Hero of Indonesia for his lifelong efforts to unite West Irian with Indonesia.
Early life and ascension to the throne
Machmud Singgirei Rumagesan was born in Kokas, Fakfak Regency, on 27 December 1885, to Saban Pipi Rumagesan. Pipi was the son of Dimin an adopted son of Paduri, commissioned raja under Rumbati. Paduri was succeeded by his son, Pandai which receive the title Raja of Kabituwar (Sekar) from Tidore Sultanate. Lacking noble bloodline, Dimin's descendant cannot take the throne according to local customary law. When Pandai died, no successor was chosen as he did not have any brothers, and his son, Abdulrachman was still a child. Hence Pipi ran the kingdom as Raja Muda without being officially enthroned. With intervention by Dutch colonial authority, Pipi became Raja of Sekar in 1911. Singgirei was crowned as Raja Muda to help with his father. After his father died in 1915 Singgirei ascended the throne to became Raja of Sekar, and officially took the title Raja Al Alam Ugar Sekar.
Conflict with Dutch authority
Singgirei Rumagesan was involved in a conflict relating to Dutch oil mining company Maatschappij Colijn operating in Kokas in 1934, in which he asked them to employ local workers, give better treatment and pay. He was instrumental in setting up the operation hence the company complied and gave their wages to him to distribute, however the Bestuur Assistant requested the money, when he was rejected he reported to Controleur G. van den Terwijk. King Rumagesan and his subjects was involved in a fight with van den Terwijk and almost kill him, the conflict then became a broader rebellion. Dutch colonial authority in Fakfak found out of the incident and sent soldiers to stop the rebellion, as a result, 73 people alongside 5 village leaders were imprisoned and were sentence between 2–10 years. King Rumagesan was sentenced to 15 years in prison in Saparua, Moluccas. In prison he managed to write a letter asking for help to Mohammad Husni Thamrin a member of Volksraad at the time. Thamrin succeeded in bringing Rumagesan's case to court, Rumagesan won and was eventually freed in 1941.
During the Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies, King Rumagesan was given the title Minanu Tokyo and given some authority in West New Guinea. After the end of the war, he alongside other kings in Papua was ordered to re-raise the Dutch flag on 1 March 1946, which he refused and lowered the flags the next day. This ignited a fight with Dutch colonial authority, which he lost. He was later imprisoned in Doom Island, Sorong, where he managed to recruit some followers especially former local Kempei-Ho/Hei Ho as well as the support from local Sangaji Malan with Pioneers of Independence Organization, and managed to form a force armed with 40 rifles. Dutch colonial authority would found out and he was exiled to Manokwari. There he also managed to influence some Papuans and they hatched an arson plot on Dutch barracks. This plot was thwarted and Rumagesan along with his followers were moved to Abepura, Hollandia, he was sentenced to death before eventually moved to Makassar in 1949 and before eventually Nusa Kambangan. However he was freed from prison on 2 May 1950 under the authority of RIS court.
On 24 June 1950, Rumagesan was ushered by Albert Karubuy to visit Sukarno, in a meeting where he was disappointed that since 1950 Sukarno's speeches were only heard from "Sabang to Dobo" instead of "Sabang to Merauke", quoting Sukarno's speeches and the phrase would be popularised later on, he accepted the resolution of Round Table Conference that Irian matters should be solved after one year but instead have passed two and a half years, and would support republican government. On 26 January 1951, his daughter Boke Salha gave a public speech in Balikpapan in support of Irian becoming part of Indonesia and about her dad's experience fighting the Dutch in 1936. In 1953, he founded the movement Gerakan Tjendrawasih Revolusioner Irian Barat (GTRIB) and with Abbas Iha, Gerakan Organisasi Pemuda Cendrawasih Muda. He alongside King of Rumbati, Ibrahim Bauw, who founded the movement New Guinea Islamic Union (KING), advocated for Jihad Fisabilillah in Papuan mosques against Netherlands. In the same year there was a revolt in Fakfak Regency under the leadership of Abutalib bin Paris from Kokas.