Soedjatmoko

Soedjatmoko, more colloquially referred to as Bung Koko, was an Indonesian intellectual, diplomat, and politician. He was born into a noble father and mother in Sawahlunto, West Sumatra. After finishing his primary education, he went to Batavia to study medicine; in the city's slums, he saw much poverty, which became an academic interest later in life. After being expelled from medical school by the Japanese in 1943 for his political activities, Soedjatmoko moved to Surakarta and practiced medicine with his father. In 1947, after Indonesia proclaimed its independence, Soedjatmoko and two other youths were deployed to Lake Success, New York, to represent Indonesia at the United Nations (UN). They helped secure international recognition of the country's sovereignty.