Amir Sjarifuddin had been involved in the movements for Indonesian independence since the late 1930s. During World War II, he led a small underground resistance against the Japanese occupation. He served with Sutan Sjahrir in several early governments of the Republic. Just before the ‘Madiun incident’ of September 1948, he revealed that he had been a secret member of the PKI for some time. After the failed Communist revolt at Madiun, he was captured and executed by the military