Soetran

Soetran (5 April 1921 – 1 July 1987) was an Indonesian military officer and politician who served as the Regent of Trenggalek from 1968 until 1975 and as the Governor of Irian Jaya from 1975 to 1981. Born in Sidoarjo, Soetran dropped out of elementary school and settled down to become a soldier. He joined the Defenders of the Homeland in 1942 with the rank of budancho. He was later transferred to Merauke and Trenggalek as a commander. Soetran became the regent of Trenggalek in 1968. His leadership in the region was characterized by his command approach. He managed to transform the region into a center of clove production. He also enacted the tembokisasi (construction of walls) and reforestation in the region in an attempt to increase the standards of living. He was elected to a second term in 1973, and the region received an award as the best-performing region in 1974. For his achievements in Trenggalek, Soetran was elected as the Governor of Irian Jaya in 1975. Under his leadership, the province experienced two consecutive earthquakes in 1976. He ended his term in 1981, four months longer than scheduled. Soetran moved to Surabaya following his resignation as governor. He died in 1987.