Human rights warrior and Professor Emeritus of the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences at Airlangga University, Prof. Soetandyo Wignjosoebroto, passed away on Monday (2/09) at 5 a.m. at Elizabeth Hospital, Semarang, due to illness.

The late professor left behind three daughters from his marriage to Asminingsih, the first wife of Mr. Tandyo who ‘left first’ in 2005. His three daughters are Titi Sari Sawitri, Saraswati Paramastuti, and Titisari Pratiwi.

Prof. Tandyo—his familiar nickname—was born in Madiun on November 19, 1932. He studied Law at Airlangga University and obtained a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Michigan in 1963.

Prof. Tandyo played a significant role as the founder of the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences at Airlangga University in the early 1970s, after the New Order regime started to intervene in the university’s Faculty of Law at that time.

Mr. Tandyo’s steadfastness perhaps stemmed from his family background. His father, the late Soekandar, was a railway employee since the Dutch colonial era and chose to retire upon witnessing corrupt practices affecting the railway institution back then.

In the realm of legal thinking, Prof. Tandyo made substantial contributions. Some of Prof. Soetandyo’s important works include:

1. “From Colonial Law to National Law; Study of Social-Political Dynamics in Legal Development over One and a Half Centuries in Indonesia 1840-1990” published in 1994.

2. “The Ebb and Flow of Regional Autonomy; A Journey Sketch of 100 Years” published in 2005.

3. “Law: Paradigm, Method, and Dynamic Issues” published in 2002.

4. “Legal Development and Legal Education in Post-War Indonesia (1942-1992)” published in 1997.

Mr. Tandyo was an expert in local law, emphasizing that local and traditional laws are actually older and more rooted in history than what is termed national and modern. Local laws—even if unwritten and lacking positive characteristics—actually hold more social significance than laws that are formulated and enforced based on the authority of central national governments.

When it became evident that modernism had not been able to solve all humanitarian issues, not only on a global scale but also locally, the importance of locality emerged to offer alternatives in cultural, social, political, economic, and legal aspects to humanity.

In 2011, Prof. Tandyo was honored with the Yap Thiam Hien Award for his consistent dedication as an active advocate and defender of human rights. He was one of the first commissioners of the National Commission on Human Rights from 1993 to 2002.

Since officially retiring as a professor in 1997, Mr. Tandyo was actively involved in social movements. He also co-founded several organizations such as the Human Rights Working Group (HuMa) in 2001 and the Epistema Foundation in 2010.***Human rights warrior and Professor Emeritus of the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences at Airlangga University, Prof. Soetandyo Wignjosoebroto, passed away on Monday (2/09) at 5 a.m. at Elizabeth Hospital, Semarang, due to illness.

The late professor left behind three daughters from his marriage to Asminingsih, the first wife of Mr. Tandyo who ‘left first’ in 2005. His three daughters are Titi Sari Sawitri, Saraswati Paramastuti, and Titisari Pratiwi.

Prof. Tandyo—his familiar nickname—was born in Madiun on November 19, 1932. He studied Law at Airlangga University and obtained a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Michigan in 1963.

Prof. Tandyo played a significant role as the founder of the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences at Airlangga University in the early 1970s, after the New Order regime started to intervene in the university’s Faculty of Law at that time.

Mr. Tandyo’s steadfastness perhaps stemmed from his family background. His father, the late Soekandar, was a railway employee since the Dutch colonial era and chose to retire upon witnessing corrupt practices affecting the railway institution back then.

In the realm of legal thinking, Prof. Tandyo made substantial contributions. Some of Prof. Soetandyo’s important works include:

1. “From Colonial Law to