Ide Anak Agung Gde Agung studied law at the Rechtshogeschool in Batavia and obtained a Doctorate of History in the Netherlands. He served as the premier for Tjokorda Gde Raka Soekawati, a key figure in the East Indonesian government based in Sulawesi. In this role, he played a decisive part in the Round Table Conference that finally led to Dutch recognition of Indonesia's independence. Following the transfer of sovereignty on December 27, 1949, Agung served as a member of the short-lived RUSI Cabinet where he served as Minister of the Interior. Due to his Federalist sympathies, he politically feuded with Sukarno who advocated a unitaryRepublic of Indonesia. Following the abolition of the federal system in 1950, he served as the Indonesian Ambassador to Belgium, followed by successive appointments as Ambassador to Luxembourg, Portugal, France and Austria. During the Sukarno presidency, Agung served as Indonesia's Foreign Minister between 1955 and 1956, and was a participant in the West New Guinea dispute. Later, he was imprisoned by the Sukarno regime between 1962 and 1966 but was never brought to trial. Following the 1965 attempted coup and rise of Suharto's New Order regime, Ide Anak Agung Gde Agung was released by the new Indonesian Foreign MinisterAdam Malik, who also restored him to his senior position in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. During the New Order era, Agung served as Indonesia's Ambassador to Austria. During his time overseas, Agung also authored Twenty years Indonesian foreign policy 1945-1965, a 660-page history of Indonesian foreign policy during the Sukarno era. In his book, Ide Anak Agung Gde Agung argued that Indonesian foreign policy was based on the principles of independence and action, which meant remaining independent of foreign powers. Agung also argued that Sukarno abandoned Indonesia's independent foreign policy by aligning Indonesia with China and embarking on a policy of Confrontation against Malaysia. Agung died in 1999 and he was named a National Hero of the Republic of Indonesia in 2007.
