He became active in journalistic endeavors starting in the Indonesian National Revolution, and led the prominent newspaper Abadi during the Sukarno period since its founding in 1951 until its ban in 1960.

[4] Tasrif began writing literature in 1945, inspired by Usmar Ismail, and within five years he had produced several poems, short stories, and scripts for plays.

[1][4] After moving to Yogyakarta, he also lead the Berita Indonesia newspaper, which had been established by the nascent Indonesian Army in September 1945,[4][5] and helped Usmar Ismail manage the magazines Tentara and Arena.

[10] Early in the transition to the New Order, Tasrif along with other lawyers such as Yap Thiam Hien prominently featured in debates over reforms to the Indonesian legal system.

[11] Due to Tasrif's journalistic experience and connections, he became one of the most consistent and well-known writers on legal and political issues in various newspapers and magazines, including Kompas, Sinar Harapan, Tempo, and Indonesia Raya.

[14] In 1970, the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (Lembaga Bantuan Hukum/LBH) was founded, after Tasrif and other Peradin advocates like Yap and Adnan Buyung Nasution successfully lobbied for it.