INDONESIA: The Nation: Born: October 28, 1928 @ JKT 4:00 pm

[Guest guest]

The Nation: October 28, 1928 @ 4:00 pm JKT (Indonesia)

 

The State: August 17, 1945 @ 9:00 am JKT (Indonesia)

 

The Government: December 27, 1949 @ 9:22 GMT (Holland)

 

 

BACKGROUND:

 

The History of Indonesia

(1910 - 1940)

 

A New Nationalism:

 

PNI changes name to Partai Nasional Indonesia, adopts merah-putih

flag, Bahasa Indonesia as national language, " Indonesia Raya " by

Supratman as national anthem.

March Hatta and supporters are acquitted; Hatta's speeches are

convincingly anti-Dutch.

October 28 Youth Congress in Batavia adopts " sumpah pemuda " : one

nation, one language.

Muhammad Yamin writes poems " Indonesia tumpah darahku " .

KNILM is founded as official airline of the Netherlands Indies.

Perti (Persatuan Tarbiyah Islamiyah) is founded at Bukittingi as an

educational organization for traditionalist Minangkabau Muslims.

 

Pakubuwono X of Surakarta poses with Gov.-Gen. de Graeff (center) in

1928.

Many people see this time as the real beginning of Indonesian

nationalism, the " kebangkitan bangsa " or " national awakening " .

 

Further Growth of Indonesian Organizations

Despite the political restrictions, on July 3, 1922 Ki Hajar

Dewantoro founded Taman Siswa, an organization to promote national

education.

In 1924 the Indonesian Students Association, " Perhimpunan Mahasiswa

Indonesia, " was formed by Drs. Mohammad Hatta, Dr. Sukiman and

others. This organization became a driving force of the nationalist

movement to gain independence.

The Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) staged revolts against the

colonial government in November 1926 in West Java, and in January

1927 in West Sumatra. After their suppression the Government exiled

many non-communist nationalist leaders to Tanah Merah, which the

Dutch called " Boven Digul " in Irian Jaya. Dr. Tjipto Mangunkusumo was

exiled to Bandaneira.

In February 1927 Mohammad Hatta, Achmad Soebardjo and other members

of lndonesia's Movements attended the first international convention

of the " League Against Imperialism and Colonial Oppression " in

Brussels, together with Jawaharlal Nehru and many other prominent

nationalist leaders from Asia and Africa.

In July 1927, Soekarno, Sartono and others formed the Indonesian

Nationalist Party (PNI), which adopted Bahasa Indonesia as the

official language. This party adopted a militant policy of

noncooperation with the Government as the result of a fundamental

conflict of interest between Indonesian nationalism and Dutch

colonialism.

In the same year, and all-Indonesia nationalist movement was

organized by Indonesian youth and women to replace earlier

organizations, which had been based regionalism, such as " Young

Java, " " Young Sumatra " and " Young Ambon. "

On October 28, 1928, delegates to the second Indonesian Youth

Congress in Jakarta pledge allegiance to " one country, one nation and

one language, Indonesia. "

Meanwhile, the Technical Faculty was set up in Bandung in1920, and

the Law Faculty was opened in Jakarta in 1924 to replace the former

Law School. The Medical Faculty was opened in Jakarta in 1927 to

replace the old Medical School. Except for the Technical Faculty in

Bandung, all the faculties in Jakarta were merged in the University

of Indonesia in 1964 in independent Indonesia.

Concerned about the growing national awareness of freedom, the

colonial authorities arrested the PNI leader, Soekarno, in December

1929. This touched off widespread protests by Indonesians.

In 1930 the world was in the grip of an economic and monetary crisis.

The severe impact of the crisis was felt in the Indies, a raw

material producing country. The colonial government responded with a

strict balance budget policy that aggravated economic and social

conditions.

Two other leaders of the PNI, Gatot Mangkupradja and Maskun

Supriadinata, were arrested and tried in court on charges of plotting

against the Government. Soekarno was released in September 1931 but

exiled again in August 1933. He remained in Dutch custody until the

Japanese invasion in 1942.

In January 1931, Dr. Soetomo founded Persatuan Bangsa Indonesia, the

Indonesian Unity Party. Its objective was to improve the social

status of the Indonesian people.

In April of the same year, PNI was abandoned. A new party was formed

by Sartono, LLM and named Partai Indonesia, the Indonesian Party. Its

basis was nationansm, its line was independence.

Also in 1931, Sutan Syahrir formed Pendidikan Nasional Indonesia.

Known as the new PNI, it envisaged national education. Mohammad Hatta

joined this organization.

In 1933 a mutiny broke out on the Dutch warship " De Zeven Provincien "

for which Indonesian nationalists were held responsible. The

following year Sutan Syahrir and Mohammad Hatta and other nationalist

leaders were arrested and banished until1942.

In 1935, Soetomo merged Persatuan Bangsa Indonesia and Boedi Oetomo

to form Partai Indonesia Raya (Parindra). Its fundamental goal was

the independence of Great Indonesia.

 

FURTHER REFERENCE:

Sumpah Pemuda: the Making and Meaning of a Symbol of Indonesian

Nationhood

Author: Foulcher K. 1

Source: Asian Studies Review, September 2000, vol. 24, no. 3, pp. 377-

410(34)

Publisher: Blackwell Publishing