Indonesian National Revival
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An Indonesian National Revival or Indonesian National Awakening began in the first decades of the twentieth century; for the first time, Indonesians began to develop a national consciousness as "Indonesians" with a more sophisticated political, cultural, and religious identity. New organisations and leadership developed, in part facilitated by the Dutch Ethical Policy's creation of an educated Indonesian elite. These profound changes amongst the indigenous Indonesian population and often referred to as the 'Indonesian National Revival' or culminated in Indonesian nationalists' proclaming independence on 17 August 1945.[1]
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[edit] Political Awakenings
The Ethical Period's emphasis on education failed to deliver widespread educational opportunities, however, it did provide a Dutch education for the children of the indigenous Indonesian elite. Largely intended to provide clerical labour for the growing colonial bureaucracy, the Western education brought with it Western political ideas of freedom and democracy. During the 1920s and 30s, this small elite began to articulate a rising anti-colonialism and a national consciousness.
During this period the first Indonesian political parties began to emerge; the youth group, Budi Utomo was established in 1908. and the Indische Partij in 1912. The same year, Sarekat Islam was founded; inspired more by Islamic and Javanese mysticism than notions of independence and self-rule. It brought Indonesians together, using the banner of Islam in opposition to Dutch rule, however, it had not nationalist agenda, and was often more anti-Chinese than anti-Dutch. In contrast, the Communist Party of Indonesia (PKI), formed in 1920, was a fully-fledged independence party inspired by European politics. In 1926, it attempted a revolution throughout Indonesia through isolated insurrections across Java that panicked the Dutch, who arrested and exiled thousands of communists, effectively neutralising the PKI for the remainder of the Dutch occupation.
Muhammadiyah was established by KH Ahmad Dahlan in Yogyakarta, and Dwijo Sewoyo and some associates formed the Peasant's Insurance Cooperative (Asuransi Jiwa Bersama Bumi Putera) in Magelang.
On 20 July 1913, Suwardi Suryaningrat, who had connections with the Bumi Putera Committee wrote Als ik eens Nederlander was (What if I were a Dutchman?) a striking protest against the plans of the Dutch Colonial Government to celebrate 100 years of Dutch Independence. As a result of this article, Dr Tjipto Mangunkusumo and Suwardi Suryoningrat were tried and sentenced to exile in the Banda Islands. However, they were given the alternative choice of transportation to the Netherlands. In the Netherlands, Suwardi pursued studies in field of Education, while Dr Tjipto fell ill and returned home to Indonesia.
In 1918 a proto-parliament, the Volksraad, met for the first time. 39% of its members were native Indonesians. During this year, the Dutch government agreed that at some, unspecified point in the future, Indonesians would be granted self-rule, but in subsequent years did nothing to follow up this aim.
In 1928, the All Indonesian Youth Congress proclaimed its Youth Oath (Sumpah Pemuda), establishing the nationalist goals of: "one country - Indonesia, one people - Indonesian, and one language - Indonesian."
In 1927, Sukarno founded the Indonesian National Party (PNI) in Bandung; it was the first all-Indonesia secular party devoted primarily to independence.[2] In action similar to the Youth Congress, the PNI in 1928 adopted the red and white flag of Indonesia, declared Indonesian the national language, and Indonesia Raya as the national anthem.[citation needed] Bandung was a centre of political intellectual thought, and Sukarno, used the Javanese, Western, Muslim, and socialist ideals that had influenced him and blended them towards a national identity. The Dutch government arrested Sukarno in 1929[3] and placed a virtual ban on PNI.
[edit] Repression and destruction of the colonial state
- See also: Japanese occupation of Indonesia
The Dutch colonial government repressed nationalist organisations (such as the PKI and PNI) and jailed their leaders such as Sukarno, however, the nationalist movement continued to find a voice. Although nationalist sentiment remained high in the 1930s, real moves towards independence remained stifled. Even when Germany occupied the Netherlands in May 1940, the colonial government in exile was determined to continue its Indonesian rule.
In early 1942, Imperial Japan invaded the Dutch East Indies. The Netherlands had little ability to defend its colony against the Japanese army and Dutch forces were over run in little more than a month, ending 300 years of Dutch colonial presence in Indonesia. The changes under the subsequent three year occupation were so numerous and extraordinary that the subsequent watershed, the Indonesia Revolution, was possible in a manner unfeasible just three years earlier.[4]
[edit] References
[edit] General
- Ricklefs, M.C. (1991). A Modern History of Indonesia, 2nd edition. MacMillan, chapters 10-15. ISBN 0-333-57690-X.
- Vickers, Adrian (2005). A History of Modern Indonesia. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-54262-6.
- Witton, Patrick (2003). Indonesia. Melbourne: Lonely Planet. ISBN 1-74059-154-2.
