Historical independence

History: Indonesia

From the 1945 proclamation of independence, through the Indonesian National Revolution, to the 1949 transfer of sovereignty and 1950 UN admission.

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The 1945 proclamation

Sukarno and Mohammad Hatta proclaimed Indonesian independence in Jakarta on 17 August 1945: "WE THE PEOPLE OF INDONESIA HEREBY DECLARE THE INDEPENDENCE OF INDONESIA."[1] The Netherlands did not recognise the proclamation, and the Indonesian National Revolution followed.

· Declaration

Proclamation of Indonesian Independence, 1945

Sukarno and Mohammad Hatta proclaimed Indonesian independence in Jakarta on 17 August 1945, two days after Japan's surrender in the Second World War, though the Netherlands did not recognise this and a four-year armed and diplomatic struggle followed.

The Indonesian National Revolution

The Linggadjati Agreement of November 1946 saw the Dutch recognise the Republic's de facto authority over Java, Madura and Sumatra, but a Dutch military offensive in July 1947 breached the agreement; the Renville Agreement of January 1948 followed, and a second Dutch offensive came in December 1948. Casualty estimates for the conflict vary widely, with Indonesian combat deaths estimated at 45,000-100,000 and some overall totals reaching 100,000-250,000; no single figure is treated as authoritative.[2]

· Conflict episode

Indonesian National Revolution, 1945-1949

Following the Netherlands' refusal to recognise the 1945 proclamation, an armed and diplomatic struggle included the Linggadjati Agreement (1946), two Dutch "police action" offensives, and the Renville Agreement (1948); casualty estimates for the conflict vary widely and are not resolved to a single figure.

Transfer of sovereignty

Following the Round Table Conference in The Hague, the Netherlands transferred sovereignty over Indonesia, excluding Netherlands New Guinea, to the Republic of the United States of Indonesia on 27 December 1949.[3]

· Agreement

Transfer of Sovereignty over Indonesia, 1949

Following the Dutch–Indonesian Round Table Conference held in The Hague, the Netherlands transferred sovereignty over Indonesia (excluding Netherlands New Guinea) to the Republic of the United States of Indonesia on 27 December 1949.

United Nations membership

The Security Council recommended Indonesia's UN membership on 26 September 1950, and the General Assembly admitted it on 28 September 1950.[4][5]

Sources for this page

Each number marks a specific claim. Notes give the source, its locator and how it relates to the claim.

  1. 1.

    Claim: Sukarno and Mohammad Hatta proclaimed Indonesian independence in Jakarta on 17 August 1945. The proclamation, in the English translation given to historian George McTurnan Kahin, read: "WE THE PEOPLE OF INDONESIA HEREBY DECLARE THE INDEPENDENCE OF INDONESIA. MATTERS WHICH CONCERN THE TRANSFER OF POWER AND OTHER THINGS WILL BE EXECUTED BY CAREFUL MEANS AND IN THE SHORTEST POSSIBLE TIME," dated "DJAKARTA, 17 AUGUST 1945" and signed "IN THE NAME OF THE PEOPLE OF INDONESIA, SUKARNO—HATTA." The Netherlands did not recognise the proclamation, and armed and diplomatic conflict followed until 1949.

    • Kahin, George McTurnan, Sukarno's Proclamation of Indonesian Independence (Wikisource) link, proclamation text. Source record
  2. 2.

    Claim: The Linggadjati Agreement, concluded 15 November 1946, saw the Netherlands recognise the Republic's de facto authority over Java, Madura and Sumatra; a Dutch military offensive ("First Police Action") in July 1947 breached the agreement, and the Renville Agreement, ratified 17 January 1948, recognised Republican control over smaller areas of Java and Sumatra while leaving the Dutch in control of territory seized in the offensive. A second Dutch offensive followed in December 1948. Published casualty estimates for the 1945-1949 conflict vary widely: Indonesian combat deaths are estimated at roughly 45,000-100,000, civilian deaths at 25,000-100,000, and more than 5,000 Dutch soldiers were killed; a separate period of revolutionary violence known as the "Bersiap" is estimated to have caused 3,500-30,000 deaths. Some overall estimates place total deaths at roughly 100,000-250,000; no single figure is treated as authoritative.

  3. 3.

    Claim: The Round Table Conference Agreement, concluded at The Hague on 2 November 1949, provided that the Netherlands would unconditionally and irrevocably transfer complete sovereignty over Indonesia to the Republic of the United States of Indonesia. Sovereignty was formally transferred on 27 December 1949, when Queen Juliana signed the instrument of transfer; Netherlands New Guinea was excluded, with its status left for further negotiation.

    • Wikipedia contributors, Dutch–Indonesian Round Table Conference (Wikipedia) link, article text. Source record Consulted via citation, not the original agreement text.
  4. 4.

    Claim: On 26 September 1950, at its 503rd meeting, the Security Council found that the Republic of Indonesia is a peace-loving State fulfilling the conditions of Article 4 of the Charter, and recommended its admission to the General Assembly; the vote was 10 in favour to none against, with China abstaining.

    • United Nations Security Council, Security Council resolution 86 (1950) (United Nations, 26 September 1950) link, resolution text and voting record. Source record
  5. 5.

    Claim: The General Assembly admitted the Republic of Indonesia to United Nations membership at its 289th plenary meeting on 28 September 1950, noting the Security Council's recommendation of 26 September 1950 and Indonesia's declaration accepting the obligations of the Charter.

    • United Nations General Assembly, General Assembly resolution 491 (V): Admission of the Republic of Indonesia to membership in the United Nations (United Nations, 28 September 1950) link, operative paragraphs. Source record

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