Page 46 - The World About Us

Widodo’s
inaugura on
1.1.1
2.2.3

What is the political history of Indonesia?

Indonesia has been shaped as in 1949. President Sukarno ruled the with the support of foreign powers
much by its rela onships to other country, balancing control between the concerned about a Communist ‘domino
countries as with its own internal opposing forces of the army, Islamist effect’ in South East Asia. The PKI
history. Indonesia's short 70 year poli cal movements and the powerful denied all knowledge of the coup.
history has seen drama c changes to its Communist Party of Indonesia (PKI). Suharto went on to rule Indonesia for
poli cal landscape. the next 31 years.
In 1965, a failed military coup was
Pre-1940 The islands, which today blamed on the PKI and a violent purge 1997-2004 In July 1997 the ‘Asian
are called Indonesia, came under Dutch of communists began. Mobs roamed Financial Crisis’ resulted in a collapse of
rule from the 17th Century, first under the streets killing communists, the currencies across South East Asia.
the Dutch East India Company and later suspected communists and many Indonesia was badly affected with
as a ‘na onalised colony’ of the ethnic Chinese. They were aided in this infla on reaching over 70%. Street
Netherlands. The Dutch suppressed by the army who were supplied ‘kill protests erupted across all of the
demands for independence, jailing lists’ of influen al PKI members by the country’s major ci es.
those campaigning against their rule. American CIA. Britain's MI6 was also General Suharto was forced to step
involved helping create ‘black down in May 1998, ending his 31 years
propaganda’ which increased the in power. Indonesia began to
pressure on the beleaguered PKI. experience ‘democra sa on’ a er
Over the space of a few weeks three decades of authoritarian rule.
between 500,000 and two million
people were killed, and the PKI
destroyed. The killings became so
frenzied that rivers became blocked by
corpses. The number of ro ng bodies
became a serious health hazard.
fig.119 Dutch family in Java, 1906.

1940-1945 The Japanese
occupa on during WWII saw up to 4 fig.122 Suharto steps down, 1998.
million Indonesians die from famine Post 2004 In 2004 the first directly
and forced labour but ended Dutch and democra cally-elected President of
rule. Sukarno, an influen al na onalist Indonesia was voted into office.
leader, was released from prison by the President Yudhoyono ruled from 2004
Japanese. Two days a er the surrender to 2014 twice winning elec ons against
of Japan, on the 17th August 1945, his closest opponent, Megawa
Sukarno declared independence from fig.121 Suharto with US Secretary Sukarnoputri, the daughter of the
the Netherlands. He was appointed of Defence, William Cohen, 1998. former-president Sukarno.
President on the following day.
1965-1998 The head of the army, In 2014, Joko Widodo was elected
1945-1965 Despite efforts by the General Suharto, was immensely as the seventh President of Indonesia,
Dutch to regain control (including two strengthened in the a ermath of the pledging to improve Indonesia’s
failed invasions in 1947 and 1948), the mass killings and the destruc on of the na onal infrastructure and make
former colonial masters were forced to PKI. By 1968 he had made himself Indonesia a new mari me power.
recognise the independent Indonesia President, placing the former-President
Sukarno under house arrest. Here he
fig.120 Sukarno held in custody by remained un l his death in 1970. fig.123 Joko Widodo on a walkabout
the Dutch during failed invasion of 1949. whilst s ll Mayor of Jakarta in 2013.
General Suharto ruled Indonesia
under what was to become known as
the ‘New Order’. He was supported by
the United States which encouraged
foreign direct investment by US firms.
Many overseas commentators have
suggested that the 1965 coup a empt
had been staged by Suharto himself,

46

Many factors contribute to a country’s economic development.