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Indonesia
Straddles the Equator between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. While it
has land borders with Malaysia to the north as well as East Timor and Papua
New Guinea to the east, it also neighbors Australia to the south, and Palau, the
Philippines, Vietnam, Singapore, and Thailand to the north, India to the
northwest.
Understand
Indonesia is the sleeping giant of Southeast Asia. With 18,110 islands, 6,000 of
them inhabited, it is the largest archipelago in the world. With well over 230
million people, Indonesia is the fourth most populous country in the world —
after China, India and the USA — and by far the largest in Southeast Asia.
Indonesia also has the largest Muslim population in the world.
Indonesia markets itself as the ultimate in diversity, and the slogan is quite true,
although not necessarily always in good ways. Indonesia's tropical forests are
the second-largest in the world after Brazil, and are being logged and cut down at
the same alarming speed. While the rich shop and party in Jakarta and Bali, after
decades of economic mismanagement, 53% of the population earns less than
US$2/day. Infrastructure in much of the country remains rudimentary, and
travelers off the beaten track (pretty much anywhere outside Bali) will need
some patience and flexibility.
The Indonesian people, like any people, can be either friendly or rude to
foreigners. Most of the time, though, they are incredibly friendly to foreigners.
History
The temples of Prambanan (c. 10th century)The early, modern history of
Indonesia begins in the period from 2500 BCE to 1500 BCE with a wave of
light, brown-skinned Austronesian immigrants, thought to have originated in
Taiwan. This Neolithic group of people, skilled in open-ocean maritime travel
and agriculture are believed to have quickly supplanted the existing, less-
developed population.
From this point onward, dozens of kingdoms and civilizations flourished and
faded in different parts of the archipelago. Some notable kingdoms include
Srivijaya (7th-14th century) on Sumatra and Majapahit (1293-c.1500), based in
eastern Java but the first to unite the main islands of Sumatra, Java, Bali and
Borneo (now Kalimantan) as well as parts of the Malay Peninsula.
The first Europeans to arrive (after Marco Polo who passed through in the late
1200s) were the Portuguese, who were given permission to erect a godown near
present-day Jakarta in 1522. By the end of the century, however, the Dutch had
pretty much taken over and the razing of a competing English fort in 1619
secured their hold on Java, leading to 350 years of colonization. In 1824, the
Dutch and the British signed the Anglo-Dutch Treaty which divided the Malay
world into Dutch and British spheres of influence, with the Dutch ceding
Malacca to the British, and the British ceding all their colonies on Sumatra to the
Dutch. The line of division roughly corresponds to what is now the border
between Malaysia and Indonesia.
Various nationalist groups developed in the early 20th century, and there were
several disturbances, quickly put down by the Dutch. Leaders were arrested and
exiled. Then during World War II, the Japanese conquered most of the islands. In
August 1945 in the post war vacumn following the Japanese surrender to allied
forces the Japanese army and navy still controlled the majority of the Indonesian
archipelago. The Japanese agreed to return Indonesia to the Netherlands but
continued to administer the region as the Dutch were unable to immediately
return due to massive destabilisation from the effects of war in Europe.
Independence
On August 17th 1945 Sukarno read the Proklamasi or Declaration of
Independence and the Panitia Persiapan Kemerdekaan Indonesia (PPKI) moved
to form an interim government. A constitution, drafted by the PPKI preparatory
committee was announced on 18th August 18th and Sukarno was declared
President with Hatta as Vice-President. The PPKI was then remade into the
KNIP (Central Indonesian National Committee) and the KNIP became the
temporary governing body. The new government was installed on August 31,
1945. Indonesia's founding fathers Sukarno (Soekarno) and Hatta declared the
independence of the Republic of Indonesia.
The Dutch mounted a diplomatic and military campaign to reclaim their former
colony from the nationalists. Disputations, negotiations, partitioning and armed
conflict prevailed between the newly independent Indonesia and the
Netherlands. Several nations including the US were highly critical of the Dutch in
this immediate post war period and at one stage in late 1949 the US government
suspended aid provided to the Dutch under the Marshal plan. The matter was
also raised by the newly formed UN. After four years of fighting, the Dutch
accepted defeat and on December 27, 1949 and they formally transferred
sovereignty to "Republik Indonesia Serikat" (Republic of United States of
Indonesia). In August 1950 a new constitution was proclaimed and the new
Republic of Indonesia was formed from the original but now expanded Republic
to include Sumatra Timur and East Indonesia/Negara Indonesia Timur. Jakarta
was made the capital of the Republic of Indonesia however the Netherlands and
Indonesia remained in a theoretical constitutional union with Indonesia holding
the status of a fully independent state.
In September 1950 Natsir and the Masyumi party led the first government of
fully independent Indonesia. Sukarno returned again to the role of President and
over time came to assert greater power in that role. For a time Indonesia used a
provisional constitution modelled upon that of the US which also drew heavily
on the 1948 United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. On
September 26, 1950 Indonesia was admitted to the newly formed United
Nations. The 1950 constitution appears to have been an attempt to set up a
liberal democracy system with two chambers of parliament. Later in 1955, still
under this provisional constitution Indonesia held its first free election.
The new government was tasked with finalising a permanent and final version of
the constitution but after much wrangling consensus was not reached leading to
organised public demonstrations in 1958. In 1959 President Sukarno issued a
decree dissolving the then current constitution and restored the 1945
Constitution. Indonesia then entered the era of Guided Democracy with the
Head of State assuming stronger presidential powers and also absorbing the
previous role of Prime Minister.
From their initial declaration of independence Indonesia claimed West Papua as
part of their nation, but the Dutch held onto it into the 1960s, and in the early
sixties there was further armed conflict over that region. After a UN-brokered
peace deal, and a referendum, West Papua became part of Indonesia and was
renamed as Irian Jaya, which apocryphically stands for Ikut (part of) Republic
of Indonesia, Anti Netherlands. It's now called simply Papua, but the
independence movement smolders on to this day.
Sukarno's tribute to independence and unity — National Monument,
JakartaDuring the post war and Cold war period Sukarno made friendly
advances to the USA, the Soviet Union and later, China. He also tried to play
one against another as he attempted to develop the nation as a non-aligned state.
Much to the dismay of post war Western governments Sukarno became engaged
in extensive dialogue with the Soviets and accepted civil and military aid,
equipment, and technical assistance from the CCCP. Sukarno publicly claimed
that his engagement with the Soviets was to assist in promoting the new
Republic of Indonesia as a non-aligned post war state and to assist in rebuilding
the nation following the Pacific war. At this time US were trying to consolidate
their control over regional and strategic interests in South East Asia and Indo-
china.
Straddles the Equator between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. While it
has land borders with Malaysia to the north as well as East Timor and Papua
New Guinea to the east, it also neighbors Australia to the south, and Palau, the
Philippines, Vietnam, Singapore, and Thailand to the north, India to the
northwest.
Understand
Indonesia is the sleeping giant of Southeast Asia. With 18,110 islands, 6,000 of
them inhabited, it is the largest archipelago in the world. With well over 230
million people, Indonesia is the fourth most populous country in the world —
after China, India and the USA — and by far the largest in Southeast Asia.
Indonesia also has the largest Muslim population in the world.
Indonesia markets itself as the ultimate in diversity, and the slogan is quite true,
although not necessarily always in good ways. Indonesia's tropical forests are
the second-largest in the world after Brazil, and are being logged and cut down at
the same alarming speed. While the rich shop and party in Jakarta and Bali, after
decades of economic mismanagement, 53% of the population earns less than
US$2/day. Infrastructure in much of the country remains rudimentary, and
travelers off the beaten track (pretty much anywhere outside Bali) will need
some patience and flexibility.
The Indonesian people, like any people, can be either friendly or rude to
foreigners. Most of the time, though, they are incredibly friendly to foreigners.
History
The temples of Prambanan (c. 10th century)The early, modern history of
Indonesia begins in the period from 2500 BCE to 1500 BCE with a wave of
light, brown-skinned Austronesian immigrants, thought to have originated in
Taiwan. This Neolithic group of people, skilled in open-ocean maritime travel
and agriculture are believed to have quickly supplanted the existing, less-
developed population.
From this point onward, dozens of kingdoms and civilizations flourished and
faded in different parts of the archipelago. Some notable kingdoms include
Srivijaya (7th-14th century) on Sumatra and Majapahit (1293-c.1500), based in
eastern Java but the first to unite the main islands of Sumatra, Java, Bali and
Borneo (now Kalimantan) as well as parts of the Malay Peninsula.
The first Europeans to arrive (after Marco Polo who passed through in the late
1200s) were the Portuguese, who were given permission to erect a godown near
present-day Jakarta in 1522. By the end of the century, however, the Dutch had
pretty much taken over and the razing of a competing English fort in 1619
secured their hold on Java, leading to 350 years of colonization. In 1824, the
Dutch and the British signed the Anglo-Dutch Treaty which divided the Malay
world into Dutch and British spheres of influence, with the Dutch ceding
Malacca to the British, and the British ceding all their colonies on Sumatra to the
Dutch. The line of division roughly corresponds to what is now the border
between Malaysia and Indonesia.
Various nationalist groups developed in the early 20th century, and there were
several disturbances, quickly put down by the Dutch. Leaders were arrested and
exiled. Then during World War II, the Japanese conquered most of the islands. In
August 1945 in the post war vacumn following the Japanese surrender to allied
forces the Japanese army and navy still controlled the majority of the Indonesian
archipelago. The Japanese agreed to return Indonesia to the Netherlands but
continued to administer the region as the Dutch were unable to immediately
return due to massive destabilisation from the effects of war in Europe.
Independence
On August 17th 1945 Sukarno read the Proklamasi or Declaration of
Independence and the Panitia Persiapan Kemerdekaan Indonesia (PPKI) moved
to form an interim government. A constitution, drafted by the PPKI preparatory
committee was announced on 18th August 18th and Sukarno was declared
President with Hatta as Vice-President. The PPKI was then remade into the
KNIP (Central Indonesian National Committee) and the KNIP became the
temporary governing body. The new government was installed on August 31,
1945. Indonesia's founding fathers Sukarno (Soekarno) and Hatta declared the
independence of the Republic of Indonesia.
The Dutch mounted a diplomatic and military campaign to reclaim their former
colony from the nationalists. Disputations, negotiations, partitioning and armed
conflict prevailed between the newly independent Indonesia and the
Netherlands. Several nations including the US were highly critical of the Dutch in
this immediate post war period and at one stage in late 1949 the US government
suspended aid provided to the Dutch under the Marshal plan. The matter was
also raised by the newly formed UN. After four years of fighting, the Dutch
accepted defeat and on December 27, 1949 and they formally transferred
sovereignty to "Republik Indonesia Serikat" (Republic of United States of
Indonesia). In August 1950 a new constitution was proclaimed and the new
Republic of Indonesia was formed from the original but now expanded Republic
to include Sumatra Timur and East Indonesia/Negara Indonesia Timur. Jakarta
was made the capital of the Republic of Indonesia however the Netherlands and
Indonesia remained in a theoretical constitutional union with Indonesia holding
the status of a fully independent state.
In September 1950 Natsir and the Masyumi party led the first government of
fully independent Indonesia. Sukarno returned again to the role of President and
over time came to assert greater power in that role. For a time Indonesia used a
provisional constitution modelled upon that of the US which also drew heavily
on the 1948 United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. On
September 26, 1950 Indonesia was admitted to the newly formed United
Nations. The 1950 constitution appears to have been an attempt to set up a
liberal democracy system with two chambers of parliament. Later in 1955, still
under this provisional constitution Indonesia held its first free election.
The new government was tasked with finalising a permanent and final version of
the constitution but after much wrangling consensus was not reached leading to
organised public demonstrations in 1958. In 1959 President Sukarno issued a
decree dissolving the then current constitution and restored the 1945
Constitution. Indonesia then entered the era of Guided Democracy with the
Head of State assuming stronger presidential powers and also absorbing the
previous role of Prime Minister.
From their initial declaration of independence Indonesia claimed West Papua as
part of their nation, but the Dutch held onto it into the 1960s, and in the early
sixties there was further armed conflict over that region. After a UN-brokered
peace deal, and a referendum, West Papua became part of Indonesia and was
renamed as Irian Jaya, which apocryphically stands for Ikut (part of) Republic
of Indonesia, Anti Netherlands. It's now called simply Papua, but the
independence movement smolders on to this day.
Sukarno's tribute to independence and unity — National Monument,
JakartaDuring the post war and Cold war period Sukarno made friendly
advances to the USA, the Soviet Union and later, China. He also tried to play
one against another as he attempted to develop the nation as a non-aligned state.
Much to the dismay of post war Western governments Sukarno became engaged
in extensive dialogue with the Soviets and accepted civil and military aid,
equipment, and technical assistance from the CCCP. Sukarno publicly claimed
that his engagement with the Soviets was to assist in promoting the new
Republic of Indonesia as a non-aligned post war state and to assist in rebuilding
the nation following the Pacific war. At this time US were trying to consolidate
their control over regional and strategic interests in South East Asia and Indo-
china.
The US, confronted by an archepelgo
apparently in the grasp of emerging Indonesian
nationalism sought to gain and maintain control
over the important resources and shipping
routes of the region. They viewed Indonesia as
potentially unstable and in a power vacumn
left in the wake of the Japanese defeat in
Indonesia. The Dutch, their nation ravaged by
the European war were unable to fully reclaim
their colony and maintain control over the
rising tide of Indonesian nationalism.
The Dutch were also subject to pressure from
the US and other western governments in
addition to their own considerable problems at
home. The US covertly supported anti
Sukarno activities and operations to destabilise
the the nationalist movement. In 1957-58, the
CIA infiltrated arms and personnel in support
of regional rebellions against Sukarno. Covert
actions at this time led to the capture of an
American pilot and plane. The activities
involved the use of mercenary forces as well as
the material and financial support of
insurgents. Funding, arms, logistical support
and training were provided covertly by the US
to breakaway factions, right wing elements,
and radical Islamist groups including Darul
Islam in an attempt to gain US and western
control of Indonesian nationalism. The actions
were supported from the US embassy in
Singapore, by elements of the US 7th fleet
stationed of Sulawesi and Sumatra and with
the co-operation and support of the UK
government and western intelligence agencies.
The US, with the participation of other
Western powers including the UK later seized
upon Sukarno's emerging dialogue and dealings
with the with the Soviets and later the Chinese
as a threat to the region. Former Director of
the CIA William Colby later compared their
own operations in Indonesia to the Vietnam
Phoenix Program conducted in Vietnam. Indeed
some of the equipment including military
aircraft were later transferred onto that
program. Colby further admitted directing the
CIA to concentrate on compiling lists of
members of the PKI and other leftist groups,
Colby was at that time the Chief of CIA's Far
East Division. Cloaked by the fears and
propaganda of the Cold war period the US
maintained an extended overt and a covert
campaign to destabilise Sukarno.
apparently in the grasp of emerging Indonesian
nationalism sought to gain and maintain control
over the important resources and shipping
routes of the region. They viewed Indonesia as
potentially unstable and in a power vacumn
left in the wake of the Japanese defeat in
Indonesia. The Dutch, their nation ravaged by
the European war were unable to fully reclaim
their colony and maintain control over the
rising tide of Indonesian nationalism.
The Dutch were also subject to pressure from
the US and other western governments in
addition to their own considerable problems at
home. The US covertly supported anti
Sukarno activities and operations to destabilise
the the nationalist movement. In 1957-58, the
CIA infiltrated arms and personnel in support
of regional rebellions against Sukarno. Covert
actions at this time led to the capture of an
American pilot and plane. The activities
involved the use of mercenary forces as well as
the material and financial support of
insurgents. Funding, arms, logistical support
and training were provided covertly by the US
to breakaway factions, right wing elements,
and radical Islamist groups including Darul
Islam in an attempt to gain US and western
control of Indonesian nationalism. The actions
were supported from the US embassy in
Singapore, by elements of the US 7th fleet
stationed of Sulawesi and Sumatra and with
the co-operation and support of the UK
government and western intelligence agencies.
The US, with the participation of other
Western powers including the UK later seized
upon Sukarno's emerging dialogue and dealings
with the with the Soviets and later the Chinese
as a threat to the region. Former Director of
the CIA William Colby later compared their
own operations in Indonesia to the Vietnam
Phoenix Program conducted in Vietnam. Indeed
some of the equipment including military
aircraft were later transferred onto that
program. Colby further admitted directing the
CIA to concentrate on compiling lists of
members of the PKI and other leftist groups,
Colby was at that time the Chief of CIA's Far
East Division. Cloaked by the fears and
propaganda of the Cold war period the US
maintained an extended overt and a covert
campaign to destabilise Sukarno.
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Website : www.tj-travel.com
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Indonesia Holiday Tour Package
