Gerindo
Indonesian People's Movement Gerakan Rakyat Indonesia | |
|---|---|
| Chairperson | Amir Sjarifuddin |
| Founded | 24 May 1937 |
| Preceded by | Partindo |
| Succeeded by | Socialist Party of Indonesia (Parsi) |
| Ideology | Anti-fascism Anti-colonialism |
Gerindo (Indonesian People's Movement) (Indonesian: Gerakan Rakyat Indonesia) was a pre-independence leftist nationalist political party in Indonesia. It adopted an anti-fascist stance, supporting the Dutch against the common threat from Imperial Japan, seeing this as a higher priority than immediate Indonesian independence. It subsequently joined with other nationalist parties to form the Indonesian Political Federation (GAPI).
Background
In 1931, Bonifacius Cornelis de Jonge became Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies and took a more hardline approach to Indonesian nationalist movements than his predecessor. As part of the clampdown, non-cooperative nationalist leader Sukarno was arrested in November 1934 followed by Hatta and Sjahrir three months later. All were exiled, while Sukarno's Indonesia party (Partindo) party, found itself leaderless.[1] By 1935, as a result of legislation, detentions and police actions, the only non-cooperative party function was the small Indonesian Islamic Union Party (PSII).[2] In 1936, a number of members of the Volksraad, the semi-legislative body of the Dutch East Indies, introduced the Soetardjo Petition, which asked for a conference to be organized to discuss autonomy for the colony. It was passed by 26 votes to 20. The Dutch authorities responded negatively to the petition, and this, together with increasing threat from global fascism led a number of nationalists, including former members of the recently dissolved Partindo, to establish Gerindo (Indonesian People's Movement) on 24 May 1937. The principal leaders were Sartono, Amir Sjarifuddin and A.K Gani.[3]
Policies and activities
The party had an internationalist outlook. Although it wanted a full parliament for the Dutch East Indies, its members took the view that the threat of global dominance by fascist nations, particularly Japan, was a more immediate concern than Indonesian independence and the party cooperated with the Dutch administration, accepting Dutch administration and taking seats.[4][5] Despite its more radical stance than Parindra (Great Indonesia Party), the Dutch did not ban it, and it became the only legal organization for radical nationalists, including supporters of the banned Communist Party of Indonesia. However, the resulting disparity of views within the party led to tensions between Sjahrir and the more leftist members.[6]
In 1937, a Sutardjo petition committee was established to try to persuade the Dutch government to support it. Although in October that year, the Gerindo leadership stated the party would support the committee, it also banned party members from sitting on it, making its support meaningless. It also attracted very little support from other nationalist parties, which may have been due to defeatism. In November 1938, the Dutch parliament rejected the petition.[7]
In May 1939, Gerindo, along with seven other nationalist organizations, including Parindra and the PSSI, formed the Indonesian Political Federation (GAPI)> Prominent natiionalist Mohammad Husni Thamrin was the main driving force behind this establishment. Shortly before the May 1940 German invasion of the Netherlands, Gerindo, through GAPI, put forward a proposal that a Dutch East Indies government with wide-ranging autonomy be set up and that it be answerable to a fully elected Volksraad, which would allow Indonesian nationalists to support the Dutch government. This was similar to the proposals in the Sutardjpo petition. However, the Netherlands fell to Germany before any response was forthcoming.[6]
Gerindo had at least one party congress in Batavia in October 1941.[8]
Notes
- ^ Legge 1988, pp. 38–39.
- ^ Abeyasekere 1973, p. 81.
- ^ Kahin 1952, pp. 95–96.
- ^ Cribb & Kahin 2004, p. 157.
- ^ Ricklefs 2008, p. 318.
- ^ a b Legge 1988, pp. 116–118.
- ^ Abeyasekere 1973, pp. 93–97, 104.
- ^ Touwen-Bouwsma 1996, p. 6.
References
- Abeyasekere, Susan (April 1973). "The Soetardjo Petition" (PDF). Indonesia. 15 (15): 81–107. doi:10.2307/3350793. ISSN 0019-7289. JSTOR 3350793.
- Cribb, R.B; Kahin, Audrey (2004). Historical Dictionary of Indonesia. Scarecrow Press. p. 157. ISBN 9780810849358.
- Kahin, George McTurnan (1952). Nationalism and Revolution in Indonesia. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.
- Legge, J.D. (1988). Intellectuals and Nationalism in Indonesia: A Study of the Folllowing Recruited by Sutam Sjahrir in Occupation Jakarta. Ithaca, New York: Cornell Modern Indonesia Project, Cornell University. ISBN 0-87763-034-8.
- Ricklefs, M.C. (2008) [1981]. A History of Modern Indonesia Since c.1300 (4th ed.). London: MacMillan. p. 59. ISBN 978-0-230-54685-1.
- Touwen-Bouwsma, Elly (1996). "The Indonesian Nationalists and the Japanese "Liberation" of Indonesia: Visions and Reactions". Journal of Southeast Asian Studies. 27 (1). Cambridge University Press on behalf of Department of History, National University of Singapore: 1–18.
