REPORT ON INDONESIA
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I.B. ASSIGNMENT Page 3
1.
H
ISTORICAL INDONESI
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number of Hindu and Buddhist kingdoms, centered on Sumatra and Java, covered
much of Indonesia’s modern territory before the gradual ascendancy of Islam and then the
arrival of European traders and imperialists. The last major Hindu kingdom, Majapahit,reached its height in the 14th century and covered much of the archipelago. It was replacedby local kingdoms and sultanates, which one by one were taken under Dutch administrationor conquered by Dutch forces. The Dutch did not finally incorporate into the NetherlandsEast Indies all of what is now Indonesia until the early 20th century.
I
ndonesia declared independence from the Netherlands in August 1945, after threeyears of rule by a Japanese wartime administration. The Dutch only ceded sovereignty in1949 after four years of intermittent armed struggle with a medley of pro-independenceforces fighting under national, provincial and religious banners. However, the Dutchremained as the colonial power in Papua (Netherlands New Guinea) until 1962, whenadmini
stering authority was handed over to Indonesia. Papua’s incorporation into Indonesia
became official with a much-disputed consultation of Papuan representatives in 1969, the
―Act of Free Choice‖. At that point, Indonesia’s borders became identical with tho
se of theformer Netherlands East Indies.
T
he post-independence political landscape has been dominated by PresidentsSoekarno (1949-66) and Soeharto (1967-98). The Soekarno years were marked by politicalinstability, economic decline and the dismantling of Indonesia's first parliamentarydemocracy. Soekarno was a charismatic and aspirant revolutionary leader whose name stillhas widespread public appeal in Indonesia, evidenced by the popularity of his daughter,former president Megawati Soekarnoputri. He pursued a radical foreign policy, whichincluded military confrontation with Malaysia and the Netherlands (in Papua).
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