Independence was a long and arduous road for Indonesia. Before being colonized, Indonesia had many kingdoms. It was only after the Dutch and Japanese that Indonesia united its forces to regain independence of its homeland. Despite the bloodshed and lives sacrificed, it took 350 years for Indonesia to be free of the Dutch and 3,5 years for Indonesia to be free of the Japanese on 17 August, 1945.
Indonesia’s history with colonists has been filled with blood and strife. During those times trade was monopolized and the land looted of its many natural resources. It was for these reasons that Indonesians began to seek independence.
The men hailed as founding fathers of Indonesia are Soekarno, Muhammad Hatta, Seopomo and Tan Malaka. It took the minds of these four men and 64 others to form Indonesia’s main ideology, Pancasila.
After declaring independence, their struggles were not over. The Dutch East Indies, now backed by the British wanted to reclaim control. This intention was met with resistance by the international community, in which many expressed disagreement during a meeting dubbed the ‘Round Table Meeting’ (Pertemuan Maja Bundar) held in Den Haag, Netherlands.
Indonesia Now
Indonesia has come a long way since. In the over 7 decades of independence most people have forgotten the horrors colonization and instead find happiness. This wonderful country has managed to keep and maintain its cultural roots despite globalization and has become one of Indonesia’s defining feature. Indonesia also offers much more, such as its amazingly friendly people, untouched nature, delicious coffee , spices and much much more
