The Indonesian Revolution

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Introduction to the Committee

The Security Council’s primary responsibility is for the maintenance of international peace and security. In 1949, it had 11 Members, five permanent and six non-permanent ones. The non-permanent members get elected for a two year period by the General Assembly. As of 1949, the five permanent members are the USSR, USA, UK, France and the Republic of China (the non-communist one, presently losing its civil war). Each Member has one vote - the permanent members have a Veto Right. Under the Charter of the United Nations, all Member States are obligated to comply with Council decisions.

The Security Council takes the lead in determining the existence of a threat to the peace or act of aggression. It calls upon the parties to a dispute to settle it by peaceful means and recommends methods of adjustment or terms of settlement. In some cases, the Security Council can resort to imposing sanctions or even authorize the use of force to maintain or restore international peace and security.

Introduction to the Topic

Background: Indonesian History

Indonesia is massive, comprising some 17'000 islands covering 1.9 million square kilometers, comparable in size to Mexico, or to Germany, France, Spain, and the UK combined. It has been inhabited by humans for 40’000 years, and in 1949, it is home to over 74 million people. Given its geography and location, it has been a center of trade for millenia. Over the course of this time, it has been home to a wide variety of kingdoms and polities, including the powerful Srivijaya and Majapahit empires. For many centuries it was dominated by the Indian religions of Hinduism and Buddhism, but by the time of its contact with Europeans, the region was predominantly muslim. Nonetheless, the region is highly diverse, with several notable large religious minorities, and is home to over 1’000 ethnic groups.

Starting in the 16th century, various European empires began to establish themselves in the region, both through commercial ties, settlement, and, increasingly over time, violent conquest. Initially, Portugal was the principal european power in exploration and trade, and the French and British also established post, but over the time, the dominant power came to be the Dutch, initially through the state-chartered Dutch East India Company (VOC), which established trading posts and manufacturing facilities and waged wars with local powers and european competitors. This made the Dutch an absurd amount of money, making the Netherlands the richest nation in Europe, and before the rise of the UK in the 18th century, Europe’s premier maritime and trading power. Over the course of the next centuries, the amount of territory controlled by the VOC increased, and by 1800 they controlled large parts of all of Indonesia’s principal islands. However, over the centuries the profits of the company had declined, and their debt had grown. Given these issues, the company was ultimately dissolved, and the control of its territory passed to the Dutch state.

Dutch direct rule over what was called the Dutch East Indies was far more brutal then what had come before. They fought a series of wars to conquer the remainder of modern-day Indonesia, and suppressed various rebellions against their rule. Combined, these wars cost hundreds of thousands of lives, and disrupted millions. As with all colonies, the principal purpose of Dutch occupation was the extraction of wealth, and within Indonesia this mostly took the form of Cash crop farming, of spices, coffee, sugar, and other plants. This was incredibly brutal, dramatically increasing the rate of death among the local population from famine and overwork, and also incredibly profitable, at one point being responsible for half of Dutch government revenue. The Dutch subjected the people to various forms of forced labor, sexual slavery, labor exploitation, and other abuses. They also implemented a strict racial caste system, which elevated the status of White Dutch people above locals. In the early 20th century, official policy transitioned to the “Dutch Ethical Policy”, which theoretically switched priorities to development and the improvement of living conditions. This however, had relatively modest impacts, and was more or less abandoned around the time of the great depression.

Throughout the period of occupation, an intellectual and political movement began to take hold among many residents of the colony, which would become known as the Indonesian National Awakening. These people, bonded by their shared experiences of exploitation and humiliation at the hand of their Dutch rulers, increasingly identified as part of a united nation, Indonesia, using the previously geographic term to describe a shared national heritage. This was similar to the processes happening in other European colonies around the world. This movement was particularly popular among educated people and students, but spread to large parts of Indonesian society. The movement was ideologically heterogeneous, for instance including sizable communist and islamist factions, but was united by a desire to see an independent Indonesia.

On the 8th of December 1941, Indonesia’s history, along with the history of the world, was changed forever by Japanese attack. As part of Japan's military feeding frenzy, famously started by their attack on pearl harbor the previous day, the Dutch East Indies were invaded. The invasion was remarkably successful, resulting in the complete surrender of Dutch forces within 3 months and 1 day. Despite initial hopes that this transfer of authority would result in freedom, Japanese rule was even more brutal than the Dutch had expected, involving massive amounts of forced labor, aggressive police repression, and causing as many as 4 million deaths. Aligning with their idea of a “Greater East Asia Co-prosperity sphere”, the Japanese created a form of local government, albeit a puppet one under Japanese occupation and domination. This was led by prominent independence leader Sukarno. Indonesia was bypassed by the Allied campaigns, and was still largely under occupation at the time of Japanese surrender in 1945.

However, with the Dutch massively weakened by the war, local leaders saw a chance, and led by Sukarno they declared independence 3 days after the surrender. They began the process of creating the new nation, drafting a constitution, forming a government, and creating an army.  The Dutch, naturally, did not recognize this government, and granted continued control of it by postwar negotiations, they began an attempt to retake the area by force, with the help of the British. They were successful in maintaining control over most outlying islands, in which they installed a puppet state called East Indonesia, and over major cities, but rural Sumatra and Java proved impossible. In the long term the Dutch had no hope of occupying the country permanently, as it was far smaller and weakened by WWII. By this point, international opinion had also turned against them, with the USA and USSR both backing Indonesian independence. 

Most of the Netherland’s military campaigns were largely successful, but they could not maintain their occupation, and they faltered at America’s threat to cut off badly needed Marshall plan aid. This forced them to the negotiation table with the Indonesians, and they signed a series of concessions. Though no lasting agreement has been achieved so far, everyone recognises that Indonesian independence, if not already an established fact, is entirely inevitable.

At this point, the tasks of maintaining peace and plotting the future fell to the UN security council. Despite the end being clear, the details must still be arranged. How will the war end, and what is to happen now? With its large population, significant natural resources, and strategic location, Indonesia has the potential to be a major player in international affairs. Its future could have widespread ramifications.

Questions a Resolutions should Answer

  • How will this conflict end?

  • What will the lasting status of Indonesia’s territory be?

  • What steps should both parties take to maintain permanent peace?

  • What role should the UN take in settling this conflict?

Practical Advice for Research

  • Has your nation taken a clear stance on this conflict?

  • Does your nation have strong relations with the Netherlands or the Indonesian rebels?

  • What is your nation's stance on decolonization generally?

  • Does your nation have any interest in South East Asia?

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