Gerindo
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).
Indonesian People's Movement Gerakan Rakyat Indonesia | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 24 May 1937 |
| Preceded by | Partindo |
| Ideology | Anti-fascism Anti-colonialism |
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] In 1936, a number of members of the Volksraad, the semi-legislative body of the Dutch East Indies, passed the Soetardjo Petition, which asked for a conference to be organized to discuss autonomy for the colony. The Dutch authorities responded negatively to it, and this, together with the 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.
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 and had seats in the Volksraad.[2][3][4] Gerindo had at least one party congress in Batavia in October 1941.[5]
Notes
- Legge 1988, pp. 38–39.
- Kahin 1952, pp. 95–96.
- Cribb & Kahin 2004, p. 157.
- Ricklefs 2008, p. 318.
- Touwen-Bouwsma 1996, p. 6.
References
- 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. Cambridge University Press on behalf of Department of History, National University of Singapore. 27 (1): 1–18.
