Indonesian Political Federation

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"GAPI" redirects here. For another use, see Garibaldian Antifascist Partisan Movement of Italy.

The Indonesian Political Federation (Indonesian: Gabungan Politik Indonesia) (GAPI) was created in 1939 in the Dutch East Indies and consisted of eight nationalist Indonesian political parties.

Background[]

As the Second World War loomed, some Indonesian nationalists took the view that if they were to adopt a cooperative stance with the colonial administration against fascism, this might cause the Dutch to agree to a degree of autonomy for the East Indies. However, at the same time, the Dutch were placing more and more restrictions on Indonesian political activity, particularly towards the apparently pro-Japan Great Indonesia Party (Parindra).[1]

Establishment[]

On 21 May 1939,[2] mostly at the urging of the nationalist Mohammad Husni Thamrin, eight major nationalist organizations joined together to form Indonesian Political Federation (GAPI). The Indonesian National Party (PNI) did not join as it was serving a ban on meetings. The members were:[3][4]

The joint chairmen were Amir Sjarifuddin (Gerindo), Abikusno Tjokrosujoso (Islamic Union Party) and Thamrin (Parndra).[5]

Program[]

The federation used the slogan Indonesia berparlemen - a parliament for Indonesia". The members agreed to refrain from individual actions, and to only work as a collective whole. The political program of the federation was to strive for:[5][6][7]

  • a popularly elected parliament
  • Indonesian self-determination
  • national unity
  • anti-fascism through solidarity with the Netherlands

Activities[]

In December 1939, GAPI organized a People's Congress at which 90 groups were represented. Echoing the Youth Pledge eleven years beforehand, and as part of the effort to stress the need for unity, the conference adopted the Indonesian language, the red and white Indonesian flag and the song Indonesia Raya as the national anthem.[5] It also called for the Indonesia berparlemen slogan to be realized through the semi-legislative Volksraad body becoming democratic and truly representative of the Indonesian people. This would form the basis of cooperation with the Dutch in the face of the threat from global fascism. There was no response from the Dutch to this call for greater autonomy.[4][8][9]

In May 1940, the Germans invaded the Netherlands. In September, GAPI asked the Dutch government, then in exile in London, for a Dutch-Indonesian union and a fully-elected Volksraad. As a result of demands both from within and outside the Volksraad, on 14 September 1940, the Dutch established the Visman Commission headed by Council of the Indies (Dutch) member F.H. Visman to hear the views of Indonesian nationalists. GAPI expressed opposition to this commission.[4][10][11]

At a second People's Congress, from 13-14 September 1941 in Yogyakarta, a motion was passed establishing the People's Congress, with GAPI representatives in the leadership board. As a representative body for Indonesian nationalists, it aimed to establish a fully representative parliament, but there was no time to implement this plan before the Japanese invasion of the Dutch East Indies began in January 1942.[12][13]

References[]

  1. ^ Rickefs 2008, p. 320.
  2. ^ Arniati 1982, p. 4.
  3. ^ Kahin 1952, pp. 96–97.
  4. ^ a b c Ricklefs 2008, p. 320.
  5. ^ a b c Kahin 1952, p. 97.
  6. ^ Cribb & Kahin 2004, pp. 151–152.
  7. ^ Kusuma 2004, p. 71.
  8. ^ Kahin 1952, pp. 97–98.
  9. ^ Cribb & Kahin 2004, p. 152.
  10. ^ Arniati 1982, p. 5.
  11. ^ Soerjono 1980, p. 65.
  12. ^ Ricklefs 2008, p. 322.
  13. ^ Kahin 1952, p. 100.

Works cited[]

  • Arniati Prasedyawati Herkusumo (1982). Chuo Sangi-in: Dewan Pertimbang Pusat Pada Masa Pendudukan Jepang [Chuo Sangi-in: The Central Advisory Council during the Japanese Occupation] (in Indonesian). Jakarta, Indonesia: PT. Rosda Jayaputra.
  • Cribb, R.B; Kahin, Audrey (2004). Historical Dictionary of Indonesia. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 9780810849358.
  • Kahin, George McTurnan (1952). Nationalism and Revolution in Indonesia. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press. ISBN 0-8014-9108-8.
  • Kusuma, A.B (2004). Lahirnya Undang-Undang Dasar 1945 : memuat salinan dokumen otentik badan oentoek menyelidiki oesaha2 persiapan kemerdekaan [The Birth of the 1945 Constitution: including copies of the authentic documents of the Investigating Committee for Preparatory Work for Independence] (in Indonesian). Depok, Indonesia: Badan Penerbit Fakultas Hukum Universitas Indonesia. ISBN 979-8972-28-7.
  • Ricklefs, M.C. (2008) [1981]. A History of Modern Indonesia Since c.1300 (4th ed.). London: MacMillan. ISBN 978-0-230-54685-1.
  • Soerjono (April 1980). "On Musso's Return" (PDF). Indonesia. 29 (29): 59–90. doi:10.2307/3351005. JSTOR 3351005.
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