Indonesian English-language Magazine Reports on the British Occupation of Indonesia

Abstract

This study explores how an English-language magazine affiliated with the Indonesian government, The Voice of Free Indonesia (TVFI), conveyed to foreigners Indonesia’s views of the British occupation in Indonesia in October–December 1945. By using historical method, this study argues that for TVFI providing Indonesia’s perspectives to global readers was crucial for Indonesia’s struggle for maintaining independence. The magazine constantly emphasized that Indonesia’s independence was in accordance with the Atlantic Charter, that the British had broken their initial promises to Indonesians, and that the British committed excessive and inhuman violence against the Indonesians. This study shows that at the beginning of their independence, Indonesian nationalists not only fought physically against the British, as is well known, but also tried to win the battle of ‘hearts and minds’ in the international public through the publication of TVFI. This study offers a rethinking on media and colonialism studies by providing Indonesia’s interpretations of the post-war British mission in the context of decolonization, emerging Indonesian nation-state and British occupation that followed.

KEYWORDS:

• Indonesian independence
• nationalism
• British occupation
• propaganda
• war reporting

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 Kahin, Nationalism and Revolution; Anderson, Java; Notosusanto, The Battle of Surabaja; Springhall, “‘Disaster in Surabaya’”; McMillan, The British Occupation; Jordan, “‘A Particularly Exacting Operation’”; Palmos, Surabaya 1945.

2 Zara, “‘Trust Me’”, in Luttikhuis and Moses, eds.; Zara, “Voluntary Participation.”

3 McMillan, "British Military Intelligence."

4 Zara, “Gallant British-Indians.”

5 A recent study from Zara examines how pro-Indonesian print media, including TVFI, used mockery as a weapon against the Dutch during the Dutch-Indonesian war. See Zara, “Indonesian Mockery.”

6 Adam, The Vernacular Press, 1–3.

7 Yamamoto, “Print Power,” 36.

8 Yamamoto, “Print Power,” 259–97.

9 Kurasawa, “Mobilization and Control”; Mark, “Intellectual Life,” 357–63.

10 Zara, “‘Trust Me’,” in Luttikhuis and Moses, eds., Colonial Counterinsurgency; Zara, “Voluntary Participation”; Zara, “Securing the State.”

11 Zara, “Voluntary Participation,” 60–2.

12 Suwirta, “Surat Kabar,” 102.

13 Departemen Penerangan RI, Sejarah Departemen Penerangan, 59.

14 Bondan, Memoar, 151.

15 Tantri, Revolt in Paradise; Lindsey, The Romance.

16 Zara, “Indonesian Mockery,” 37–9; Tantri, Revolt in Paradise; Lindsey, The Romance.

17 Ricklefs, A History, 265–6; McMillan, The British Occupation, 19–30.

18 Zara, “Gallant British-Indians.”

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Muhammad Yuanda Zara

Muhammad Yuanda Zara, History Study Programme, Faculty of Social Sciences, Yogyakarta State University, Indonesia. E-mail: [email protected]