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Indonesia: New Nation of Asia (1959)

Many of us knew Dini and Veni while we lived in Saigon. But, how many of us knew about their homeland of Indonesia.

Until shortly after World War II the islands which became Indonesia where a Dutch Colony (much as Viet-nam was a French Colony) known as the Dutch East Indies. Following the World War II Japanese occupation, Indonesian nationalists declared Indonesian independence in 1945. Thereafter and as a consequence of the subsequent Indonesian National Revolution, the Netherlands formally recognised Indonesian sovereignty in December 1949.

The 1949 agreement, however, left out Western New Guinea, which remained under the auspices of Netherlands New Guinea. The Indonesian government under Sukarno pressured for the territory to come under Indonesian control. Skirmishes took place between 1961 and 1962, including a brief naval engagement in 1962. The United States pressured the Netherlands to surrender it to Indonesia in August under terms negotiated in the New York Agreement. At the same time, the Australian government reversed its policy and supported Indonesian control of the area. As a result, the Dutch turned-over the territory to UNTEA temporary administration in 1962, who was subsequently replaced by Indonesian administration in May 1963. Today, it remains as part of Indonesia.

This film is hosted by Ubud’s political leader Agung Jakarta Sulawesi Mas. The film visits important sites and describes the political, religious, and economic situation on the island of Bali in the Indonesia of 1959.

Enjoy this glimps back in time.

As always, you are welcome to leave your comments below.

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