Indonesia’s independence story is more brutal than you think

Bandung and Indonesia’s Global Role

The video opens with the 1955 Bandung Conference, where leaders from 29 Asian and African nations gathered under Indonesian President Sukarno. It presents the conference as a landmark in solidarity against colonialism, racism, and Cold War dominance—and as an inspiration for later liberation movements.

Dutch Colonial Rule

The Dutch East India Company (VOC), founded to profit from the region’s spices, expanded into other export crops and relied heavily on enslaved and coerced labor. The video says the Dutch trafficked an estimated 600,000 people across Asia between 1600 and 1900, and that Batavia (now Jakarta) became a major slave market.

Dutch rule was also marked by violence, including the 1740 massacre of Chinese Indonesians and wars against local resistance. The Java War (1825–1830) caused about 200,000 deaths, while the decades-long Aceh War reportedly cost up to 150,000 Indonesian lives.

Exploitation and Emerging Nationalism

Colonial society was racially segregated, with Dutch residents controlling much of the economy while Indonesians faced heavy taxes and labor demands. The video cites a sharp disparity between Indonesians’ share of the workforce and their share of income.

In the early 20th century, people from across the archipelago increasingly recognized shared interests and began organizing around an Indonesian national identity.

Japanese Occupation and Independence

Japan’s World War II occupation initially promised liberation from European rule but brought severe hardship and coercion. The video reports famine in Java, around 400,000 Indonesians forced into labor, and widespread deaths and violence.

After Japan surrendered in 1945, Indonesian leaders declared independence. The Dutch returned with military force, and the ensuing conflict killed more than 100,000 Indonesians, according to the video, before the Netherlands relinquished control in 1949.

The Cost of Freedom

After the war, the Netherlands sought payment from Indonesia for colonial debts and costs associated with the conflict. Following US and UN involvement, the amount was reduced from 6.3 billion to 4.3 billion Dutch guilders.

The video argues that Indonesians were left paying a substantial bill even as they had fought for independence. It also notes that demand for Indonesian rubber, oil, and minerals during the Korean War helped the new country repay much of the debt.

Sukarno’s Fall and the Suharto Era

Sukarno’s anti-imperialist politics and non-Western vision drew concern in the West. The video describes US-backed efforts against his government and says the 1965 anti-communist purge, following an attempted move against senior military figures, led to the deaths of at least half a million people and possibly one to two million.

The purge helped bring General Suharto to power. He ruled as a military-backed dictator for three decades. Suharto fell after mass protests and crisis in 1998, and Indonesia returned to democracy.

Legacy

Indonesia is now a major population and economic power, but the video stresses that the legacies of colonialism and occupation remain, with no full apology or meaningful reparations from the Dutch or Japanese. It portrays the independence struggle as a lasting source of national pride and an important inspiration for other decolonizing countries.

Presenters and Contributors

• An unnamed TRT World narrator
• An unnamed historical expert/interviewee