State of Eastern Indonesia

The State of Eastern Indonesia (in Indonesia : Negara Indonesia Timur ) is a state created by the Dutch in 1946 and disappeared in 1950 . It consisted of Bali and the other Small Islands of the Sunda , Celebes and the Maluku archipelago and had the capital Makassar in the south of Celebes .

History

The August 17 , 1945, two days after the end of the Second World War in the Pacific (the Japanese had just signed their capitulation on the 15th), Soekarno proclaims the independence of Indonesia in Jakarta .

The Dutch take possession of the archipelago in the following December and propose immediately to transform their colony of the East Indies into federal state .

In July 1946, the Dutch organized a conference in the mountain resort of Malino in the south of Celebes . They get the support of Borneo and the Great East. At the conference is a Papuan representative, Frans Kaisiepo . His position is that “New West Guinea should not be separated from the” Great East “( Timur Besar )” of the Indonesian archipelago ¹ .

With this in mind, they announce the creation on December 24 , 1946to Denpasar in Bali , a Negara Timur Besar ( “State of the Great East”), then renamed Negara Indonesia Timur ( “State of Eastern Indonesia”), with the president Balinese sovereign Tjokorda Gde Raka Sukawati .

The January 17 , 1948, the ” Renville Agreement ” between nationalists and crown representatives of the Netherlands , establishes a Republic of the United States of Indonesia comprising the “Republic of Indonesia” (controlling Sumatra and Java ) and 15 other states and territories, including the “State of Eastern Indonesia”.

The December 27 , 1949the Kingdom of the Netherlands formally transfers the sovereignty of the territory of the former Dutch East Indies. The new power then wishes to replace the federalist structure with a unitary state . Dutch officer Raymond Westerling’s coup against Indonesian independence will give Jakarta an opportunity to enforce this policy, all states decide to dissolve, with the exception of East Sumatra and Indonesia Eastern.

In April 1950, clashes broke out between Moluquois soldiers from the KNIL ( Koninglijke Nederlandsch Indie Leger or “Dutch East Indian Army”, Dutch colonial troops) at Republican units in Makassar in southern Sulawesi . On April 25, the Minister of Justice of the State of Eastern Indonesia, Dr. Soumokil, an Amboina, proclaims a ” Republic of the South Moluccas ” ( Republik Maluku Selatan or RMS) in Ambon. Republican troops disembark in July. The rebellion is crushed in November. The government of the RMS exiles in the Netherlands. This episode provides an opportunity for the Indonesian government to dissolve the state of eastern Indonesia on August 10 , 1950.

Premiers

• of January 13 , 1947 the June 2 , 1947 : Nadjamoedin Daeng Malewa (first cabinet)
• from June 2, 1947 to October 11 , 1947 : Nadjamoedin Daeng Malewa (second cabinet)
• from October 11, 1947 to December 15 , 1947 : Warouw
• from December 15, 1947 to January 12 , 1949 : Ide Anak Agung Gde Agung (first cabinet)
• from January 12, 1949 to December 27 , 1949 : Ide Anak Agung Gde Agung (second cabinet)
• from 27 December 1949 to March 14 , 1950 : Jan Engelbert Tatengkeng
• from 14 March 1950 to May 10 , 1950 : DP Diapari

Notes