"Indonesia Raya" is the national anthem of Indonesia. It has been the national anthem since the Proclamation of Indonesian Independence on 17 August 1945. The song was introduced by its composer, Wage Rudolf Supratman, on 28 October 1928 during the Youth Pledge in Jakarta. The song marked the birth of the archipelago nationalist movement in Indonesia that aims to gain independence from Dutch colonial rule. The first newspaper to openly publish the musical notation and lyrics of "Indonesia Raya"—an act of defiance towards the Dutch authorities—was the Chinese Indonesian weekly Sin Po.
Sukarno was an Indonesian statesman, orator, revolutionary, and nationalist who was the first president of Indonesia, serving from 1945 to 1967.
Mohammad Hatta was an Indonesian statesman, nationalist, and independence activist who served as the country's first vice president as well as the third prime minister. Known as "The Proclamator", he and a number of Indonesians, including the first president of Indonesia, Sukarno, fought for the independence of Indonesia from the Netherlands. Hatta was an important figure during the Indonesian national awakening and during the national revolution, as a youth he was politically active both in the Netherlands and the Indies, which led him to be imprisoned in the Boven Digoel concentration camp for his activism, he also played a crucial part in the proclamation of Indonesian independence, being second the person to sign the declaration besides Sukarno, thus naming him as one of the founders of Indonesia.
The Proclamation of Indonesian Independence was read at 10:00 on Friday, 17 August 1945 in Jakarta. The declaration marked the start of the diplomatic and armed resistance of the Indonesian National Revolution, fighting against the forces of the Netherlands and pro-Dutch civilians, until the latter officially acknowledged Indonesia's independence in 1949. The document was signed by Sukarno and Mohammad Hatta, who were appointed president and vice-president respectively the following day.
Mohammad Yamin was an Indonesian poet, politician, and national hero who played a key role in the writing of the draft preamble to the 1945 constitution.
The Preparatory Committee for Indonesian Independence was a body established on 7 August 1945 to prepare for the transfer of authority from the occupying Japanese to Indonesia. It approved and promulgated the first Indonesian constitution, and appointed Sukarno president.
Merdeka Square is a large square located in the center of Jakarta, Indonesia. Merdeka is the Indonesian word for freedom or independence. Measuring approximately one square kilometer in area, if the surrounding fields within the Merdeka Square are included, it is considered one of the largest squares in the world. At 75 hectares, it is over five times the size of Tiananmen Square, and 12 times the size of Place de la Concorde.
Mohamad Ibnu Sayuti, known as Sayuti Melik was an Indonesian typist. He helped type a copy of the Proclamation of Indonesian Independence, which Sukarno proclaimed to Indonesia on 17 August 1945. He was the husband of Soerastri Karma Trimurti, a journalist and activist in the women's rights and Indonesian independence movements.
Achmad Soebardjo Djojoadisoerjo was a diplomat, an Indonesian national hero, and the first foreign minister of Indonesia.
I Gusti Ketut Pudja was an Indonesian politician and national hero, who served as the first governor of Lesser Sunda from 1945 until 1946. He was a member of the Investigating Agency for Preparatory Work for Indonesian Independence (BPUPK). He was also present at Admiral Tadashi Maeda's house, during the preparation for the Proclamation of Indonesian Independence on 17 August 1945. Making him the only Balinese to be present during the proclamation.
Rear Admiral Tadashi Maeda was a high-ranking Imperial Japanese Navy officer during the Pacific War. Maeda played an important role in Indonesian independence; he met Sukarno and Mohammad Hatta at his house in Jakarta on 16 August 1945 and his house was used for drafting the Proclamation of Indonesian Independence. After leaving military service, Maeda worked in the oil industry.
Wikana was an Indonesian minister and independence leader. He was one of the youths who forced Sukarno and Hatta to declare independence immediately after the surrender of the Japanese. He was the first Indonesian Minister of Youth and Sport. He was a member of the Indonesian Communist Party. Sometime after the 1965 coup d'état attempt, he was arrested and went missing, it is supposed that he was one of the assassinated in the Indonesian mass killings of 1965–66.
Sukarni Kartodiwirjo was an Indonesian freedom fighter and activist who demanded independence for Indonesia during the Dutch colonial era and the Japanese occupation, and was the chairman of the Murba Party until his death.
The Jakarta Charter was a document drawn up by members of the Indonesian Investigating Committee for Preparatory Work for Independence (BPUPK) on 22 June 1945 in Jakarta that later formed the basis of the preamble to the Constitution of Indonesia. The document contained the five principles of the Pancasila ideology, but it also included an obligation for Muslims to abide by Shariah law. This obligation, which was also known as the "Seven Words", was eventually deleted from the enacted constitution after the Indonesian declaration of independence on 18 August 1945. Following the deletion of the "Seven Words" efforts by Islamic parties continued to seek its inclusion, most notably in 1959, when the 1945 constitution was suspended; in 1968, during the Transition to the New Order; and in 2002, following the end of the New Order and the beginning of the Reformasi era.
Taman Proklamasi is a park complex located in Central Jakarta, Indonesia. The park is located at the former property of Sukarno at what was known as the house at Jalan Pegangsaan Timur 56. The house, now demolished, is where the Proclamation of Indonesian Independence was first read by Sukarno.
Shigetada Nishijima (西嶋重忠) was a Japanese scholar, former spy and lobbyist. He was active in Indonesia before, during and after the Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies, and became a major figure on the Japanese side of the Indonesian National Revolution. Between the 1950s and the 1960s, he was a lobbyist and an intermediary, linking Japanese and Indonesian interests. Later on, he became a scholar of and published memoirs of his time in Indonesia.
Johanna Tumbuan Masdani, also known as Jo Masdani, was a pioneering figure in Indonesian independence. She was born Johanna Tumbuan in Amurang, in the region of Minahasa in North Sulawesi. She was present during two important events in Indonesian history, namely the Youth Pledge during the Second Youth Congress in 1928 and the Proclamation of Indonesian Independence in 1945. She graduated and taught in the Faculty of Psychology at the University of Indonesia.
The Rengasdengklok Incident was the kidnapping of Sukarno and Hatta by several youths (pemuda) at around 4 am on August 16, 1945 to persuade the two men to declare Indonesian independence. It was the peak of the disagreement between the older and pemuda groups over how to carry out the proclamation of independence.
Burhanuddin Mohammad Diah, born only as Burhanuddin, was an Indonesian journalist, diplomat, and businessman, who served as the 18th Indonesian Minister of Information from 1966 until 1968, under the presidencies of Sukarno and Suharto, during the transition to the New Order. He was present at the time of the Proclamation of Independence was being formulated, and was a figure who played an important role in saving the original text of the Proclamation.
Gedung Joang '45 is a historical museum in Jakarta, which tells the history of the Indonesian struggle for independence from Dutch colonial rule and the formation of the state of Indonesia.
