From 1934 onwards Sukarno, leader of the Indonesian nationalists, was exiled from Java to first Flores and from 1938 to Bencoolen, on Sumatra. After the war with Japan broke out according to some sources Sukarno requested to be transported back to Java. He had written very negatively about Hitler, Germany and Italy and to a less extend about Japan and feared for his live. The sources also state that he offered to write positively about the colonial administration of the request was honoured. As the colonial government didn't want to give the impression that it was making deals with the nationalists they refused. There are sources who dispute parts of this story or all of it. Fact is that when the Japanese invaded Sumatra Sukarno, his wife and his manservant were taken to Padang for evacuation to Ceylon. As they arrived in Padang though, word came that the vessel that was to evacuate them, among others, was sunk. The only way out was by seaplane. Seats were scarce though, and there were a lot of people who wanted to get away, especially the Dutch. In the end there were two seats free, for Sukarno and his wife. As that meant they couldn't take his manservant (or using that as a excuse because he didn't want to go after all) Sukarno refused to go. As the Dutch didn't want to force him by gunpoint they left him behind.
Instead of persecuting him, the Japanese were very interested in working together with Sukarno and the other Nationalists. In a meeting Sukarno, Hatta and Sjarir (the three most important leaders of the Nationalists) agreed that Hatta and Sukarno would support the Japanese administration while Sjarir would organize the revolutionary resistance. When the Japanese capitulated in 1945 Sukarno would, under pressure by the revolutionary youth, proclaim the independence of Indonesia.
This was naturally not what the Dutch wanted. They believed they would return to the East Indies. I don't believe that it was the Dutch intention to just go back to Tempo Doeloe (the good old times) but they were not going to accept unilateral independence. What is more, they couldn't accept Sukarno as someone to negotiate with. After all, Sukarno was a traitor who had collaborated with the Japanese, the Indonesian Mussert! One can imagine what kind of paralyzing effect this had on Dutch-Indonesian negotiations. No wonder that within 5 years all the vestiges of Dutch governance were gone and within ten years the same happened with Dutch economic interests.
What I'm wondering about is what would have been the effect of Sukarno begin evacuated as planned. Whether or not he really wanted to be evacuated, the effect will still be that he will have left Indonesia and wouldn't have any contact with the Japanese occupying forces. On the short term the Dutch will have to secure him somewhere however. First to Ceylon but I would have loathed to have him outside of total Dutch control. What if the British demand his release? For that same reason moving him to London is not an option either. The only Dutch possessions left by this point are in the Americas. Suriname could be an option but it had (and has) a very large Javanese community so that could prove problematic (though Sukarno as the leader of a free Suriname instead of Indonesia would be cool to see as well). A better option would be one of the Caribbean islands, Saba maybe?
It's a shame that London isn't a option because I would have loved for him to meet Wilhelmina (being educated in the Netherlands his Dutch was excellent) and hammer out a agreement for post-WWII Indonesia. In December 1942 the Dutch queen would make a speech on the radio saying that after the war the Netherlands and it's possessions overseas would be equal so there is potential. Maybe she can send her son-in-law Prince Bernhard to meet with Sukarno? Ofcourse in the end it will still be hard for Sukarno and the Dutch government to get to a real deal. Sukarno didn't only want independence, he wanted a National Revolution.
For me the biggest question mark is what is going to happen in Indonesia with Sukarno gone. Will Hatta and Sjarir make the same agreement but then with the two of them? Will they both join the Japanese? Hatta had been more anti-Japanese than Sukarno. Furthermore, neither of them commanded as much support among the people as Sukarno. Would any of them be able to rise to his position during the war? Are there any other takers? If not, what does this do to the Japanese occupation? Would it be more brutal?
Instead of persecuting him, the Japanese were very interested in working together with Sukarno and the other Nationalists. In a meeting Sukarno, Hatta and Sjarir (the three most important leaders of the Nationalists) agreed that Hatta and Sukarno would support the Japanese administration while Sjarir would organize the revolutionary resistance. When the Japanese capitulated in 1945 Sukarno would, under pressure by the revolutionary youth, proclaim the independence of Indonesia.
This was naturally not what the Dutch wanted. They believed they would return to the East Indies. I don't believe that it was the Dutch intention to just go back to Tempo Doeloe (the good old times) but they were not going to accept unilateral independence. What is more, they couldn't accept Sukarno as someone to negotiate with. After all, Sukarno was a traitor who had collaborated with the Japanese, the Indonesian Mussert! One can imagine what kind of paralyzing effect this had on Dutch-Indonesian negotiations. No wonder that within 5 years all the vestiges of Dutch governance were gone and within ten years the same happened with Dutch economic interests.
What I'm wondering about is what would have been the effect of Sukarno begin evacuated as planned. Whether or not he really wanted to be evacuated, the effect will still be that he will have left Indonesia and wouldn't have any contact with the Japanese occupying forces. On the short term the Dutch will have to secure him somewhere however. First to Ceylon but I would have loathed to have him outside of total Dutch control. What if the British demand his release? For that same reason moving him to London is not an option either. The only Dutch possessions left by this point are in the Americas. Suriname could be an option but it had (and has) a very large Javanese community so that could prove problematic (though Sukarno as the leader of a free Suriname instead of Indonesia would be cool to see as well). A better option would be one of the Caribbean islands, Saba maybe?
It's a shame that London isn't a option because I would have loved for him to meet Wilhelmina (being educated in the Netherlands his Dutch was excellent) and hammer out a agreement for post-WWII Indonesia. In December 1942 the Dutch queen would make a speech on the radio saying that after the war the Netherlands and it's possessions overseas would be equal so there is potential. Maybe she can send her son-in-law Prince Bernhard to meet with Sukarno? Ofcourse in the end it will still be hard for Sukarno and the Dutch government to get to a real deal. Sukarno didn't only want independence, he wanted a National Revolution.
For me the biggest question mark is what is going to happen in Indonesia with Sukarno gone. Will Hatta and Sjarir make the same agreement but then with the two of them? Will they both join the Japanese? Hatta had been more anti-Japanese than Sukarno. Furthermore, neither of them commanded as much support among the people as Sukarno. Would any of them be able to rise to his position during the war? Are there any other takers? If not, what does this do to the Japanese occupation? Would it be more brutal?
