United States Policy Towards Indonesian Territorial Issues And U.S.-Indonesian Relations (1956-1966)

The relationship between the U.S. and Indonesia is an important part and classical epitome of U.S. relations with the Third World, especially with the non-aligned states. Since the Cold War, United States always made efforts to draw Indonesia into the West Camp, so as to make it as a part of the free world. However, America's efforts were always frustrated by the complicated Indonesia's relations with Communism. Different from other newly independent Asia-African states, Indonesia is not only one of the leading powers of Non-Aligned Movement, but the location of PKI, which is the third largest Communist Party in the world. The more distinguishing but often ignored point is that, the U.S.-Indonesian relations were disturbed by a series of Indonesian territorial issues in ten years after1955, and American government's reaction and polices to these issues shaped the two countries' relations with other factors during this period. Given the development history of U.S.-Indonesia relations have been researched fully by scholars at home and abroad, this main aim of the paper is to discuss the relationship between the U.S. reaction and polices to Indonesian territorial issues, and U.S.-Indonesian relations, meanwhile, to analyze it's interaction with other factors, such as U.S. foreign aid, Indonesian domestic politics and the competition from Sino-Soviet. The author believes U.S. reaction and polices towards Indonesian territorial issues basing on the Cold War thinking, gradually undermined and weakened the friendship between the two countries which was shaped during the early Post-War period, and result to the U.S.-Indonesia relationship get into the brink of breach.Research for this paper has utilized a variety of newly declassified archives, memoirs and related books. This paper is divided into five parts to achieve the arguments.Chapter â…  mainly examines the development of the friendship between U.S. and Indonesia, and American's initial reaction to the Indonesia territorial issues. The development of U.S. foreign policy towards Indonesia and bilateral relations are not the isolated. The breakout of the Cold War and its extension to Asia changed the position of Southeast Asia in American foreign strategy, including Indonesia. Up to the end of the Truman administration, U.S. had made friends with Indonesia basing on its foreign aid. At the same time, this period is a rough time for Indonesia, because it had to face economic problem, territory split, disputes over West Irian with Netherlands. As to Indonesian territorial issues, since it involves the Netherlands, which is an important ally in the Cold War, the tactic that U.S. took is "satisfying the fundamental demands of the nationalist movement while at the same time minimizing the strain on the colonial powers who are our western allies". According this rule, U.S. was against Netherlands'supports on Indonesian rebels, and maintain status quo on West Irian dispute.Chapter II investigates American government's analysis and policy making toward outer islands rebels, and its impact on the U.S.-Indonesia relations. When Eisenhower took office, the situation in Indonesia has changed greatly, and the most important part is that, Ali administration began to develop friendship with Sino-Soviet, and to improve the independent Afro-Asian powers according to the new non-aligned foreign policy. In view of these changes, U.S. adjusted it policy constantly, but still cannot turn the tables. When America encountered continuous setbacks, it happen to that Indonesia outer islands rebels broke out, and this provided a god-given chance to achieve its aim. Eventually, Eisenhower made decision to support outer islands secretly, which made the U.S.-Indonesia relations deteriorated sharply.Chapter III explains the changes and adjusts of America's polices toward West Irian dispute during the crisis. After the outer islands rebellion, Eisenhower administration enlarged and strengthened the military and economic aids to Indonesia, so as to remedy the deteriorated bilateral relationship, however, its efforts were impaired by its hand-off policy toward West Irian dispute; meanwhile, the support from Sino-Soviet on this issue heated the relations between Indonesia and Communism countries. When John F. Kennedy became the master of the White House, the New Irian dispute had been at the brink of military conflict. Since the sympathy to the neutralism and the hope for transferring Indonesian national strategy from West Irian to nation building, the new administration forfeit the hands-off policy towards West Irian dispute through a tortuous policy changing, which support Indonesia gain the territory finally.Chapter IV focuses on the Johnson administration's attitude and polices toward Konfrontasi, and its influence on U.S.-Indonesian relations. After Indonesia reoccupied West Irian with help of U.S., Indonesian government did not bring their attention back to nation building, but quickly involved in another territorial dispute with Malaysia. Since British, Australia and New Zealand all have entangled in it, the American government, which was almost plunged into Vietnam War, had to suspend part of their aids in order to express its opposition to Sukarno's Confrontation policy towards Malaysia. After Lyndon B. Johnson took office, America initially tried their best to mediate the dispute to avoid another conflict in Southeast Asia, but failed finally. Until1965, with the escalation of Konfrontasi, U.S. had suspended all kinds of aids to Indonesia, and Indonesian people also launched anti-America movement as reaction, which means U.S.-Indonesia relations were already at the verge of breach. On the other side, the friendship between China and Indonesia got it summit, and China replaced U.S. as the most influential power in Indonesian. Thus, America's policy toward Indonesia, that is, drawing Sukarno into western side and avoiding Indonesia slip into Communism orbit, encountered thorough failure. September30Affair which made Suharto become the new leader of Indonesia changed the trend dramatically. Since Suharto's anti-communism attitude and efforts to resolve domestic economic problem, American recovered friendship with Indonesia fortunately.The conclusion generalizes and analyzes the whole process that U.S. reaction and polices toward Indonesian territorial issues shaped U.S.-Indonesian relations during1956to1966. The author believes, from Outer Islands Rebellion to West Irian crisis, then Konfrontasi, U.S. reaction and polices towards these issues gradually undermined the U.S.-Indonesian friendship which was made through U.S. foreign aids, and "sent" Indonesia to Communism Bloc consequently. Therefore, it's the U.S. policy towards Indonesia territorial issues that became the most important but not the only factor that influence the U.S.-Indonesia relations during1956to1966.