The View from Indonesia: Ambassador Dr. Sjahrir visits Australia, Dec. 1947
“altogether… my trip to Australia has been most enlightening and an accomplishment in itself.” – Dr. Sutan Sjahrir, 24 December 1947 (Figure #2)
On December 24 1947, Ambassador-at-large for the Republic of Indonesia Dr. Sutan Sjahrir described his recent trip to Australia in ‘The Indonesia News Service.’ In a radio broadcast two years prior on November 26, as Prime Minister of Indonesia, Dr. Sjahrir had thanked Australian people for their support in the Second World War and the unfolding ‘Black Armada’ Union Strikes, and promised to “defend [Australia’s] freedom” in the future.[1] However, this interview was decidedly less optimistic about Australia’s commitment to the Indonesian cause.
‘Insignificance’ in the Archive versus ‘Significance’ in History
In its ambiguous context and innocuous presentation amongst 350 daily newspaper editions, in Unit 2 of the ‘Australia Indonesia Association’ Collection, this interview did not index the same significance as individual cut-outs of Australian newspaper clippings in Unit 1.[2] Nevertheless, by evidencing a shift in Indonesia’s impression of Australia’s involvement in Asian politics, this interview demonstrates historical significance by recasting prevailing narratives of supportive Australia-Indonesia relations in the 1940s.[3] Indeed, current political commentary remembers Sjahrir’s 1945 radio address rather than this 1947 interview, or indeed than the unfavourable attitude of Australian media toward Sjahrir (Figure #3), indicating the connection between historical narratives and “real political…consequences” in Australian-Indonesian relations.[4]
The factual inaccuracy of Figure #2 also relates to “the [historiographical] lines between… carelessness and dishonesty” and the historian’s responsibility to safeguard accuracy.[5] Sjahrir’s meeting with so-called “Prime Minister” of Australia was actually with Minister for International Affairs and Deputy Leader of Chifley’s Government, Dr. Herbert Evatt. Significantly, this mistake – apparently unchecked – led to the publication of misleading information by historian Rudolf Mrazek in 1994.[6]
Sjahrir’s ‘View from Indonesia’
Figure #1 demonstrates Sjahrir’s uncertainty at whether Australians genuinely support Indonesia’s fight for Independence, or whether Australia is “merely interfering” in the interest of the United Nations.[7] However, in Figure #2 Sjahrir acknowledges Australia’s critical “quick action” in the United Nations Security Council, emphasising Australia’s ‘indisputable’ value “as far as help rendered is concerned,” regardless of whether it “champion(s) [the Indonesian] cause” (Figure #1). Though presumably aware that his words would be received by Australians, Sjahrir illustrates his doubts toward the ‘White Australia Policy’ (Figure #2).[8] Indeed, this move resulted in substantial Australian media backlash against Sjahrir (Figure #3 being one such example). This backlash perhaps retrospectively illustrates the “unfavourable” Australian Press attitudes toward Indonesia that Sjahrir observes in Figure #1.[9]
The true story of Sjahrir’s interview about his trip to Australia departs from archival and political narratives of unequivocal Australian support for Indonesia’s independence. Moreover, it involves direct antagonism from Australian media, and produces historical misconceptions about Australia’s Prime Minister. As a perspective from Asia about Australia, Dr. Sjahrir’s commentary and criticisms also provide an important alternative viewpoint on Australia’s historical role in the Asia Pacific region.
[1] Stephen Gapps, ‘“You Are All My Friends”. Indonesia’s First Prime Minister Addresses the Australian People in 1945 - Australian National Maritime Museum’, Australian National Maritime Museum, 15 May 2019, http://www.sea.museum/en/2015/11/26/you-are-all-my-friends-indonesias-first-prime-ministers-address-to-the-australian-people-in-1945.
[2] That Sjahrir’s 1947 perspective of Australia is present, but does not signify particular archival editing, vetting, or visible emphasis, speaks to how the selective presentation of archival material reflects an ‘imposed’ narrative, and how an alternative selection of sources from that same archive can create a different but equally factual story.; For relevant discussions about the historian’s freedom to construct narratives from facts, see: Sarah Maza, Thinking About History (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2017), 214.
[3] The prevailing narrative put forward by this archival material from the ‘Australia Indonesia Association’ is one of Australian support for the Independence movement in Indonesia. This is evidenced in Unit 1 through the inclusion of pro-Independence pamphlets, correspondence between branches of the sympathetic ‘Australia Indonesia Association,’ and newspaper clippings outlining Australian labour support for Indonesia against the Dutch. It is also suggested in Unit 2 through the inclusion of the republican newspaper ‘Indonesian News Service.’ These newspapers outlined the republican perspective of the Independence struggle for its allies within Indonesia and overseas, using English as its publication language.
[4] Antoinette Burton, ed., Archive Stories: Facts, Fictions and the Writing of History (Durham: Duke University Press, 2006), 1; For current political commentary on Australia-Indonesian relations which remembers Sjahrir’s 1945 radio address, see: ‘Johannes Nugroho: Lest We Forget — Australia’s Role in Indonesian Independence’, Jakarta Globe, accessed 27 May 2019, https://jakartaglobe.id/context/johannes-nugroho-lest-forget-australias-role-indonesian-independence.
[5] Maza, Thinking About History, 228.
[6] Mrazek references this particular article by ‘The Indonesian News Service,’ and asserts in his own words (apparently without other forms of evidence or confirmation of these facts) that Sutan Sjahrir met with the Prime Minister of Australia at this time “and thanked him for his action in the United Nations.” It is apparent that this is indeed a mistaken reference to Dr. Evatt, who participated in the aforementioned UN actions; See: Rudolf Mrázek, Sjahrir: Politics and Exile in Indonesia (Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Press, 1994), 360; For information on Dr. Evatt’s involvement in this United Nations Council, see: G. C. Bolton, ‘Evatt, Herbert Vere (Bert) (1894–1965)’, in Australian Dictionary of Biography (Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University), accessed 27 May 2019, http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/evatt-herbert-vere-bert-10131.; To my knowledge, this mistake is yet to be identified or acknowledged formally.
[7] Sjahrir’s reference here to the United Nations refers to Australia’s mediation services (offered in August 1947) between Indonesian republicans and Dutch authorities, on behalf of the UN Security Council. Dr. Evatt (Australian Minister for International Affairs) was also involved in these mediations.; For Dr. Evatt’s involvement, see: Bolton, ‘Evatt, Herbert Vere (Bert) (1894–1965)’.
[8] As part of Indonesia’s ‘Antara’ New Group, ‘The Indonesia News Service’ had represented and promoted Indonesia’s struggle against Dutch authorities to countries worldwide since February 1946. See: ‘Orientalia’, Quarterly Journal of Current Acquisitions 6, no. 2 (1949), 40.; Sjahrir’s knowledge of its reach (in this case, to Australia) and his involvement with this newspaper is demonstrated through his having appointed his own Secretary General, Oetoyo Ramelan, to work at the ‘The Indonesia News Service’ Singapore office at 3-C Raffles Place prior to its first edition. For further information about Sjahrir’s involvement with the newspaper, see: Yong Mun Cheong, The Indonesian Revolution and the Singapore Connection, 1945-1949 (Leiden: KITLV Press, 2003), 40, 38.
[9] For further examples of Australian News Media responses to Sjahrir’s commentary on Australia, see: ‘Australian Mission: Dr Sjahrir Returns to Singapore’, West Australian, 26 December 1947, 8; ‘Sjahrir Sums Up Australia’, Daily Mercury, 26 December 1947, 2; and ‘Sjahrir’s Impressions of Australia’, Tweed Daily, 26 December 1947, 1.