Estranged Comrades: Global Networks of Indonesian Communism, 1926-1932
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Estranged Comrades: Global Networks of Indonesian Communism, 1926-1932 by Kankan Xie A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in South and Southeast Asian Studies and the Designated Emphasis in Dutch Studies in the Graduate Division of the University of California, Berkeley Committee in charge: Professor Peter Zinoman, Chair Professor Eric Tagliacozzo Professor Jeroen Dewulf Professor Sylvia Tiwon Fall 2018 Copyright © 2018 Kankan Xie Abstract Estranged Comrades: Global Networks of Indonesian Communism, 1926-1932 by Kankan Xie Doctor of Philosophy in South and Southeast Asian Studies and the Designated Emphasis in Dutch Studies University of California, Berkeley Professor Peter Zinoman, Chair Scholars have carefully studied the history of Indonesian communism from its inception in 1914 to its destruction after 1965 with a noticeable exception between 1927 and 1945. The justification is simple—the Dutch authorities crushed the Partai Komunis Indonesia (PKI) completely after its unsuccessful revolts in 1927 and exercised tight political control in the remainder of the Dutch colonial period. Communism also played an insignificant role under the Japanese occupation due to the effective military suppression of clandestine activities. Historians commonly describe Indonesian communism during this period as generating lasting impact on Indonesian politics by providing a useful ideological weapon for carrying on anti-colonial struggles, but it lost its organizational significance as a cohesive force to mobilize the masses and gather them under the common political banner. Such claims are problematic for two main reasons: First, historical writings concerning Indonesia’s wide array of anti-colonial struggles, communism included, have been mostly following a nation-state-based paradigm; The second is that current scholarship tends to equate the history of Indonesian communism to the history of the communist party (PKI). This dissertation seeks to examine Indonesia’s ongoing communist movement beyond the colonial borders after the 1926/27 PKI revolts by focusing on its global connections. I argue despite the party’s collapse in the aftermath of the uprisings, Indonesian communism persisted internationally in three “worlds” of global networks, namely international fugitive networks, the international policing networks, and networks of the Comintern-dominated international communism. Specifically, the movement continued in the fragmented fugitive networks; yet, these groups took drastically different directions due to the split of the party leadership. Additionally, Indonesian communism existed as an existential threat throughout the remainder of the colonial period and loomed large in the world of international policing. Moreover, Indonesian communism remained marginal in the world of international communist revolution, but those stayed close with the course of the Comintern gained the authority in shaping the narratives concerning the PKI’s failure in the 1920s, which served as an essential source of legitimacy for reclaiming the party leadership in the 1940s. 1 To Jeffrey Hadler Pisang emas dibawa belayar, masak sebiji di atas peti; Hutang emas boleh dibayar, hutang budi dibawa mati. i Table of Contents Dedication ......................................................................................................................................... i Table of Contents ............................................................................................................................ ii Acknowledgments ........................................................................................................................... v Chapter One: Introduction ............................................................................................................... 1 1. Setting the context ................................................................................................................. 1 2. Issues, questions, and the main argument ............................................................................. 3 3. Situating Indonesian communism in the international communist movement ..................... 6 4. Colonial policing and international policing ....................................................................... 10 5. Fugitive networks ................................................................................................................ 15 6. Structure .............................................................................................................................. 20 Part I: The Comintern and the PKI Uprisings Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 23 Chapter Two: (Un)preparing a Revolution .................................................................................... 26 1. Reporting the Indonesian crisis from afar ........................................................................... 26 2. The emergence of a revolutionary situation ........................................................................ 29 3. Debates on the Russia-Indonesia Differences ..................................................................... 33 4. The missing three months ................................................................................................... 36 Chapter Three: Talk the Communist Talk ..................................................................................... 41 1. The immediate response ..................................................................................................... 41 2. Further investigations and reflections ................................................................................. 43 3. New situation, old dilemmas ............................................................................................... 50 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................... 56 Part II: The Origins of Dutch-British Cooperation Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 58 Along the archival grain: watching communism from the eyes of colonial officials .................... 60 Chapter Four: Watching the Indonesian and Chinese Revolutions in Malaya .............................. 63 1. The Indonesian situation ..................................................................................................... 63 2. Situation in China ............................................................................................................... 75 Chapter Five: Internalizing Communist Treats in Malaya ............................................................ 86 1. Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 86 ii 2. Keeping neighbors’ revolutions at bay (December 1925–November 1926) ...................... 87 3. Handling PKI fugitives and curbing GMD-CPC activities (December 1926–March 1927) ................................................................................................................................................. 92 4. Taking preemptive actions (From April 1927 onwards) ..................................................... 98 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................... 104 Part III: The Split of the PKI and the Fugitive Networks Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 107 Chapter Six: The Escape and Split .............................................................................................. 110 1. The Prambanan Decision .................................................................................................. 110 2. The escape ......................................................................................................................... 112 3. Alimin and Musso’s arrest ................................................................................................ 114 4. The split ............................................................................................................................ 118 Chapter Seven: Partai Republik Indonesia .................................................................................. 121 1. PARI: a PKI reincarnation? .............................................................................................. 121 2. Active penetration ............................................................................................................. 126 3. Endless arrests ................................................................................................................... 133 4. The NEI-Malaya connections ........................................................................................... 141 5. Tan Malaka: a perantau in solitude ................................................................................... 153 6. Aftermath and implication ................................................................................................ 178 Bibliography Bibliography I (primary sources): ..............................................................................................