SUKARNO'S PROCLAMATION OF
INDONESIAN INDEPENDENCE
George McT. Kahin
Brothers and Sisters All!
I have asked you to be in attendance here in order to witness an event in our history
of the utmost importance.
For decades we, the People of Indonesia, have struggled for the freedom of our
country—even for hundreds of years!
There have been waves in our actions to win independence which rose, and there
have been those that fell, but our spirit still was set in the direction of our ideals.
Also during the Japanese period our efforts to achieve national independence never
ceased. In this Japanese period it merely appeared that we leant upon them. But
fundamentally, we still continued to build up our own powers, we still believed in
our own strengths.
Now has come the moment when truly we take the fate of our actions and the fate
of our country into our own hands. Only a nation bold enough to take its fate into
its own hands will be able to stand in strength.
Therefore last night we had deliberations with prominent Indonesians from all over
Indonesia. That deliberative gathering was unanimously of the opinion that NOW
has come the time to declare our independence.
Brothers and Sisters:
Herewith we declare the solidarity of that determination.
Listen to our proclamation:
PROCLAMATION
WE THE PEOPLE OF INDONESIA HEREBY DECLARE THE INDEPENDENCE OF
INDONESIA. MATTERS WHICH CONCERN THE TRANSFER OF POWER AND
OTHER THINGS WILL BE EXECUTED BY CAREFUL MEANS AND IN THE
SHORTEST POSSIBLE TIME.
DJAKARTA, 17 AUGUST 1945
IN THE NAME OF THE PEOPLE OF INDONESIA
SUKARNO—HATTA
Sukarno then concluded:
I have asked you to be in attendance here in order to witness an event in our history
of the utmost importance.
For decades we, the People of Indonesia, have struggled for the freedom of our
country—even for hundreds of years!
There have been waves in our actions to win independence which rose, and there
have been those that fell, but our spirit still was set in the direction of our ideals.
Also during the Japanese period our efforts to achieve national independence never
ceased. In this Japanese period it merely appeared that we leant upon them. But
fundamentally, we still continued to build up our own powers, we still believed in
our own strengths.
Now has come the moment when truly we take the fate of our actions and the fate
of our country into our own hands. Only a nation bold enough to take its fate into
its own hands will be able to stand in strength.
Therefore last night we had deliberations with prominent Indonesians from all over
Indonesia. That deliberative gathering was unanimously of the opinion that NOW
has come the time to declare our independence.
Brothers and Sisters:
Herewith we declare the solidarity of that determination.
Listen to our proclamation:
PROCLAMATION
WE THE PEOPLE OF INDONESIA HEREBY DECLARE THE INDEPENDENCE OF
INDONESIA. MATTERS WHICH CONCERN THE TRANSFER OF POWER AND
OTHER THINGS WILL BE EXECUTED BY CAREFUL MEANS AND IN THE
SHORTEST POSSIBLE TIME.
DJAKARTA, 17 AUGUST 1945
IN THE NAME OF THE PEOPLE OF INDONESIA
SUKARNO—HATTA
Sukarno then concluded:
So it is, Brothers and Sisters!
We are now already free!
There is not another single tie binding our country and our people!
As from this moment we build our state. A free state, the State of the Republic of
Indonesia—evermore and eternally independent. Allah willing, God blesses and
makes safe this independence of ours!
We are now already free!
There is not another single tie binding our country and our people!
As from this moment we build our state. A free state, the State of the Republic of
Indonesia—evermore and eternally independent. Allah willing, God blesses and
makes safe this independence of ours!
