Rengasdengklok Incident

The Rengasdengklok Incident (Indonesian: Peristiwa Rengasdengklok) was the kidnapping of Soekarno and Mohammad Hatta by several youths (pemuda) at around 4 am on August 16, 1945 to persuade the two men to declare Indonesian independence. It was the peak of the disagreements between the older and pemuda groups over how to carry out the proclamation of independence.

Background

Following a decision by Field Marshall Hisaichi Terauchi, commander of the Southern Expeditionary Army Group, the Preparatory Committee for Indonesian Independence (Indonesian: Panitia Persiapan Kemerdekaan Indonesia, PPKI) was formed on August 7, 1945 "to hasten all efforts in relation to final preparations for forming a government of an independent Indonesia".^[1]

On August 14, pemuda figure Sutan Sjahrir told Indonesian nationalist Hatta about rumors that the Japanese were about to surrender and urged Hatta to declare independence without involving the PPKI, as this would result in the victorious Allies viewing Indonesia as a Japanese-sponsored state. However, Hatta wanted to avoid problems with the Japanese, as did the most prominent nationalist leader, Soekarno. The following day, Japan surrendered.^[2] Hatta then called a meeting on the PPKI for the following day, and went home to prepare a proclamation of independence. Meanwhile a group of pemuda activists, including Wikana, D. N. Aidit and Chairul Saleh held a meeting and decided to send a delegation to urge Soekarno to declare independence as soon as possible. When the group arrived at Soekarno's house, there was a heated debate as Soekarno urged patience, saying he needed to consult the PPKI membership and that he did not want to provoke the Japanese. Hatta arrived later, and agreed with Soekarno, and the pemuda delegation left after a further exchange of angry words, with Wikana saying he could not be responsible for the consequences if independence was not declared on August 16 at noon.^[3]

Kidnapping

In the early hours of the morning, at around 4am, a group led by Sukarni, took Soekarno and Hatta to Rengasdengklok, Karawang, ostensibly to protect them from a pemuda uprising. Initially, they were taken to the Defenders of the Homeland (PETA) dormitory in Rengasdengklok. Because this location was deemed unsafe, they were then moved to the house of a man named Djiauw Kie Siong. The two men were again urged to proclaim of the independence of Indonesia. Hatta and Soekarno, now convinced the Japanese had surrendered, still wanted a declaration to be representative of the whole country, and therefore thought that the PPKI should make it. They also wanted to be sure that the Japanese would not take any military action in response.^[3][4][5][6]

The purpose of the kidnappings as reported by the Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture, were:^[7]

1. To urge Soekarno and Hatta to immediately convey the proclamation of Indonesian independence because at that time there was a vacuum of power due to Japan's surrender to the Allies.
2. To keep Soekarno and Hatta away from Japanese influence.
3. To show the proclamation as the struggle of the Indonesian people, that must be immediately formulated and read.
4. To prevent Indonesia from falling into the hands of the Allies because of the vacuum of power from the Japanese side in Indonesia.

Release and return to Jakarta

On the morning of August 16, Navy liaison officer Admiral Maeda learned that Soekarno and Hatta had been kidnapped. The results of the search and investigation then led to the suspicion falling on Wikana, who was then urged to immediately return the two men to Jakarta. Achmad Soebardjo picked them up from Rengasdengklok after Admiral Maeda guaranteed their security and promised there would be no interference from Japan in the independence proclamation. Soekarno and Hatta reached Jakarta late that night, and after discussions, went to Maeda's house where they wrote a brief declaration, which Soekarno read at his house on the morning of August 17.^[8][9]