138-401: Abdurrahman Wahid ( / ˌ ɑː b d ʊəˈr ɑː x m ɑː n w ɑː ˈ h iː d / AHB -doo- RAHKH -mahn wah- HEED ; né ad-Dakhil , 7 September 1940 – 30 December 2009), more colloquially known as Gus Dur ( listen ), was an Indonesian politician and Islamic religious leader who served as the fourth president of Indonesia , from his election in 1999 until he
276-417: A colonial history of Dutch , British and Japanese occupation , as well as a history of Islamic influence that brought its own texts, linguistic and literary influences. There is also an oral literature tradition in the area. The term "Indonesian literature" is used in this article to refer to Indonesian as written in the nation of Indonesia, but also covers literature written in an earlier form of
414-445: A multicultural archipelagic country with a diversity of languages, culture and religious beliefs. The population of Indonesia according to the 2020 national census was 270.2 million. 56% live on the island of Java , the world's most populous island. Around 95% of Indonesians are Native Indonesians (formerly grouped as "Pribumi"), primarily of Austronesian and Melanesian descent, with 40% Javanese and 15% Sundanese forming
552-651: A petition asking for a conference to be held that would lead to Indonesian self-government as part of a Dutch-Indonesian union over a decade, Parindra was lukewarm, resenting the possibility of Soetardjo succeeding where the other nationalist organizations had failed. The petition was passed by a majority of the Volksraad , but rejected by the Dutch in November 1938. In May 1937, Parindra, the Indonesian People's Movement (Gerindo),
690-574: A Free Indonesia Dormitory to prepare youth leaders for an independent Indonesia. With the war situation becoming increasingly dire, in March 1945 the Japanese announced the formation of an Investigating Committee for Preparatory Work for Independence (BPUPK), comprising members of the older political generation, including Sukarno and Hatta. Chaired by Rajiman Wediodiningrat , in two sessions in May and June, it decided on
828-471: A Great Assembly to celebrate the 66th anniversary of the founding of NU and to reiterate the organization's support for Pancasila. Abdurrahman Wahid had planned for the event to be attended by at least one million NU members. However, Suharto moved to block the event, ordering policemen to turn back busloads of NU members as they arrived in Jakarta. Nevertheless, the event managed to attract 200,000 attendants. After
966-433: A car crash. In 1954, Abdurrahman Wahid began Junior High School. That year, he failed to graduate to the next year and was forced to repeat. His mother made the decision to send him to Yogyakarta to continue his education. In 1957, after graduating from Junior High School, he moved to Magelang to begin his Muslim education at Tegalrejo Pesantren (Muslim school). He completed the pesantren course in two years instead of
1104-678: A central role in the Indonesian National Revolution . One of the other changes that had also taken place during the Japanese occupation included the population in Indonesia undertaking military training. Conflict occurred not only with the Dutch, but also when the Japanese tried to re-establish control in October 1945 in Bandung, and furthermore when the British tried to establish control. After
1242-599: A compromise between Idham and those who had asked for his resignation. In 1983, Suharto was re-elected to a fourth term as president by the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) and began taking steps to establish the Pancasila state ideology as the sole basis for all organizations. From June 1983 to October 1983, Abdurrahman was part of a team which was commissioned to prepare the NU's response to this issue. Abdurrahman consulted texts such as
1380-402: A declaration worded as follows: Sukarno and Hatta rejected this wording, believing that it had the potential to spark violence and would cause problems for the Japanese as it implied a transfer of sovereignty in violation of the terms of the surrender. Sukarno drafted the final version, which read as follows: This final version contained the phrase "transfer of power", which was acceptable to
1518-576: A group of leaders who could ensure continuity if any were arrested. In 1931, Sukarno was released and joined the small Indonesia Party (Partindo) , while in August 1932, Hatta returned from the Netherlands and assumed the leadership of the rival New PNI, which had a more Marxist and revolutionary platform than Partindo. Sukarno was arrested again in August 1933, and was exiled first to Flores , then to Bencoolen , while Hatta and Sjahrir were arrested and exiled to
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#17328557804791656-440: A harsh Japanese response. We the people of Indonesia do hereby declare the independence of Indonesia. Matters concerning the transfer of power and other matters will be executed in an orderly manner and in the shortest possible time. Djakarta, 17 August 05 In the name of the people of Indonesia The date of the declaration, "05" refers to " Japanese imperial year ( 皇紀 , kōki ) 2605". Indonesian youths spread news of
1794-531: A long-term relationship with these two countries. So Israel has a reputation as a nation that upholds God and religion—therefore there is no reason we should fight Israel." When he ascended to the presidency, one of Abdurrahman's goals was to reform the military and to take it out of its dominant socio-political role. In this venture, Abdurrahman found an ally in Agus Wirahadikusumah who he made Commander of Kostrad in March. In July, Agus began uncovering
1932-632: A month in the National Unity Cabinet, Coordinating Minister of People's Welfare Hamzah Haz announced his resignation in November. There was suspicion that the resignation was brought about by Abdurrahman's allegation that certain members of his Cabinet were involved in corruption while he was still in America. Others suggested that Hamzah's resignation was because of displeasure due to Abdurrahman's conciliatory stance towards Israel . Abdurrahman's plan in Aceh
2070-536: A proclamation. Meanwhile, various pemuda groups had heard the surrender rumors and held a meeting. Those present included D. N. Aidit , Chairul Saleh and Wikana . They decided to send a deputation led by Wikana to meet Sukarno at his home and demand an immediate proclamation of independence in person, rather than through the PPKI, which they saw as having no credibility, and which in any case had no pemuda members. In an angry exchange, Sukarno refused to do so as besides
2208-523: A revolt in Gorontalo against the Dutch who were afraid of Japanese invasion of Celebes. He was later imprisoned by the Japanese after they had invaded the area. With the outbreak of the war in the Far East , and the initial successes of Japan, in early 1942, the Dutch authorities gave Amir Sjarifuddin money to establish an underground resistance movement and sent Hatta and Sjahrir back to Java. In January 1942,
2346-452: A scandal involving Dharma Putra , a foundation with affiliations to Kostrad. Through Megawati, TNI members began pressuring Abdurrahman to remove Agus. Abdurrahman gave in to the pressure but then planned to have Agus appointed as the Army Chief of Staff to which TNI top brass responded by threatening to retire and Abdurrahman once again bowed down to pressure. Abdurrahman's relationship with
2484-723: A scholarship from the Ministry of Religious Affairs to study at Al Azhar University in Cairo , Egypt. He left for Egypt in November 1963. Unable to provide evidence to certify that he spoke Arabic , Abdurrahman was told when arriving that he would have to take a remedial class in the language before enrolling at the university's Higher Institute for Islamic and Arabic studies. Instead of attending classes, Abdurrahman Wahid spent 1964 enjoying life in Egypt, watching European and American movies as well as indulging in his hobby of watching football . Abdurrahman
2622-469: A successful career up to that point, Abdurrahman Wahid still found it hard to make ends meet, and he worked to earn extra income by selling peanuts and delivering ice to be used for his wife's es lilin (popsicle) business. In 1974, he found extra employment in Jombang as a Muslim Legal Studies teacher at Pesantren Tambakberas and soon developed a good reputation. A year later, Abdurrahman added to his workload as
2760-524: A teacher of Kitab al-Hikam , a classical text of sufism . In 1977, Abdurrahman Wahid joined the Hasyim Asyari University as Dean of the Faculty of Islamic Beliefs and Practices. Again he excelled in his job and the university wanted to him to teach extra subjects such as pedagogy , sharia , and missiology . However, his excellence caused some resentment from within the ranks of university and he
2898-611: A third candidate in the presidential race and the PKB's commitment towards PDI-P began to waver. In October 1999, the MPR convened and Abdurrahman threw his support behind Amien, who was elected as the chairman of the MPR. On 7 October 1999, Amien and the Central Axis, who now had the PKB on their side, officially nominated Abdurrahman as a presidential candidate. On 19 October 1999, the MPR rejected Habibie's accountability speech and Habibie withdrew from
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#17328557804793036-579: A turning point in December 1990 with the formation of the Indonesian Association of Muslim Intellectuals ( Ikatan Cendekiawan Muslim Indonesia or ICMI). This organization was backed by Suharto, chaired by BJ Habibie and included Muslim intellectuals such as Amien Rais and Nurcholish Madjid as its members. In 1991, various members of ICMI asked Abdurrahman to join. Abdurrahman declined because he thought that ICMI encouraged sectarianism and that it
3174-482: A whole. Invaders, colonizers, missionaries, merchants and traders brought cultural changes that had a profound effect on building styles and techniques. Traditionally, the most significant foreign influence has been Indian. However, Chinese, Arab, and European influences have also played significant roles in shaping Indonesian architecture. Religious architecture varies from indigenous forms to mosques, temples, and churches. The sultans and other rulers built palaces. There
3312-526: Is mostly indigenous, with some hint of Chinese influence. The cuisines of Eastern Indonesia are similar to Polynesian and Melanesian cuisine. Elements of Chinese cuisine can be seen in Indonesian cuisine: foods such as bakmi (noodles), bakso (meat or fish balls), and lumpia (spring rolls) have been completely assimilated. Indonesian architecture reflects the diversity of cultural , historical and geographic influences that have shaped Indonesia as
3450-513: Is a substantial legacy of colonial architecture in Indonesian cities . Independent Indonesia has seen the development of new paradigms for postmodern and contemporary architecture. Indonesian Declaration of Independence The Proclamation of Indonesian Independence ( Indonesian : Proklamasi Kemerdekaan Indonesia , or simply Proklamasi ) was read at 10:00 Tokyo Standard Time on Friday, 17 August 1945 in Jakarta . The declaration marked
3588-547: Is a wrong perception that Islam is at odds with Israel. This is due to Arab propaganda. We must distinguish between Arabs and Muslims. Some people in Indonesia claim that I am a stooge for the West, but the fact that I am gaining popularity over time dispels this idea, and shows that this is the view of only a small elite. I have always said that China and the Soviet Union owned or had atheism as part of their constitution, but we have
3726-625: Is derived from Gus , a common honorific for a son of kyai , and from the short-form of bagus ('handsome lad' in Javanese ); and Dur , short-form of his name, Abdurrahman. Abdurrahman ad-Dakhil was born on the fourth day of the Sha'ban , the eighth month of the Islamic calendar in 1940 in Jombang , East Java to Abdul Wahid Hasyim and Siti Sholehah. This led to a belief that he was born on 4 August; instead, using
3864-455: Is descended from a well-known Muslim missionary from China known as Syekh Abdul Qadir Tan Kiem Han who was a disciple of Sunan Ngampel-Denta (Raden Rahmat Bong Swie Hoo), one of the Nine Wali (Holy Islamic Saints) who became one of the first Islamic Kings on Java who Islamicized Java in the 15-16th centuries. He was the oldest of his five siblings, and was born into a very prestigious family in
4002-421: Is illegal . Indonesia has the world's largest Muslim population In the 2018 Indonesian census, 86.7% of Indonesians identified themselves as Muslim (with Sunnis forming about 99%, Shias 1%, Ahmadis 0.2% ), 7.6% Protestant , 3.12% Catholic , 1.74% Hindu , 0.77% Buddhist , 0.03% Confucianism , and 0.04% other religions/ No religion. Indonesia's political leadership has played an important role in
4140-480: Is made by the New Order government through Presidential Instruction No. 14 of 1967 signed by Suharto . On 17 January 2000, Wahid issued Presidential Decree No. 6 of 2000 to annul the previous instruction. He established Confucianism as the sixth official religion in Indonesia in 2000 and protected minority rights in Indonesia. As a result, Wahid was given the title "Father of Pluralism." His popular nickname 'Gus Dur'
4278-498: Is the same case with Baduy people that actually are sub-ethnic of the Sundanese people but sometimes considered as separated ethnicities. An example of hybrid ethnicity is the Betawi people , descended not only from marriages between different peoples in Indonesia but also with foreign origin like Arab, Chinese and Indian migrants since the era of colonial Batavia (Jakarta). Indonesian is
Abdurrahman Wahid - Misplaced Pages Continue
4416-567: The Arabic Muslim greeting of " assalamualaikum " with the secular greeting of " selamat pagi ", which means good morning in Indonesian . Abdurrahman was re-elected to a second term as chairman of NU at the 1989 National Congress. By this time, Suharto, embroiled in a political battle with ABRI , began to ingratiate himself with the Muslim constituency so as to win their support. This venture reached
4554-524: The Boven Digul detention camp in western New Guinea. The detention of these nationalist figures effectively ended the non-cooperation movement, and in December 1935 the moderate Indonesian National Union and Budi Utomo merged to form the Great Indonesia Party (Parindra), which aimed to work with the Dutch to achieve Indonesian independence. When in 1936, Volksraad member Soetardjo submitted
4692-461: The Constitution of Indonesia . The Dutch, as the former colonial power, viewed the republicans as collaborators with the Japanese, and desired to restore their colonial rule, as they still had political and economic interests in the former Dutch East Indies. The result was a four-year war for Indonesian independence. Indonesian youths had played an important role in the proclamation, and they played
4830-517: The Council of Indonesian Muslim Associations (Masjumi) as an umbrella group for Muslims. In 1944, Putera was dissolved and replaced by the Java Service Association ( Jawa Hokokai ), with Sukarno and Hatta given key positions in it, albeit answering to the military governor. Although intended to mobilise the masses for Japanese interests, Sukarno in particular took advantage of his role to tour
4968-563: The Indonesian National Revolution . At the end of the war in 1949, Abdurrahman Wahid moved to Jakarta as his father had been appointed Minister of Religious Affairs . He was educated in Jakarta, going to KRIS Primary School before moving to Matraman Perwari Primary School. Abdurrahman Wahid was encouraged to read non-Muslim books, magazines, and newspapers by his father to further broaden his horizons. He stayed in Jakarta with his family even after his father's removal as Minister of Religious Affairs in 1952. In April 1953, Abdurrahman's father died in
5106-519: The Indonesian archipelago . It is also used to refer more broadly to literature produced in areas with common language roots based on the Malay language (of which Indonesian is one scion ). This would extend the reach to the Maritime Southeast Asia , including Indonesia, but also other nations with a common language such as Malaysia and Brunei , as well as population within other nations such as
5244-470: The Logistic Affairs Agency (BULOG) reported that US$ 4 million were missing from its cash reserve. The missing cash was then attributed to Abdurrahman's own masseur, who had claimed that Abdurrahman sent him to Bulog to collect the cash. Although the money was returned, Abdurrahman's opponents took the chance of accusing him of being involved in the scandal and of being aware of what his masseur
5382-517: The Malay people living in Singapore . There are also works written in and about Indonesia in unrelated languages. There are several languages and several distinct but related literary traditions within the geographical boundaries of the modern nation of Indonesia. For example, the island of Java has its own Javanese pre-national cultural and literary history. There are also Sundanese , Balinese , and Batak or Madurese traditions. Indonesia also has
5520-658: The National Unity Cabinet , was a coalition cabinet which consisted of members of various political parties: PDI-P, PKB, Golkar, PPP, PAN, and the Justice Party (PK). Non-partisans and the TNI (Formerly known as ABRI) were also represented in the cabinet. Abdurrahman then went on to make two administrative reforms. The first administrative reform was to abolish the Ministry of Information, the Suharto regime's main weapon in controlling
5658-456: The Quran and Sunnah for justification and finally, in October 1983, concluded that the NU should accept Pancasila as its ideology. To further revitalize the NU, Abdurrahman was also successful in securing its withdrawal from PPP and party politics to allow it focus on social matters instead of hampering itself by being involved in politics. Abdurrahman's reforms had made him extremely popular within
Abdurrahman Wahid - Misplaced Pages Continue
5796-486: The killing of four students at Trisakti University . On 19 May 1998, Abdurrahman Wahid, together with eight prominent leaders from the Muslim community were summoned to Suharto's residence. Suharto outlined the idea of a Reform Committee which he had begun to propose at the time. All nine rejected Suharto's offer to join the Reform Committee. Abdurrahman Wahid maintained a more moderate stance with Suharto and called on
5934-464: The 1967, for the decade ending in 2020, Indonesia's population growth was 1.1 percent. At that rate, Indonesia's population is projected to surpass the present population of the United States and would - if the current US population did not rise – become the world's third biggest after China and India by 2043. The family planning already revitalised based on the 1967 program to avoid Indonesia becoming
6072-565: The 1987 Legislative Elections and further strengthening Suharto's Golkar Party. His reward came in the form of a membership of the MPR. Although he was viewed with favor by the regime, Abdurrahman criticised the Government over the Kedung Ombo Dam project that was funded by the World Bank . Although this somewhat soured the cordial relationships that Abdurrahman had with the Government, Suharto
6210-646: The 1994 National Congress approached, Abdurrahman Wahid nominated himself for a third term as chairman. Hearing this, Suharto wanted to make sure that Abdurrahman Wahid was not elected. In the weeks leading up to the Congress, Suharto supporters, such as Habibie and Harmoko campaigned against Abdurrahman's re-election. When it came time for the National Congress, the site for the Congress was tightly guarded by ABRI in an act of intimidation. Despite this, and attempts to bribe NU members to vote against him, Abdurrahman Wahid
6348-464: The 1998 MPR General Session. Megawati ignored Abdurrahman's advice and paid the price in July 1996 when her PDI headquarters were taken over by supporters of Government-backed PDI chairman, Suryadi. Seeing what happened to Megawati, Abdurrahman thought that his best option now was to retreat politically by getting himself back in favor with the Government. In November 1996, Abdurrahman Wahid and Suharto met for
6486-505: The 2000 census. Some of these Indonesians of Chinese descent speak various Chinese languages , most notably Hokkien and Hakka . The classification of ethnic groups in Indonesia is not rigid and in some cases unclear due to migrations, cultural and linguistic influences; for example, some may consider Osing people and Cirebonese to be members of Javanese people , however, some others argue that they are different ethnic groups altogether since they have their own distinct dialects. This
6624-478: The 25th Army freed Sukarno from exile in Sumatra, and he joined Hatta and Sjahrir in Jakarta, as Batavia had been renamed. They agreed that Sjahrir would work underground, while Sukarno and Hatta would cooperate with the Japanese, still with the ultimate goal of Indonesian independence. The two men urged the Japanese to establish a popular political organization that they would lead, and this came about in March 1943 with
6762-521: The Association of Indonesian Students as well as with writing journalistic pieces to be read in Indonesia. After completing his education at the University of Baghdad in 1970, Abdurrahman Wahid went to the Netherlands to continue his education. He wanted to attend Leiden University but was disappointed as there was little recognition for the studies that he had undertaken at the University of Baghdad. From
6900-453: The Congress had begun with Abdurrahman's list of team members being approved by high-ranking NU officials including outgoing Chairman Idham. Abdurrahman had gone to the Committee in charge of running the Congress and handed in his list which was to be announced later. However, the Committee in question was against Idham and announced a totally different list of people. Abdurrahman was outraged but
7038-503: The Dutch when they reoccupied their colony. At a meeting in Singapore at the end of July, it was decided that Java would become independent at the end of September, followed by other areas. On 6 and 9 August, atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki . On 7 August, the Japanese announced the formation of a Preparatory Committee for Indonesian Independence (PPKI) to accelerate preparations for establishing an Indonesian government for
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#17328557804797176-630: The East Indies, but thanks to a rousing defense speech by Hatta, they were acquitted. Back in the East Indies, in 1927, nationalist and future Indonesian president Sukarno turned his study club into the Indonesian Nationalist Association, which in May 1928 became the Indonesian National Party (PNI). The party aimed to achieve Indonesian independence through mass-based non-cooperation with the authorities. In October 1928,
7314-596: The East Java Muslim community. His paternal grandfather, Hasyim Asy'ari was the founder of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) while his maternal grandfather, Bisri Syansuri was the first Muslim educator to introduce classes for women. After the Indonesian Declaration of Independence on 17 August 1945, Abdurrahman Wahid moved back to Jombang and remained there during the fight for independence from the Netherlands during
7452-535: The Indonesian language i.e. Malay written in the Dutch East Indies . Indonesia is constitutionally a secular state and the first principle of Indonesia 's philosophical foundation, Pancasila , is "belief in the one and only God ". A number of different religions are practised in the country, and their collective influence on the country's political, economic and cultural life is significant. The Indonesian Constitution guarantees freedom of religion. However,
7590-559: The Islamic calendar to mark his birth date meant that he was actually born on 4 Sha'aban, equivalent to 7 September 1940. He was named after Abd ar-Rahman I of the Umayyad Caliphate who brought Islam to Spain and was thus nicknamed "ad-Dakhil" ("the conqueror"). His name is stylized in the traditional Arabic naming system as "Abdurrahman, son of Wahid". Abdurrahman is of Chinese , Arab and Javanese ancestry. From his paternal line, he
7728-405: The Jakarta suburb of Ciganjur, Abdurrahman, together with Megawati, Amien, and Sultan Hamengkubuwono X reiterated their commitment to reform. On 7 February 1999, PKB officially declared Abdurrahman Wahid as their presidential candidate. In June 1999, Abdurrahman's PKB entered the legislative elections. The PKB won 12% of the votes with Megawati's PDI-P winning the legislative elections with 33% of
7866-455: The Japanese as the Japanese language translation of the phrase implied transfer of administrative control, rather than of sovereignty, which could have been seen as a violation by the Japanese of the ceasefire commitment to preserve the status quo . It was also acceptable to the Indonesians, who could interpret this transfer in a wider sense. Meanwhile, the phrase "in an orderly manner" reassured
8004-590: The Japanese invaded the Dutch East Indies, and rapidly overran the archipelago. The Dutch surrendered on 8 March. The Japanese banned the use of the Dutch language as well as the Indonesian flag and anthem , and the Japanese calendar was imposed. The archipelago was administered as three separate regions: Sumatra by the Twenty-Fifth Army , Java and Madura by the Sixteenth Army and Kalimantan and
8142-486: The Japanese military that there would be no interference in a declaration of independence as long as it was not associated with the Japanese, as this would be a breach of the surrender terms. Sukarno and Hatta then went to Maeda's house, now the Formulation of Proclamation Text Museum , where members of the PPKI were waiting, having been told to go there by Subardjo. Earlier that day, the pemuda led by Sjahrir had produced
8280-649: The NU Religious Advisory Council. Nevertheless, Abdurrahman finally chose to join the Council when his own grandfather, Bisri Syansuri gave him the third offer. In taking this job, Abdurrahman also made the decision to move from Jombang to Jakarta and to permanently reside there. As a member of the Religious Advisory Council, Abdurrahman envisioned himself as a reformer of NU. At this time, Abdurrahman Wahid also had his first political experience. In
8418-451: The NU in the transition from Sukarno to Suharto resisted at first but bowed down to pressure. On 6 May 1982, Abdurrahman Wahid heard of Idham's decision to resign and approached him saying that the demands being made for him to resign were unconstitutional. With urging from Abdurrahman Wahid, Idham withdrew his resignation and Abdurrahman Wahid, together with the Team of Seven was able to negotiate
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#17328557804798556-590: The Netherlands, he went to Germany and France before returning to Indonesia in 1971. Abdurrahman Wahid returned to Jakarta expecting that in a year's time, he would be abroad again to study at McGill University in Canada. He kept himself busy by joining the Institute for Economic and Social Research, Education and Information [ id ] (LP3ES), an organization which consisted of intellectuals with progressive Muslims and social-democratic views. LP3ES established
8694-463: The PPKI. On 15 August, Japan surrendered , and the Japanese authorities in the East Indies were ordered to maintain the status quo pending the arrival of allied forces. However there was no official confirmation from the Japanese of the surrender. Again there was disagreement between the older generation, including Sukarno and Hatta, who were uncertain how to proceed, and the pemuda , including Sjahrir, who urged Sukarno to declare independence without
8832-686: The TNI deteriorated even further in July 2000 when it was revealed that Laskar Jihad had arrived in Maluku and was being armed by the TNI. Laskar Jihad, a radical Islamic militia had earlier in the year planned to go to Maluku and assist Muslims there in their communal conflict with the Christians. Abdurrahman had ordered TNI to block Laskar Jihad from going to Maluku, but nevertheless they still made it to Maluku and they were then being armed with what turned out to be TNI weapons. 2000 saw Abdurrahman embroiled in two scandals which would damage his presidency. In May,
8970-427: The Triple-A mass movement. Its name was taken from the Japanese propaganda slogan portraying Japan as the leader, protector and light of Asia. However it failed to gain support as no significant Indonesian nationalists were involved, and the propaganda was too heavy-handed. The Japanese then decided that it would be more effective to use pre-war nationalists to mobilize the population in support of their war aims. In July,
9108-483: The agreement. In March 2000, Abdurrahman Wahid suggested that the 1966 Provisional People's Consultative Assembly (MPRS) resolution on the banning of Marxism–Leninism be lifted. Abdurrahman Wahid also moved to establish commercial relations with Israel , which aroused the ire of many Indonesian Muslim groups. This was one issue that arose in the briefing given to a Palestinian parliamentary delegation in 2000 by Riddhi Awad , their ambassador to Indonesia. Another issue
9246-404: The archipelago making speeches. On 7 September 1944, Japanese Prime Minister Kuniaki Koiso promised independence for the 'East Indies' "later on" ( di kemudian hari ). The authorities in Java then allowed the flying of the Indonesian flag at Jawa Hokokai buildings. Rear-admiral Maeda provided official funds for tours around the archipelago by Sukarno and Hatta, and in October 1944, established
9384-471: The authorities, who arrested Sukarno and seven party leaders in December 1929. They were put on trial for being a threat to public order and in September 1930 received sentences of one to four years – Sukarno received the longest sentence. The PNI dissolved itself in 1931, and in the same year, Sjahrir returned from the Netherlands and established a party called the New PNI which rather than focussing on mass action and being dependent on one leader, aimed to create
9522-416: The basis for an independent nation and produced a draft constitution . Meanwhile, the younger activists, known as the pemuda , wanted much more overt moves towards independence than the older generation were willing to risk, resulting in a split between the generations. Following the call from the allies for Japan to surrender , the Japanese decided to grant Indonesian independence to create problems for
9660-455: The beginning of the Asian Financial Crisis . Suharto began to lose control of the situation and just as he was being pushed to step up the reform movement with Megawati and Amien, Abdurrahman experienced a stroke in January 1998. From his hospital bed, Abdurrahman Wahid continued to see the situation worsen with Suharto's re-election to a seventh term as president accompanied by student protests. The protests would turn into riots in May 1998 after
9798-404: The cabinet announcement. The new cabinet was smaller and consisted of more non-partisans. There were no Golkar members in this cabinet. Indonesians Indonesians ( Indonesian : Orang Indonesia ) are citizens or people who are identified with the country of Indonesia , regardless of their ethnic or religious background. There are more than 1,300 ethnicities in Indonesia, making it
9936-635: The challenge from Hatta as he knew that only Sukarno and Hatta had the authority to make a credible declaration of independence. Spurred on by this humiliation and the desire to demonstrate the commitment of the pemuda , a decision was taken by a group including Chairul Saleh and Wikana to take action. In the early hours of the morning of 16 August, they took Sukarno and Hatta to the town of Rengasdengklok (today in Karawang Regency , West Java ), ostensibly to protect them from an uprising by Peta troops, but in fact to force them to declare independence. However,
10074-530: The country. Many ethnic groups, particularly in Kalimantan and Papua , have only hundreds of members. Most of the local languages belong to Austronesian language family, although a significant number, particularly in Maluku Islands and Western New Guinea belong to Papuan languages . The Chinese Indonesians (Tionghoa) population makes up a little less than 1% of the total Indonesian population according to
10212-489: The development of the pesantren . Abdurrahman Wahid continued his career as a journalist, writing for the magazine Tempo and Kompas , a leading Indonesian newspaper. His articles were well received, and he began to develop a reputation as a social commentator. Abdurrahman's popularity was such that at this time he was invited to give lectures and seminars, obliging him to travel back and forth between Jakarta and Jombang, where he now lived with his family. Despite having
10350-570: The document from the Japanese-formed PPKI, only Sukarno and Hatta would sign it. The meeting broke up at 5am. The latin typewriter used to type the proclamation test was borrowed from Korvettenkapitän Dr.jur. Hermann Kandeler, the leader of a Nazi German military stützpunkt in Pasar Senen, Jakarta. This was because only Japanese typewriters were available in Maeda's house. The original plan
10488-429: The event, Abdurrahman Wahid wrote a letter of protest to Suharto saying that NU had not been given a chance to display a brand of Islam that was open, fair, and tolerant. During his second term as chairman of NU, Abdurrahman's liberal ideas had begun to turn many supporters sour. As chairman, Abdurrahman Wahid continued to push for inter-faith dialogue and even accepted an invitation to visit Israel in October 1994. As
10626-423: The first time since Abdurrahman's re-election to the NU chairmanship and this was followed over the next few months by meetings with various Government people who in 1994 had attempted to block Abdurrahman's re-election. At the same time, however, Abdurrahman Wahid kept his options for reform open and in December 1996, had a meeting with Amien Rais , an ICMI member who had grown critical of the regime. July 1997 saw
10764-508: The formation of Putera , the Centre of People's Power. Although it was controlled by the Japanese, it was led by Sukarno, Hatta, Hajar Dewantara and pre-war Islamic figure Mas Mansoer . Like the Triple A, it achieved very little. As the tide turned against Japan and its territorial expansion halted, Japan started to talk of greater Indonesian involvement in the governance of Java, where the 16th Army
10902-731: The government recognises only six official religions ( Islam , Protestantism , Catholicism , Hinduism , Buddhism and Confucianism ). Although based on data collected by the Indonesian Conference on Religion and Peace (ICRP), there are about 245 non-official religions in Indonesia. Indonesian law requires that every Indonesian citizen hold an identity card that identifies that person with one of these six religions, although citizens may fill in 'believer' on that section in case that person adhere to other religion than six recognized religion or leave that section blank. Indonesia does not recognise agnosticism or atheism , and blasphemy
11040-432: The government to a senior minister. The MPR members agreed but proposed that Megawati should be the one to receive the task from the president. At first the MPR planned to have this proposal adopted as a resolution but a presidential decision was seen as enough. On 23 August, Abdurrahman announced a new cabinet despite Megawati's insistence that the announcement was delayed. Megawati showed her displeasure by not showing up for
11178-480: The involvement of the PPKI to avoid accusations from the Allies that independence was sponsored by Japan. In the afternoon of 15 August, Sukarno, Hatta and BPUPK member and future foreign minister Achmad Soebardjo called on Maeda to ask about the surrender rumours, and received unofficial confirmation that they were true. Hatta then asked Soebardjo to arrange a meeting of the PPKI for the following day and went home to draft
11316-471: The island of Java but millions have migrated to other islands throughout the archipelago because of the transmigration program . The Sundanese people 15% of the population in Indonesia , are an ethnic group that shares territory with the Javanese in that, most of the Sundanese live in the western region of Java . Malays , Batak , Madurese , Betawi , and Minangkabau are the next largest groups in
11454-512: The lead-up to the 1982 Legislative Elections, Abdurrahman Wahid campaigned for the United Development Party (PPP), an Islamist Party which was formed as a result of a merger of four Islamist parties including NU. Abdurrahman Wahid recalled that the Government actively disrupted PPP's campaigns by arresting people like himself. However, Abdurrahman Wahid was always able to secure his release, having developed connections in high places with
11592-510: The likes of General Benny Moerdani . By this time, many viewed the NU as a stagnant organization. After careful discussion, the Religious Advisory Council finally formed a Team of Seven (which included Abdurrahman) to tackle the issues of reform and to help revitalize the NU. For some members of the NU, reform in the organization involved a change of leadership. On 2 May 1982, a group of high-ranking NU officials met with NU chairman Idham Chalid and asked for his resignation. Idham, who had guided
11730-586: The list of countries which he had visited. Abdurrahman Wahid admired Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad 's financial independence and standing up to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). While he was travelling to Europe in February, Abdurrahman Wahid began asking for the resignation of General Wiranto , who held the position of Coordinating Minister of Politics and Security. Abdurrahman saw Wiranto both as an obstacle to his planned reform of
11868-435: The local community. Most formal education, and nearly all national media and other forms of communication, are conducted in Indonesian. In East Timor , which was an Indonesian province from 1975 to 1999, Indonesian is recognised by the constitution as one of the two working languages (the other being English), alongside the official languages of Tetum and Portuguese . Indonesian literature can refer to literature produced in
12006-430: The magazine Prisma and Abdurrahman became one of the main contributors to the magazine. Whilst working as a contributor for LP3ES, he also conducted tours to pesantren and madrasah across Java. It was a time when pesantren were desperate to gain state funding by adopting state-endorsed curricula and Abdurrahman was concerned that the traditional values of the pesantren were being damaged because of this change. He
12144-479: The majority, while the other 5% are Indonesians with ancestry from foreign origin, such as Arab Indonesians , Chinese Indonesians , Indian Indonesians , and Indos . As of 2020, Indonesians make up 3.4% of the world's total population and Indonesia is the fourth most populous country after China , India and the United States . Despite a fairly effective family planning program that has been in place since
12282-428: The media, while the second administrative reform was to disband the Ministry of Social Affairs which had become corrupt and extortionist under the Suharto regime. In November, Abdurrahman Wahid made his first overseas trip, visiting ASEAN member countries, Japan , the United States of America , Qatar , Kuwait , and Jordan . He followed this up in December by a visit to the People's Republic of China . After only
12420-545: The military as well as being a liability to his government with his human rights abuses in East Timor. When Abdurrahman arrived back in Jakarta, Wiranto talked to him and seemed successful in convincing Abdurrahman not to replace him. However, Abdurrahman Wahid would change his mind and ask for his resignation. In April 2000, Abdurrahman Wahid dismissed Minister of Industry and Trade Jusuf Kalla and Minister of State Owned Enterprises Laksamana Sukardi . The explanation that he gave
12558-547: The most diverse countries in the world. 95% of those are of Native Indonesian ancestry. The majority of these ethnic groups are Austronesian peoples concentrated in western and central Indonesia in Asia , with a sizable minority being Melanesian peoples concentrated in eastern Indonesia in Oceania . The largest ethnic group in Indonesia is the Javanese who make up nearly 40% of the total population. The Javanese are concentrated on
12696-402: The most prominent of which were Amien's National Mandate Party (PAN) and Megawati's Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P). In June 1998, many from within the NU community began pressuring Abdurrahman Wahid to form a new political party. Abdurrahman Wahid did not warm up to the idea immediately, thinking that this would result in a political party which only catered to one religion. He
12834-431: The need to discuss matters with the PPKI, he did not want to provoke the Japanese. Hatta subsequently arrived and took the same stance as Sukarno, and pointed out that there was still no official confirmation of the Japanese surrender. He then invited the pemuda to go ahead with a proclamation themselves. Wikana in turn demanded a declaration the following day, 16 August, and the delegation left. Wikana felt humiliated by
12972-552: The occupation of the Netherlands, and the Dutch government in exile was in no position to respond to GAPI's request for a Dutch-Indonesian union and an elected legislature, although Dutch Queen Wilhelmina made a speech in London in May 1941 promising unspecified changes to the relationship with the East Indies after the war. On 23 January 1942, three years before the 1945 proclamation, an independence activist Nani Wartabone declared "Indonesian independence" after he and his people won in
13110-471: The official language of Indonesia . It is a standardized variety of Malay , an Austronesian language that has been used as a lingua franca in the Indonesian archipelago for centuries. Most Indonesians also speak one of more than 700 indigenous languages . Most Indonesians, aside from speaking the national language, are fluent in another regional language (examples include Javanese , Sundanese and others), which are commonly used at home and within
13248-458: The older nationalists as it implied no action by the pemuda , and "in the shortest possible time" was taken by the Indonesians to mean before the Allied forces arrived. Chairul Saleh and other pemuda figures protested ineffectually about the changes, but the majority of the PPKI agreed with the wording. After some debate as to who would sign the proclamation, it was agreed that in order to disassociate
13386-576: The preamble to the draft constitution , which had been written by the BPUPK, was read, then Sukarno, with Hatta by his side, read the proclamation: Kami, bangsa Indonesia, dengan ini menjatakan kemerdekaan Indonesia. Hal-hal jang mengenai pemindahan kekoeasaan d.l.l., diselenggarakan dengan tjara saksama dan dalam tempo jang sesingkat-singkatnja. Djakarta, hari 17 boelan 8 tahoen 05 Atas nama bangsa Indonesia, Soekarno/Hatta. [REDACTED] [REDACTED] PETA officer Latief Hendraningat raised
13524-508: The presidency, Megawati's supporters began to riot. Abdurrahman realized that for this to stop, Megawati had to be elected as vice president. After convincing General Wiranto not to contest vice presidential elections and getting the PKB to endorse Megawati, Abdurrahman Wahid persuaded the demoralized Megawati to stand. On 21 October 1999, Megawati defeated the PPP's Hamzah Haz and was inaugurated as vice president. Abdurrahman's first cabinet, dubbed
13662-448: The presidential race. In the hours that followed, Akbar Tanjung , chairman of Golkar and head of the People's Representative Council (DPR) made it clear that Golkar would support Abdurrahman in his bid for the presidency. On 20 October 1999, the MPR convened and began voting for a new president. Abdurrahman Wahid was elected as Indonesia's fourth president with 373 votes to Megawati's 313 votes. Displeased that their candidate had not won
13800-594: The proclamation across Java almost immediately using Japanese news and telegraph facilities, and in Bandung the news was broadcast by radio. However many ordinary Indonesians either did not believe the reports or saw them as a Japanese deception. In Sumatra, only the republican elite in major cities knew about the proclamation by the middle of September. The day after the proclamation, the Preparatory Committee for Indonesian Independence met and elected Sukarno as president and Hatta as vice-president. It also ratified
13938-553: The protesting to stop to see if Suharto was going to implement his promise. This displeased Amien who was one of the most vocal of Suharto's critics at the time. Nevertheless, support for Suharto quickly ebbed away, and he resigned the presidency on 21 May 1998. Vice President Habibie became president. One of the immediate effects of Suharto's fall was the formation of new political parties. Under Suharto's regime, political parties had been limited to just three; Golkar , PPP , and PDI . Now with his fall, new political parties were formed,
14076-425: The ranks of NU. By the time of the 1984 National Congress, many began to state their intentions to nominate Abdurrahman as the new chairman of NU. Abdurrahman accepted the nomination, provided that he had the power to choose who would be on his leadership team. Abdurrahman was elected as the new chairman of NU during the National Congress. However, his stipulation of choosing his own team was not honored. The last day of
14214-572: The red and white flag of Indonesia and the attendees sung the Indonesian national anthem, Indonesia Raya . An English translation published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as of October 1948 included the entire speech as read by Sukarno . It incorporated remarks made immediately prior to and after the actual proclamation. George McTurnan Kahin , a historian on Indonesia, believed that they were omitted from publication in Indonesia either due to Japanese control of media outlets or fear of provoking
14352-443: The relations between groups, both positively and negatively, promoting mutual respect by affirming Pancasila but also promoting a Transmigration Program , which has caused a number of conflicts in the eastern region of the country. Indonesian cuisine is one of the most vibrant and colourful cuisines in the world, full of intense flavor. It is diverse, in part because Indonesia is composed of approximately 6,000 populated islands of
14490-536: The representatives at a Youth Congress held in Batavia, the capital, adopted the ideals of one motherland, Indonesia; one nation, the nation of Indonesia; and one language, the Indonesian language . This expression of national unity was a reaction to the older generation, which tended to identify with their region or ethnicity, and subsequently became known as the Youth Pledge . The PNI grew rapidly, causing concern for
14628-563: The resource-rich eastern islands by the Imperial Japanese Navy . As the area controlled by the Navy was the source of essential supplies, including food, to the other areas, rear-admiral Tadashi Maeda was appointed to the liaison office of the naval attaché in Batavia to expedite deliveries and to ensure the maintenance of good relations with the Army. In April 1943, the Japanese established
14766-407: The sacking of the ministers and the scandals which he had been involved in. At the same time, however, they were asking questions of Abdurrahman. At the 2000 MPR Annual Session, Abdurrahman delivered a speech which was well received by a majority of the MPR members. During the speech, Abdurrahman recognized his weakness as an administrator and said that he was going to delegate the day-to-day running of
14904-493: The start of the diplomatic and armed resistance of the Indonesian National Revolution , fighting against the forces of the Netherlands and pro-Dutch civilians, until the latter officially acknowledged Indonesia's independence in 1949. The document was signed by Sukarno and Mohammad Hatta , who were appointed president and vice-president respectively the following day. The date of the Proclamation of Indonesian Independence
15042-563: The total 17,000 in the world's largest archipelago, with more than 1,300 ethnic groups . Many regional cuisines exist, often based upon indigenous culture and foreign influences. Indonesia has around 5,350 traditional recipes, with 30 of them considered the most important. Indonesian cuisine varies greatly by region and has many different influences. Sumatran cuisine, for example, often has Middle Eastern and Indian influences, featuring curried meat and vegetables such as gulai and kari , while Javanese cuisine or Sundanese cuisine
15180-474: The two men still refused to make such a proclamation without assurances from the Japanese. Later that morning, Maeda learned that Sukarno and Hatta had disappeared. An Army investigation led to Wikana, who was pressured to return the two men to Jakarta. Following a guarantee of safety and cooperation from Maeda, as well as the use of his house for discussions, Subardjo went to Rengasdengklok and brought Sukarno and Hatta back to Jakarta. They obtained an assurance from
15318-528: The university. In Egypt, Abdurrahman Wahid found employment with the Indonesian Embassy. It was during his stint with the embassy that coup attempt was launched by the 30 September Movement , which the Communist Party of Indonesia was accused of leading. With Army Strategic Reserves commander Major General Suharto taking control of the situation in Jakarta, a crackdown against suspected communists
15456-400: The usual four. In 1959, he moved back to Jombang to Pesantren Tambakberas . There, while continuing his own education, Abdurrahman Wahid received his first job as a teacher and later on as headmaster of a madrasah affiliated with the pesantren . Abdurrahman Wahid found employment as a journalist for magazines such as Horizon and Majalah Budaya Jaya . In 1963, Abdurrahman Wahid received
15594-514: The votes. With her party decisively winning the legislative elections, Megawati expected to win the presidency against Habibie at the MPR General Session. However, the PDI-P did not have complete majority and formed a loose alliance with the PKB. In July, however, Amien Rais would form the Central Axis, a coalition of Muslim parties. The Central Axis then began to consider nominating Abdurrahman as
15732-493: The way back to Europe, Abdurrahman also visited India , South Korea, Thailand , and Brunei . March saw Abdurrahman visit East Timor . In April, Abdurrahman visited South Africa en route to the G77 summit in Cuba before returning via Mexico City and Hong Kong. In June, Abdurrahman Wahid once again visited America, Japan, and France with Iran , Pakistan, and Egypt as the new additions to
15870-499: The whole of the East Indies, not just Java. Two days later, Sukarno, Hatta and Rajiman Wediodiningrat were flown by the Japanese to Dalat , near Saigon , to meet with Field Marshall Hisaichi Terauchi , the Japanese commander of the Southern Expeditionary Army Group , who promised independence for the territory of the former Dutch East Indies and formally appointed Sukarno and Hatta as chairman and vice-chairman of
16008-430: The world's third most populous country. With a population of 151.6 million, Java is home to 56 per cent of the Indonesian population, and is the most populous island on Earth . The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta , is located on western Java. Much of Indonesian history took place on Java. It was the centre of powerful Hindu-Buddhist empires, the Islamic sultanates and the core of the colonial Dutch East Indies. Java
16146-529: Was removed from office in 2001. A long time leader within the Nahdlatul Ulama organization, he was the founder of the National Awakening Party (PKB). He was the son of Minister of Religious Affairs Wahid Hasyim , and the grandson of Nahdatul Ulama founder Hasyim Asy'ari . Due to a visual impairment caused by glaucoma , he was blind in the left eye and partially blind in his right eye. He
16284-668: Was Abdurrahman's membership in the Shimon Peres Foundation. Both Abdurrahman Wahid and his foreign minister Alwi Shihab took offense at the inaccurate portrayals of the Indonesian president, and Alwi called for the replacement of Awad. However, Nurcholish Madjid pointed out that Abdurrahman's personal neutrality toward the Israel-Palestine conflict should yield to the feelings of the "majority" of Indonesians, who support Palestine. Abdurrahman visited Israel six times. In an interview with Israeli media he said, "I think there
16422-432: Was also concerned with the poverty of the pesantren which he saw during his tours. At the same time as it was encouraging pesantren to adopt state-endorsed curricula, the Government was also encouraging pesantren as agents for change and to help assist the government in the economic development of Indonesia. It was at this time that Abdurrahman Wahid finally decided to drop plans for overseas studies in favor of promoting
16560-563: Was also involved with the Association of Indonesian Students and became a journalist for the association's magazine. After passing the remedial Arabic examination, he finally began studies at the Higher Institute for Islamic and Arabic Studies in 1965, but was disappointed as he had already studied many of the texts offered at the Institute in Java and disapproved of the rote learning method used by
16698-560: Was also the centre of the Indonesian struggle for independence during the 1930s and 1940s. Java dominates Indonesia politically, economically and culturally. The other major islands of Indonesia are Sumatra , Kalimantan , Sulawesi and New Guinea , which are home to the other 49 percent of Indonesian population. There are also other small populated island(s) such as Bali , Bangka , Madura , Nias , Maluku , Lesser Sunda Islands , Riau Islands and others. There are over 1,300 ethnic groups in Indonesia . This number makes Indonesia one of
16836-431: Was also unwilling to overrule his own decision to take NU out of politics. By July 1998, however, he began to warm up to the idea, thinking that establishing a political party was the only way to challenge the organizationally strong Golkar in an election. With that in mind, Abdurrahman Wahid approved of the formation of PKB and became the chairman of its Advisory Council with Matori Abdul Djalil as party chairman. Although it
16974-434: Was blocked from teaching the subjects. Whilst undertaking all these ventures he also regularly delivered speeches during Ramadan to the Muslim community in Jombang. Abdurrahman's family background meant that sooner or later, he would be asked to play an active role in the running of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU). This ran contrary to Abdurrahman's aspirations of becoming a public intellectual and he had twice rejected offers to join
17112-426: Was clearly dominated by NU members, Abdurrahman Wahid promoted the PKB as a party that was non-sectarian and open to all members of society. As opposition to the government, Abdurrahman Wahid, together with Megawati and Amien were willing to adopt a moderate stance towards Habibie's Government, preferring instead to wait for the 1999 legislative elections. Nevertheless, in November 1998, in a meeting at his residence in
17250-530: Was established by younger Marxists including Amir Sjarifuddin , another future prime minister, to campaign for the formation of an Indonesian parliament in cooperation with the Dutch, which was the same aim of the Indonesian Political Federation (GAPI), formed two years later from a merger of almost all the nationalist organizations. However, the outbreak of the Second World War resulted in
17388-412: Was for the proclamation to be read in public before a crowd at the square in the center of Jakarta, now Merdeka Square . However, the Japanese authorities, fearing disorder, deployed soldiers to the area, and as a result, the proclamation was made at Sukarno's house at 56 Jalan Pegangsaan Timur at 10 AM Japan Standard Time , which was in use during the occupation. The ceremony was very simple. Firstly,
17526-549: Was initiated. The Indonesian Embassy in Egypt was ordered to conduct an investigation into the political views of university students. This order was passed to Abdurrahman Wahid, who was charged with writing the reports. Abdurrahman's displeasure at the method of education and his work following the coup attempt distracted him from his studies. He sought and received another scholarship at the University of Baghdad and moved to Iraq. There Abdurrahman Wahid continued his involvement with
17664-720: Was made a public holiday by a government decree issued on 18 June 1946. In 1918, the Dutch authorities in the Dutch East Indies established a partly-elected People's Council, the Volksraad , which for the first time gave Indonesian nationalists a voice. Meanwhile, Indonesian students studying in the Netherlands formed the Perhimpoenan Indonesia , or Indonesian Association. Among its leaders were future Indonesian vice-president Mohammad Hatta and future prime minister Sutan Sjahrir . In September 1927, Hatta and other members were arrested for inciting resistance to Dutch authority in
17802-582: Was mainly a means by which Suharto manoeuvred to remain powerful. In 1991, Abdurrahman countered ICMI by forming the Democracy Forum , an organization which contained 45 intellectuals from various religious and social communities. The organization was seen as a threat by the government, which moved to break up meetings held by the Democracy Forum during the run-up to the 1992 Legislative Elections approached. In March 1992, Abdurrahman Wahid planned to have
17940-526: Was much more in favor of such participation than the 25th Army or the Navy in other parts of the archipelago. A Central Advisory Council was established, again headed by Sukarno, and more Indonesians were appointed as advisors to the Japanese. In October 1943, the Japanese formed the Defenders of the Homeland (PETA) volunteer army intended to help fight off an allied invasion of the East Indies, and also established
18078-413: Was pressured to accept the changes made. Abdurrahman's ascendancy to the NU chairmanship was seen positively by Suharto and his New Order regime. Abdurrahman's acceptance of Pancasila along with his moderate image won him favor among Government ranks. In 1985, Suharto made Abdurrahman a Pancasila indoctrinator. In 1987, Abdurrahman showed further support for the regime by criticizing PPP in the lead-up to
18216-515: Was re-elected as NU chairman for a third term. During his third term, Abdurrahman Wahid began to move closer towards a political alliance with Megawati Sukarnoputri from the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI). Capitalizing on her father's legacy, Megawati had a lot of popularity and intended to put political and moral pressure on Suharto's regime. Abdurrahman advised Megawati to be cautious and to avoid being nominated as president during
18354-574: Was still keen on getting political support from NU. During his first term as chairman of NU, Abdurrahman focused on reform of the pesantren education system and was successful in increasing the quality of pesantren education system so that it can match up with secular schools. In 1987, Abdurrahman also set up study groups in Probolinggo , East Java to provide a forum for like-minded individuals within NU to discuss and provide interpretations to Muslim texts. Critics accused Abdurrahman of wishing to replace
18492-542: Was successful in convincing Papuan leaders that he was a force for change and even encouraged the use of the name Papua. In January, Abdurrahman Wahid made another overseas trip to Switzerland to attend the World Economic Forum and visited Saudi Arabia on the way back to Indonesia. In February, Abdurrahman made another trip to Europe visiting the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, Germany, and Italy . On
18630-499: Was that the two were involved in corruption, although he never gave evidence to back it up. This move soured Abdurrahman's relations with Golkar and PDI-P. In March 2000, Abdurrahman's Government began to open negotiations with the Free Aceh Movement (GAM). Two months later, in May, the Government signed a memorandum of understanding with GAM to last until the beginning of 2001, by which time both signatories would have breached
18768-531: Was the first (and to date only) president of Indonesia to have had physical disabilities. The name Abdurrahman Wahid means "Servant of Mercy the First." Wahid was instrumental in lifting the ban on Chinese New Year ( Indonesian : Imlek ). Until 1998, the spiritual practice to celebrate the Chinese New Year by Chinese families was restricted specifically only inside of Chinese community centers. This restriction
18906-482: Was to give it a referendum . However, this referendum would be to decide on various modes of autonomy rather than to decide on independence like in East Timor. Abdurrahman Wahid also wanted to adopt a softer stance towards Aceh by having fewer military personnel on the ground. On 30 December, Abdurrahman Wahid visited Jayapura in Papua , the province which was then known as Irian Jaya. During his visit, Abdurrhaman Abdurrahman
19044-545: Was up to. At the same time, Abdurrahman was also accused of keeping US$ 2 million for himself. The money was a donation by the Sultan of Brunei to provide assistance in Aceh. However, Abdurrahman failed to account for the money. As the 2000 MPR Annual Session approached, Abdurrahman's popularity with the people was still at a high and politically, allies such as Megawati, Akbar, and Amien were still willing to support Abdurrahman despite
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