Indonesia Constitution Day is a national holiday in Indonesia that is celebrated on August 18 every year. It commemorates the adoption of the Constitution of Indonesia on August 18, 1945, at a meeting of the Preparatory Committee for Indonesian Independence.
The constitution is the supreme law of Indonesia and sets out the basic principles of the country’s government, including its political system, economic system, and social order. Constitution Day is a day for Indonesians to celebrate their democracy and reaffirm their commitment to the principles of the constitution.
The day is marked by a variety of events, including patriotic speeches, parades, and cultural performances. This is a significant event in Indonesian history, and it is sure to make Constitution Day even more special for Indonesians.
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Who Was the Founder of the Indonesian Constitution?
The Constitution of Indonesia was founded by a group of Indonesian nationalists and intellectuals who met in Jakarta in the months leading up to the country’s independence in 1945.
In 1942, Japan invaded the Dutch East Indies and defeated the Dutch colonial regime. They occupied the territory for the duration of World War II. The Japanese divided the territory into three military government regions: Sumatra, Java, and East Indonesia.
As the Japanese military position became increasingly untenable, they began to appoint more and more native Indonesians to official positions in the occupation administration. On March 1, 1945, the Japanese 16th Army established the Investigating Committee for Preparatory Work for Independence (BPUPK) in Java.
The 25th Army later established a BPUPK for Sumatra. No such organization existed for the remainder of the East Indies. The BPUPK in Java consisted of 62 members at its founding, but there were 68 in the second session. It was chaired by Radjiman Wedyodiningrat.
The future president Sukarno and Vice President Mohammad Hatta were among its members. The BPUPK met in the building that had been used by the Dutch colonial quasi-parliament, the Volksraad, in central Jakarta. It held two sessions, from May 29 to June 1 and from July 10 to 17, 1945.
The first session discussed general matters, including the philosophy of the state for future independent Indonesia, Pancasila. Sukarno outlined this philosophy in a speech on June 1.
During the recess between the two BPUPK sessions, a Committee of Nine (Panitia Sembilan) comprising Sukarno, Hatta, Yamin, Maramis, Soebardjo, Wahid Hasjim, Muzakkir, Agus Salim, and Abikoesno reformulated Sukarno’s Pancasila into a preamble for the future constitution.
This later became known as the Jakarta Charter. It was a compromise document that included an obligation for Muslims to follow Sharia (Islamic law).
In the second session, which opened on July 10, a committee of 19 people produced a provisional constitution. They were:
- Sukarno
- Maramis
- Puruboyo
- Oto Iskandar di Nata
- Agus Salim
- Achmad Soebardjo
- Soepomo
- Maria Ulfah Santoso
- Wahid Hasjim
- Parada Harahap
- Johannes Latuharhary
- Susanto Tirtoprodjo
- Sartono
- Wongsonegoro
- Wuryaningrat
- Singgih
- Tan Eng Hoa
- Jayadiningrat
- Soekiman Wirjosandjojo
The draft constitution comprised 37 articles, 4 transitory provisions, and 2 additional provisions. The nation would be a unitary state and a republic. On July 26, 1945, the Allies called for the unconditional surrender of Japan in the Potsdam Declaration.
The Japanese authorities, realizing they would probably lose the war, began to make firm plans for Indonesian independence, more to spite the Dutch than anything else.
On August 6, an atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. On August 7, the Southern Expeditionary Army Group headquarters announced that an Indonesian leader could enact a body called the Preparatory Committee for Indonesian Independence (PPKI).
The dropping of a second atomic bomb on Nagasaki, and the Soviet invasion of Manchuria on August 9, prompted the Japanese to surrender unconditionally on August 15, 1945.
Sukarno and Hatta declared independence on August 17, 1945, and the PPKI met the following day, declaring the Constitution of Indonesia on August 18, 1945.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education