A chief but unrecognized supporter of Indonesia’s independence
Neither Australia nor Indonesia has fully recognized the myriad ways Australia’s 16th prime minister Ben Chifley used his timely influence to end colonial rule.
Ben Chifley, Australia's 16th prime minister, played an unrecognized yet significant role in supporting Indonesia's independence from Dutch colonial rule. Born in 1885, Chifley developed an anticolonial ethos while visiting the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) in the late 1920s. Witnessing the "near-slavery conditions" during his trip, he became deeply disapproving of the colonial system.
Despite limited formal education, Chifley became a locomotive driver and entered politics, eventually becoming prime minister during Indonesia's war for independence in 1945-1949. His efforts to support Indonesia's cause went largely unnoticed, as both the United States and the United Kingdom criticized Australia for its stance, which was deemed "irresponsible" by an American representative in Java. Chifley's influence on Indonesia's road to independence, however, remains largely unrecognized.
Written by urgent.news from The Jakarta Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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- A chief but unrecognized supporter of Indonesia’s independence thejakartapost.com
