Unequal Engagement_The United States and Decolonisation in Indonesia and Malaya, 1945-1957
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47611/jsrhs.v11i3.2829Keywords:
Malaya, Indonesia, Independence, Decolonisation, Cold War, Communism in Malaya, Communism in Indonesia, Communism in Southeast Asia, Decolonisation of Malaya, Independence of Malaya, Decolonisation of Indonesia, Independence of IndonesiaAbstract
This essay examines how Communism and Cold War considerations affected the US response to Decolonisation in Indonesia and Malaya shortly after WW2. Amidst the zeitgeist of the Cold War and the spate of decolonisation movements at the time, the US took steps to safeguard its interests against the spread of Communism in these newly independent countries. Although Indonesia and Malaya share many cultural and historical similarities, their decolonisation processes were very different. Indonesia received independence eight years before Malaya did, and the extent of US intervention differed as well, despite both countries experiencing strong communist movements. This essay examines the reasons for this disparity, namely the economic and strategic significance of each country, the character of each country's communist movements, the wider geopolitical context, as well as the US relationship with the British and Dutch colonists respectively.
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