“The colonial masters had no choice but to de-colonize eventually because of the pressures exerted by SEAsian nationalist movements.” To what extent do you agree with the statement?
... that the nationalist groups were not willing to settle for anything less than self-government when the colonial masters returned. The people were united and had confidence in achieving self-rule. The Japanese helped to arm the Burmese nationalist movement. During the Occupation, the Thakins was greatly expanded with Japanese support and became the future Burmese army. They had connections before the war. By arming the Thakins, the Japanese were greatly enhancing the strength and confidence of the Burmese nationalist movement especially the AFPFL. The British tried to reassert power by limiting the AFPFL’s power. The British restored the 1935 constitution and gave the AFPFL only 2 seats in the executive council when Aung San asked for 7 out of 11 seats. However, the AFPFL showed their determination and ability to resist British will. Aung San organised a nationwide rally which 20,000 people attended in January 1946. Throughout 1946, popular demonstrations and organised strikes would be organised by the AFPFL to increase the pressures on the British. The AFPFL were perceived as a potential threat to British rule but were not able to use violence to suppress the nationalists as they did not possess sufficient military force to do so. They could no longer rely on Indian soldiers because India was also getting her own independence and soldiers from Malaya were needed to quell Malaya’s own domestic problems. In the end, the British had finally accepted the AFPFL as the leading nationalist organisation. In September 1946, the British agreed to the original AFPFL’S demand for a majority in the Executive Council and also agreed to immediately restore the Burmese government in line with 1935 Constitution. The AFPFL moved quickly to get the British to grant independence as soon as possible. Aung San led a delegation to London in January 1947. The British agreed and the Aung San-Atlee agreement was the result. Independence would be granted within 1 year from January 1947 and elections would be held on April 1947. In Indonesia, 17 August 1945, Sukarno declared Indonesian independence with himself as the President of the new Republic and Hatta as its Vice-President. However, this independence was self-declared and the Indonesians would have to fight for it to be recognized. The nationalist forces had strengthened during the period of the JO. During Japanese rule, they established new mass organisation like the AAA in April 1942. The AAA was eventually replaced by the Jawa Hokokai, which had the organisational reach, which could penetrate even the villages. Sukarno was able to make use of the propaganda tours of the Hokokai to enhance his own standing as the primary leader of the nationalist movement. The Japanese even sponsored a nationwide tour for Sukarno and this was very important because the Indonesians would come to identify him with the Indonesian nation and nationalism. The Dutch did not recognise the republic and undermined its existence. On October 1945, 6000 British Indian arrived at Surabaya and fought the Indonesian nationalist. The Dutch managed to score some important victories against the republic with their military successes as well as successes in getting parts of the country to agree to their federal scheme. We also see the Dutch using police action to deal with the nationalist groups. The Indonesians were able to defend heir republic and managed to assert control. They were able to survive even after so many attempts to undermine them. The Dutch were thus compelled to come up with action after action. However, we see that the Indonesians were determined and were successful in influencing de-colonization. They held out long enough for international intervention to work in their favour. They proved that they were non-communal in nature. Finally on 27 December 1949, the Dutch formally transferred sovereignty over Indonesia excluding Irian Jaya. On 17 August 1950, Indonesia would become a unitary state, the Republic of Indonesia with Jakarta as the capital. However, the colonial masters were not so weak that they would give up their colonies so easily. At the end of the day, they still had influence over the de-colonization process, they decided when and how it was going to take place. The strength of the colonial masters’ ability and determination to restore and maintain their hold over their empires has been underestimated. In fact, the effects of the JO ironically increased the determination of the colonial masters to resurrect their overseas empires in order to compensate for injuries inflicted upon their wealth and prestige. De-colonizing might be due to the colonial masters’ own policies and considerations. Also, there were favourable international circumstances for the colonial masters that would hinder the de-colonization process. As a result of the need to counter communism, the US would actually intervene. It would be unwise to present the nationalist groups as unstoppable forces. Nationalist movements did have their weaknesses too and they were sometimes aided by international factors that provided some pressures too. There was the American crusade to free the world brought on by the JO. The Americans seemed to be promoting their cause with their encouragement for the start of decolonialisation. The promulgation of the Atlantic Charter of August 1941, which recognises ‘the right of all peoples to choose the form of government under which they will live’ was the most prominent example of such encouragement. In Burma, the British were initially determined not only to restore their rule but to in...