Satire and mockery through political caricatures against Negara Indonesia Timur (the State of East Indonesia), 1946–1950

บทคัดย่อ

This article discusses satire and mockery of the State of East Indonesia
establishment (SEI, 1946–1950) through political caricatures published in the
pro-republic Revolutionary magazine. These mocking caricatures were one of
the methods used by people who did not agree with the formation of the State of
East Indonesia. There were other ways which had been done; demonstrations,
motions of no confidence in parliament, etc. As historical research, this article
uses several archives stored in the Jakarta National Archives, and the State
of East Indonesia Archives which are stored in Makassar, South Sulawesi.
Apart from archives, several newspapers published between 1946 and 1950 were
also used. Satire and mockery were aimed at two things, namely (1) the process
of establishing the SEI, which was the Dutch government’s re-colonization
project in Indonesia; and (2) the figures behind the SEI such as Hubertus van
Mook, Charles Olke van der Plas, Soekawati, and Nadjamuddin Daeng Malewa.
For pro-republican people, the establishment of the SEI and the figures behind
it were nothing more than an attempt by the Dutch to return to their power
in Indonesia which had been proclaimed on August 17, 1945.