Introduction

When World War II broke out in Europe and spread to the Pacific, the Japanese occupied the Dutch East Indies as of March 1942, after the surrender of the Dutch colonial army following the fall of Hong Kong, Manila and Singapore.
On April 1, 1945, American troops landed in Okinawa. Soon after, on August 6 and 9, the United States dropped Atom bombs on two Japanese cities, Hiroshima and Nagasaki. A few days later, on August 14, 1945, the Japanese surrendered to the Allied Forces.

That occasion opened the opportunity for the Indonesian people to proclaim their independence. Three days after the unconditional Japanese surrender, on August 17, 1945, the Indonesian national leaders Ir. Soekarno and Drs. Mohammad Hatta proclaimed lndonesia's independence on behalf of the people.
The proclamation was brief, concise and reads as follows:

PROCLAMATION

WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDONESIA, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM
THE INDEPENDENCE OF INDONESIA
ALL MATTERS PERTAINING TO THE TRANSFER OF POWER, ETC.,
WILL BE CARRIED OUT EXPEDIENTLY AND
IN THE SHORTEST POSSIBLE TIME.
JAKARTA, AUGUST 17, 1945
ON BEHALF OF THE INDONESIAN PEOPLE
sgd.
SOEKARNO - HATTA

The proclamation, which took place at 58, Jalan Pegangsaan Timur, Jakarta, was heard by thousands of Indonesians throughout the country because the text was secretly broadcast by Indonesian radio personnel using the transmitters of the Japanese-controlled radio station, JAKARTA Hoso Kyoku. An English translation of the proclamation was broadcast overseas.