International Journal of Indonesian Studies Volume 1, Issue 2 | Page 7

International Journal of Indonesian Studies

Autumn 2015

on the 18-24th April 1955 was part of a diplomatic strategy that expressed Indonesia’s
position that the decolonisation processes were not yet finished. After the declaration of
Independence on August 17th 1945, the transfer of sovereignty in 1949 left the West Irian
problems behind.
Prime Minister Ali Sastroamidjojo in a Policy Statement to the Parliament in 25
August 1953 stated that cooperation between Asia-Africa countries conformed to United
Nations’ regulations concerning regional arrangements. Moreover, those countries had the
same views with regard to some international relations’ issues; they had common ground
for the establishment of special groups. Hence, Sastroamidjojo urged Indonesia to continue
and strengthen cooperation between these countries (1955). So, the Panca Negara
Conference took place in Bogor on December 28-29th 1954.
The attendance of 29 countries at the later Bandung Conference, where racialism,
colonialism, and self-determination issues were discussed, surely generated much curiosity
due to the fact that neither the United States of America nor the Soviet Union were invited.
The People’s Republic of China, which at that time was still a close ally of the Soviet Union,
was invited and represented by Prime Minister Chou En Lai. The attendance of Chou En Lai
was based on the PRC’s foreign policy to discuss the Taiwan problem, citizenship issues of
Tionghoa and Indonesia, interest expansion in Africa and the Southeast Asia region,
including the PRC’s struggle for membership in the United Nations (Compton, 1992, 327331).2
Sponsor countries were Pakistan, India, Ceylon, Burma, Indonesia and participant
countries from Asia were Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Japan, Philippines, Lebanon, Thailand,
Nepal, the People’s Republic of China, Syria, Turkey, Yemen, Jordan, Iran, Iraq, Laos, the
Democratic Republic of Vietnam, State of Vietnam, Cambodia. From Africa: Ethiopia, Gold
Coast, Liberia, Libya, Egypt and Sudan. After the conference on 24th April 1955, the Final
Communique as the consensus of participants was born including the Bandung Ten
Principles, the contents of which were as follows (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 1955, 161169).3
1. Respect for fundamental human rights and for the purposes and principles of the
Charter of the United Nations.
2. Respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations.
3. Recognition of the equality of all races and of the equality of all nations large and
small.
4. Abstention from intervention or interference in the internal affairs of another
country.
5. Respect for the right of each nation to defend itself singly or collectively, in

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Compton, Boyd.1992.Kemelut Demokrasi Liberal: Surat-Surat Rahasia Boyd R. Compton. Jakarta:LP3ES p.327331
3
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs Republic Of Indonesia. (eds). 1955. Asia-Africa Speaks from Bandung.
Djakarta.p.161-169

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