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Free Pasundan Movement

In this article, we will explore the impact of Free Pasundan Movement on modern society. Since its emergence, Free Pasundan Movement has played a fundamental role in various areas, influencing the way we live, work and relate to each other. Through a comprehensive analysis, we will examine how Free Pasundan Movement has evolved over time, as well as its relevance in the current context. In addition, we will delve into the implications that Free Pasundan Movement has on our daily lives, from its impact on the economy to its influence on culture and politics. This article seeks to provide a comprehensive view of Free Pasundan Movement and its importance in the contemporary world.

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Free Pasundan Movement
LeaderMusa Suria Kertalegawa (1946–1950)
Founded1946 (1946)
HeadquartersBandung, West Java
IdeologySundanese independence
Ethnic nationalism
Ethnocentrism
ReligionIslam[1]
Party flag

The Free Pasundan Movement (Indonesian: Gerakan Pasundan Merdeka; Sundanese: Gerakan Pasundan Merdéka; GPM) or the Free Sundanese Movement (Indonesian: Gerakan Sunda Merdeka; GSM), is a separatist movement that seek independence for Sundanese majority areas from Indonesia, such as West Java and Banten.[2] Other areas that were historically or currently inhabited by the Sundanese people are occasionally included as well, including Jakarta, the western part of Brebes, and the western part of Cilacap.

Background

A map showing the State of Pasundan; including West Java (dark green), Banten (light green), and Jakarta (faded green).

The Free Pasundan Movement was initially known to have occurred due to disappointment over the failure of the Renville Agreement between the Netherlands and the Republican participants. The menak (nobles and regents) in West Java took the initiative to join the Dutch. The treaty granted Dutch control over almost the entire Pasundan region. The Dutch also took advantage of this situation to later become a driving force for the birth of the Free Pasundan Movement in 1947.[3]

On the other hand, the Sundanese people felt that they had been indirectly discriminated against by the Dutch East Indies government and society. That seeing the reality shows how the condition of the Sundanese people at that time was so worrying because they were left behind by the progress that had been achieved by the Malay and Javanese ethnic groups. For example, the Budi Utomo organization was felt to be out of line with the idealism of Sundanese students, especially after its leadership was taken over by old Javanese aristocrats. Because of this, Sundanese people finally began to form their own social organizations, such as the Paguyuban Pasundan.[4]

History

State of Pasundan founding (1946–1947)

Opening of the Bandung Conference, commemorating the first anniversary of the founding of the state of Pasundan.

Following the failure of the Renville Agreement, the plan for the establishment of the state of Pasundan was initiated in 1946 and was initiated by Musa Suria Kertalegawa, before finally proclaiming its existence on 4 May 1947 in Bandung and supported by the Netherlands. After its formation, the state of Pasundan encompassed West Java, Jakarta, and Banten. Bandung was chosen as the capital of the state of Pasundan. The first president was Wiranatakusumah V, a nationalist, this is what ultimately led to him being appointed as Indonesia's first Minister of Home Affairs by Sukarno.[5] Soeria considered the proclamation of the founding of the state of Pasundan because its 'traditional rights' were being displaced by the appointment of governors of West Java who were not Sundanese, namely Soetardjo Kartohadikusumo and Datuk Djamin. The proclamation was a reaction to the appointment of these two non-Sundanese governors.[6]

The chaos and its dissolution (1947–1950)

When there were differences within Indonesia, regarding whether the country would be a federation or a republic, this also had an impact on the state of Pasundan government. Within the Pasundan state, there are two camps, namely the federalist camp and the republican camp. The federalist camp was represented by Kartalegawa, the former Regent of Garut who was not sympathetic to the national movement. He was supported by Dutch military intelligence (NEFIS) and several pro-federalist political figures. Kartalegawa then founded the Pasundan People's Party (PRP) in Bogor on the initiative of former KNIL officer, Colonel Santoso, who was also Hubertus van Mook's political advisor. Meanwhile, in the republican camp, in contrast to the efforts of the federalist camp which received lacking support, the republican camp succeeded in exploiting the formation of the Pasundan state as a strategy to keep the Pasundan within the Republic of Indonesia. This faction was led by Wiranatakusumah V, a Sundanese nationalist figure who had a strong track record in the Indonesian government.[5]

The situation in the Pasundan state became increasingly grim after the Netherlands recognized Indonesian sovereignty in December 1949, and agreed that the territory of Indonesia was the entire former Dutch East Indies. The situation was exacerbated by the emergence of the rebellion of the Angkatan Perang Ratu Adil (APRA), which was formed and led by the captain of the Koninklijk Nederlands Indisch Leger (KNIL), Raymond Westerling. APRA claimed to be the armed forces of the Pasundan state and demanded to continue defending the Pasundan state. The people of West Java demanded the dissolution of the Pasundan state and joining the Indonesian government after the APRA coup d'état in Bandung on 22–23 January 1950. On 30 January 1950, Wiranatakusumah V resigned as governor of Pasundan, then on 8 March 1950, there was a demonstration demanding the dissolution of the Pasundan state. Finally, the dissolution of the Pasundan state was decided on 11 March 1950, through the Decree of the President of the Republic of the United States of Indonesia Number 13 of 1950 concerning the Dissolution of the State of Pasundan.[7]

After its dissolution (1950–1958)

Banner of the Pasundan State participants with the words "Hidoep Pasoendan Tetep Djadi Nagara Merdeka".

In the following period after the dissolution of the Pasundan state, Sundanese people remained active in the Sundanese people's sovereignty movement, but usually no longer demanded independence, but rather greater autonomy for the Sundanese people within Indonesia. The establishment of organizations such as the Gerakan Tatar Sunda (Tatar Sunda Movement) and the Front Pemuda Sunda (Sundanese Youth Front) also advanced their goals for the Sundanese people who should have the right to control and lead their own region.[8]

The Sundanese Youth Front, which is a Sundanese community organization, was formed from other Sundanese youth organizations, these are Nonoman Sunda (Bandung), Mitra Sunda (Bandung), Putra Sunda (Bogor), and Daja Nonoman Sunda (Jakarta). However, Mitra Sunda later withdrew due to disagreements. The Sundanese Youth Front's movement took the form of issuing statements and demands to the government and other groups. The Sundanese Youth Front was finally declared a banned organization by the Indonesian government in 1958.[9]

The re-emergence of the movement (1958–present)

Variations of the flag of the Free Pasundan Movement.

In 2009, there was a proposal to change the name of the current province of West Java to Pasundan (lit. 'Land of the Sundanese') based on its historical name,[10] this proposal faced opposition by the mayor of Cirebon, who argues that the name change prioritises the Sundanese people above other ethnicities within the province, including the native Cirebonese who consider themselves to be a separate ethnicity to the Sundanese.[11]

See also

References

  1. ^ Syukur, Abdul (2011). "Islam, Etnisitas, dan Politik Identitas: Kasus Sunda" (PDF). MIQOT: Jurnal Ilmu-ilmu Keislaman (in Indonesian). 35 (2). Bandung: Sunan Gunung Djati State Islamic University: 407–426. doi:10.30821/miqot.v35i2.151. ISSN 2502-3616.
  2. ^ Prabowo, M. Rikaz; Aman (2022). "Kedaulatan Semu: Praktik Pemerintahan Negara dan Daerah Bentukan Belanda 1947–1948" (PDF). JSB: Jurnal Sejarah, Budaya, Dan Pengajarannya (in Indonesian). 16 (1). Yogyakarta: Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta: 18–32. doi:10.17977/um020v16i12022p18-32. ISSN 2503-1147.
  3. ^ Muhammad, Erik (2021-11-26). "Gerakan Sunda Merdeka, Para Menak Mendirikan Negara Pasundan". www.harapanrakyat.com (in Indonesian). Harapan Rakyat. Retrieved 2025-08-13.
  4. ^ Persiana, Galih (2019-10-28). "Paguyuban Pasundan: Gerakan Pemuda Sunda yang Merasa Terasingkan". jabar.idntimes.com (in Indonesian). INews. Retrieved 2025-08-13.
  5. ^ a b Fadilah, Raihan (2024-12-27). Suryanto (ed.). "Menengok sejarah Negara Pasundan sebagai gerakan separatis di Jabar". www.antaranews.com (in Indonesian). Antara News. Retrieved 2025-08-13.
  6. ^ Mulyana, Agus; Leirissa, R.Z. (1996). Negara Pasundan 1947–1950: Gejolak menak Sunda menuju integrasi nasional (PDF) (Thesis) (in Indonesian). Fakultas Ilmu Pengetahuan Budaya. Depok: Universitas Indonesia. pp. 1–182.
  7. ^ Tani, I. Tanjung; Ningsih, Widya L. (2024-06-21). "Pembubaran Negara Pasundan". www.kompas.com (in Indonesian). Kompas. Retrieved 2025-08-13.
  8. ^ "Dari Tarumanagara ke Tatar Sunda Merdeka". www.scout.id (in Indonesian). Scout.ID. 2025-05-21. Retrieved 2025-08-13.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  9. ^ Rachman, Aditya (2022). Front Pemuda Sunda: Gerakan Politik Pemuda Sunda Dalam Pandangan Surat Kabar Pikiran Rakjat dan Madjalah Warga (1956–1958) (PDF) (Thesis) (in Indonesian). Program Studi Pendidikan Sejarah. Bandung: Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia. pp. 1–196.
  10. ^ Nasrullah, Annas (2009-10-29). "Tokoh Jabar Siapkan Deklarasi Provinsi Pasundan". Okezone News (in Indonesian). Retrieved 2023-03-21.
  11. ^ Liputan6.com (2020-10-15). "Penggantian Nama Jawa Barat Jadi Polemik di Cirebon, Ini Alasannya 'Jeh'". liputan6.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 2025-09-02.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
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