"Indonesia Calling" Struggle on the Other Side

The historical pen cannot write historical facts by itself. It needs a speaker. A documentary film, can be positioned as the speaker. That is the position occupied by a historical documentary film of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia entitled "Indonesia Calling" with a duration of about 21 minutes, which was produced in 1946 by Waterside Workers' Federation, and directed by Joris Ivens. 

This film tells a historical event about the struggle of Indonesian workers in Australia in preventing the Dutch ships carrying military troops and weapons to Indonesia from seizing the colony. 

With the help and support of these workers, Australian, Chinese and Indian workers as well as several others, Indonesian workers boycotted all ship and port activities so that they succeeded in canceling the Dutch military aggression plan into Indonesian territory which brought thousands of troops and weapons at that time.

The two pacific countries connected by trade and discovery routes are Australia and Indonesia. 1400 Indonesians left Australia by Esperance Bay for Java with government guarantees that they would not land in Dutch-controlled ports. An Australian official went with them to ensure the guarantees were friends. and lovers filled the harbor saying goodbye. 

Before the ship sailed,Ev Elliot.Representing the combined Australian Trade Union spoke to them "As secretary of the Federl Seafarers' Union On behalf of the Australian trade union movement I give this flag to you, bring it back to your new republic as a symbol of the support of Australian workers in your struggle for independence" and then greeted with joy by Indonesian workers and other workers with the words "HIP-HIP HORE!" Then the representatives of the Indonesian workers replied with "Friends, on behalf of the Republic of Indonesia I thank you for this flag. 

We will never forget the great assistance given by Australian workers at the beginning of our republic when we really needed help and may Australia and Indonesia be united forever! Indonesia is free! Indonesia is free!". On that day in October that Esperance Bay sailed from Australia to Indonesia, but behind this story is a story about ships that don't sail. Let's start from the beginning.

In Australia, the Indonesian nation is well known. After years of living as friends and fellow city dwellers, Indonesians, especially women, learned the names of vegetables and found that children were all the same in any language. 

There were also Indonesian soldiers and sailors. against the common enemy Japan. Australians loved Indonesian traditional songs even though they could not understand the words. On the streets of Sydney Indonesians repeated their oaths made by their nation's children around the world as an oath of allegiance to the newly independent Republic of Indonesia. 

The workers are not afraid of Dutch oppression and are ready to sacrifice their lives for independence. On that night the workers celebrate independence by performing a knight and royal princess dance. This dance is more than 1500 years old before the Portuguese and Dutch came to Java. But in the morning 72 million Indonesian citizens say s vowed to defend it with their souls. 

After the world war, the Netherlands wanted to exploit Indonesia's natural wealth again and the Dutch needed ships, the ships were in Australia to be exact at the ports of Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. Ships to seize Indonesia's natural wealth, ships to transport troops & weapons. 

The Indonesian sailors refused to work for the ship. They left the ship, left the wharf, left the offices. The workers at the wharf fully supported Indonesia for its independence and declared the Dutch ship for Indonesia to be black.

1600 armed Dutch troops will be dispatched to Java marching on the Sterling Castle pier, there is an Australian warrior coming out to welcome those who support Indonesian independence but the Dutch do not want to hear the reality. in order to continue to struggle to restrain Dutch ships carrying weapons against the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia, then Indonesian dock workers actually left the ships in Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney, in all ports in Australia. 

Indonesian workers said want to work as long as the contents of the ship are not weapons or supplies to fight the Indonesian nation. from China, India, Malaya, Zealand Baru and Canada. All ships were stationary along the wharf. Seafarers and dock workers created a campaign themed "LIBERTY FOR THE PEOPLE OF THE PACIFIC" leaders supporting the principles of the Atlantic Charter. 

Pandhit Nehru and Jinnah from India, Manuilsky and Vyshinsky from the Soviet Union and President Romulo from the Philippines protested against the use of armed forces to win over the Indonesian nation. In the largest meeting in Domain, a soldier said that the Indonesian nation could lead its own country. 

Indonesian warrior figure Jan Wilanda said "On behalf of our republic, I thank you" Without the help of seafarers and dock workers from many countries holding the ships our Republic might have been destroyed.

The black ban on ships for Indonesia was completed. At the office of the Indonesian Seafarers Association Max Sekantu and Tukliwan inspects ships that do not sail. Verspijk Ship (black), Van der Lin Ship (black), Pahud Ship (black), Tosari Ship (black), Tasman Ship (black), Jansen and Bontoekoe Ships (black), Ship Van Swoll (black), Van Heutz Ship (black) and there is one ship that is detached, namely the Swarten Ship with an Indian crew, then Indonesian sailors and packers Work from various countries tried to stop the ship with words in the end they left. 

Thankfully the Indians had returned and did not transport weapons supplies to Indonesia, with this incident they managed to stop the ship, then they held a meeting Celebrations on a nearby street corner, Indonesian workers' representatives thanked our Indian brothers who were brave in supporting our Indonesian people's struggle by leaving the Dutch ship. Chinese sailors raised funds which brought their contribution to the Indonesian people to 1100 pounds. Out of the screams Indonesia and its allies are moving forward.