Partai komunis Indonesia

Founded in 1920 in Semarang, Dutch East Indies, as successor of the Indische Sociaal-Democratische Vereeniging (ISDV); initially named Perserikatan Komunis di Hindia (Communist Association of the Indies); the PKI was the first Asian communist party and a section of the COMINTERN; outlawed by the Dutch East Indies government because of its activities during uprisings in Banten and Western Sumatra, the PKI had to go underground in 1927; reestablished after the Japanese capitulation in 1945; took part in the struggle for national independence; merged with the left wing of the Partai Socialis Indonesia (PSI) in 1948; after supporting the peasant revolt of Madiun 1948, the PKI was suppressed by the government of the Republik Indonesia for a short time; in the 1950s the PKI committed itself to a nationalist position under the leadership of Dipa Nusantara Aidit, supporting the anti-colonialist and anti-western policy of the Indonesian president Sukarno; with a growing popular support and a membership of about 3 million by 1965, the PKI was the strongest communist party outside the Soviet Union and China; because of its alleged involvement in the failed coup d'état of 1965, which was followed by a takeover of the army under the command of general Suharto, members and (supposed) supporters of the PKI were massacred or imprisoned in great numbers; the party was officially banned in 1966.

From the description of Collection 1923-1963, n.d. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 79242855