The Indonesian Marxist Tradition

Abstract

Marxism has a longer tradition of formal organisation in Indone­ sia than in any other country discussed in this book. The first Marxist association in the Netherlands Indies was established in 1914, three years before the October Revolution in Russia; the Indonesian Communist Party (Partai Komunis Indonesia, PK1) was founded in 1920, the first communist party in Asia outside the borders of former Tsarist Russia. This seniority, together with sheer physical distancefrom the centres of Marxist authori­ ty, enabled Indonesian Marxists to develop a distinctive indige­ nous application of Marxism-Leninism to the circumstances in their country. Show more