Part of a series on the
History of Indonesia
Timeline
Prehistory Paleolithic Java Man 1,000,000 BP Flores Man 94,000–12,000 BP Neolithic Toba catastrophe 75,000 BP Buni culture 400 BCE
Hindu and Buddhist kingdoms Kutai kingdom 350–1605 Tarumanagara kingdom 400s–500s Kantoli 400s-500s Kalingga kingdom 500s–600s Melayu kingdom 600s–1347 Srivijaya Empire 600s–1025 Shailendra Dynasty 600s–900s Mataram kingdom 716–1016 Bali kingdom 914–1908 Sunda kingdom 932–1579 Kahuripan kingdom 1019–1045 Kediri kingdom 1045–1221 Dharmasraya kingdom 1183–1347 Pannai kingdom 1000s–1300s Singhasari Empire 1222–1292 Majapahit Empire 1293–1527
Islamic sultanates Spread of Islam 800–1600 Peureulak Sultanate 840–1292 Aru kingdom 1225–1613 Ternate Sultanate 1257–1914 Samudera Pasai Sultanate 1267–1521 Pagaruyung kingdom 1347–1833 Brunei Sultanate 1368–1888 Malacca Sultanate 1400–1511 Sulu Sultanate 1405–1851 Cirebon Sultanate 1445–1677 Demak Sultanate 1475–1554 Aceh Sultanate 1496–1903 Sultanate of Ternate 1486–1914 Sultanate of Bacan 1515–1946 Sultanate of Tidore 1500s–1967 Sultanate of Jailolo 1496–1903 Banten Sultanate 1526–present Banjar Sultanate 1526–1863 Kalinyamat Sultanate 1527–1599 Mataram Sultanate 1586–1755 Johor Sultanate 1528s–1877 Kingdom of Kaimana 1600s–1926 Palembang Sultanate 1659–1823 Siak Sultanate 1725–1946 Surakarta Sunanate 1745–present Yogyakarta Sultanate 1755–present Deli Sultanate 1814–1946 Riau-Lingga Sultanate 1824–1911
Christian kingdoms Larantuka kingdom 1515–1904 Kingdom of Bolaang Mongondow 1670–1950
Chinese Kongsi federations Heshun Confederation 1776–1854 Lanfang Republic 1777–1884 Santiaogou Republic 1777–1853
European colonization Portuguese 1512–1850 Spanish 1521–1677 Dutch East India Company 1602–1799 British 1685–1824 French and British interregnum 1806–1816 Dutch East Indies 1800–1942 1945–1949
Emergence of Indonesia National Awakening 1908–1942 Japanese occupation 1942–1945 National Revolution 1945–1949 United States of Indonesia 1949–1950
Republic of Indonesia Liberal democracy 1950–1959 Guided Democracy 1959–1966 Transition 1966–1967 New Order 1967–1998 Reform era 1998–present
Regions Jakarta Bali Bogor Bandung
By topic Agriculture Archaeology Currency Economy Education Javanese historical texts Religion Buddhism Christianity Hinduism Islam Judaism Mass media Military Sport Women
Indonesia portal
v t e

The Rengasdengklok Incident (Indonesian: Peristiwa Rengasdengklok) was the kidnapping of Sukarno and Hatta by several youths (pemuda) at around 4 am on August 16, 1945 to persuade the two men to declare Indonesian independence. It was the peak of the disagreement between the older and pemuda groups over how to carry out the proclamation of independence.

Following a decision by Field Marshall Hisaichi Terauchi, commander of the Southern Expeditionary Army Group, the Preparatory Committee for Indonesian Independence (Indonesian: Panitia Persiapan Kemerdekaan Indonesia, PPKI) was formed on August 7, 1945 "to hasten all efforts in relation to final preparations for forming a government of an independent Indonesia".^[1]

On August 14, pemuda figure Sutan Sjahrir told Indonesian nationalist Hatta about rumors that the Japanese were about to surrender and urged Hatta to declare independence without involving the PPKI, as this would result in the victorious Allies viewing Indonesia as a Japanese-sponsored state. However, Hatta wanted to avoid problems with the Japanese, as did the most prominent nationalist leader, Sukarno. The following day, Japan surrendered.^[2] Hatta then called a meeting on the PPKI for the following day, and went home to prepare a proclamation of independence. Meanwhile a group of pemuda activists, including Wikana, D. N. Aidit and Chairul Saleh held a meeting and decided to send a delegation to urge Sukarno to declare independence as soon as possible. When the group arrived at Sukarno's house, there was a heated debate as Sukarno urged patience, saying he needed to consult the PPKI membership and that he did not want to provoke the Japanese. Hatta arrived later, and agreed with Sukarno, and the pemuda delegation left after a further exchange of angry words, with Wikana saying he could not be responsible for the consequences if independence was not declared on August 16 at noon.^[3]

In the early hours of the morning, at around 4am, a group led by Sukarni, took Sukarno and Hatta to Rengasdengklok, Karawang, ostensibly to protect them from a pemuda uprising. Initially, they were taken to the Defenders of the Homeland (PETA) dormitory in Rengasdengklok. Because this location was deemed unsafe, they were then moved to the house of a man named Djiauw Kie Siong. The two men were again urged to proclaim of the independence of Indonesia. Hatta and Sukarno, now convinced the Japanese had surrendered, still wanted a declaration to be representative of the whole country, and therefore thought that the PPKI should make it. They also wanted to be sure that the Japanese would not take any military action in response.^[3][4][5][6]

The purpose of the kidnappings as reported by the Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture, were:^[7]

1. To urge Sukarno and Hatta to immediately convey the proclamation of Indonesian independence because at that time there was a vacuum of power due to Japan's surrender to the Allies.
2. To keep Sukarno and Hatta away from Japanese influence.
3. To show the proclamation as the struggle of the Indonesian people, that must be immediately formulated and read.
4. To prevent Indonesia from falling into the hands of the Allies because of the vacuum of power from the Japanese side in Indonesia.

On the morning of August 16, Navy liaison officer Admiral Maeda learned that Sukarno and Hatta had been kidnapped. The results of the search and investigation then led to the suspicion falling on Wikana, who was then urged to immediately return the two men to Jakarta. Achmad Soebardjo picked them up from Rengasdengklok after Admiral Maeda guaranteed their security and promised there would be no interference from Japan in the independence proclamation. Sukarno and Hatta reached Jakarta late that night, and after discussions, went to Maeda's house where they wrote a brief declaration, which Sukarno read at his house on the morning of August 17.^[8][9]

• Anderson, Benedict Richard O'Gorman (1972). Java in a time of revolution; occupation and resistance, 1944-1946. Cornell University. Modern Indonesia Project. Ithaca: Cornell University Press. ISBN 0-8014-0687-0. OCLC 202174.
• Gischa, Serafica, ed. (2021-02-08). "Peristiwa Rengasdengklok: Tujuan dan Hasil Kesepakatan". KOMPAS.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 2021-06-20.
• Gitiyarko, Vincentius (2020-08-14). "Peristiwa Rengasdengklok: Kisah Perjuangan Kaum Muda Memproklamasikan Kemerdekaan". Kompaspedia (in Indonesian). Retrieved 2021-06-20.
• Kahin, George McTurnan (2003) [1952]. Nationalism and revolution in Indonesia. Ithaca, N.Y.: Southeast Asia Program Publications, Cornell University. ISBN 978-1-5017-3139-6. OCLC 605699397.
• Kasenda, Peter (2015). Soekarno di bawah bendera Jepang, 1942-1945. Jakarta: Penerbit Buku Kompas. pp. 162–165. ISBN 978-979-709-944-2. OCLC 913099044.