Indonesian Youth Groups

Figure 1.--The photograph here shows a group of Indonesian Scouts at a camp. It is undated, but was probanly taken about 2010. The girls are on the left and the boys on the right. Thwere are many differences in their uniforms. The girls wear long skirts and shoes. The long skirts are the result of a trend in recent years promoted by Muslim clerics for more modest dress. Based on the headwear and participation in a mixed-gender init, we are not sure that they are Muslim. The boys wear short pants and are barefoot.

We have very limited information on Indonesia. The Dutch founded the Scouting movement in their Dutch East Indies (DEI) colony. The Japanese after launching the Pacifuc War invaded an occupied the DEI (February-March 1942). While the Japanese inaded the Philippines and DEI about the same time, they pursued different policies in each. They made no attempt to organize Filipino youth groups until well into the occupation. In the DEI the Japanese were active from the very beginning. The difference seems to be that in the Philippines the United States had introduced a substantial level of local self government and had even set a date for independence. This was not the case in the Dutch colony. This the Japanese sought to establish a strong relation with the nationalist groups that the Dutch had been trying to supress. They in turn cooperated with the Japanese in the almost certainly misguided judgement that the Japanese would eventually grant them independence after the War. Many of the nationalist groups could operate more freely under Japanese occupation and organized youth auxileries. After World War II and Indeopendence, the nationalists founded a national youth movement is the Gerakan Pramuka Indonesia (GPI) and banned Scouting. Some in Indonesia question the decession to ban Scouting, but as far as I know that is still the situation. The GPI in recent years has tried to present itself as the Indonesia Scouting movement.

Chronology

We have very limited information on Indonesia. The Dutch founded the Scouting movement in their Dutch East Indies (DEI) colony. The Japanese after launching the Pacifuc War invaded an occupied the DEI (February-March 1942). While the Japanese inaded the Philippines and DEI about the same time, they pursued different policies in each. They made no attempt to organize Filipino youth groups until well into the occupation. In the DEI the Japanese were active from the very beginning. The difference seems to be that in the Philippines the United States had introduced a substantial level of local self government and had even set a date for independence. This was not the case in the Dutch colony. This the Japanese sought to establish a strong relation with the nationalist groups that the Dutch had been trying to supress. They in turn cooperated with the Japanese in the almost certainly misguided judgement that the Japanese would eventually grant them independence after the War. Many of the nationalist groups could operate more freely under Japanese occupation and organized youth auxileries. In contrast to the Philippines, the Japanese occupation forces from the outset appear to have given considerable attention to the training and indoctrination of DEI youth. After World War II and Indeopendence, the nationalists founded a national youth movement is the Gerakan Pramuka Indonesia (GPI) and banned Scouting. Some in Indonesia question the decession to ban Scouting, but as far as I know that is still the situation. The GPI in recent years has tried to present itself as the Indonesia Scouting movement.

Organizations

Uniforms

Sources

Office of Strategic Services, Research and Analysis Branch. "Japanese attempts at indoctrimationof youth in occupied areas, " R&A 2982S (March 23, 1945).