Description:

This book traces the often tumultuous history of U.S-Indonesian relations as experienced by those who witnessed it in the making. Incorporating the perspectives of participants from both nations, Paul Gardner focuses on a number of key phases in the relationship: the U.S. role in Indonesia’s struggle for independence; the strains of the Cold War era, including covert U.S. support for Indonesian rebels in Sumatra and Sulawesi; U.S. mediation of the dispute over western New Guinea; the communist “coup” in 1965 and its violent aftermath; and the crucial U.S. role in organizing a multinational recovery effort for Indonesia’s economy after the creation of its New Order in 1968. The book also addresses current issues, including economic differences, democratic development, and East Timor, and other human rights concerns.Gardner, himself a witness of key events, draws on interviews, personal papers, and recently declassified documents to provide an intimate view of the aspirations, insights, and acts of courage that built the Indonesian relationship; the fears, intrigue, and blunders that threatened it; and the complex issues the two nations face today.