Madiun Incidents of 1948

a series of events that took place in the region of Madiun (eastern Java, Indonesia) in September and October, 1948.

In mid-1948, contradictions sharpened in the country between the left democratic forces and the right wing of the nationalist movement. The government of M. Hatta began to purge the Communists and their supporters from the army. Fearing consolidation of the Communist Party forces, the right-wingers tried to challenge them to an antigovernment uprising, so that they could charge them with treason and crush them. On September 13 in Solo (eastern Java), confrontations occurred between the troops of the 4th Division, in which the Communist influence was strong, and government troops. The direct cause was the abduction of several officers of the division by unknown persons. The 4th Division was joined by part of the troops quartered in the city of Madiun, near Solo. Although the confrontations were wholly unexpected by the leadership of the Communist Party, on September 20 the government accused the party of an attempt to overthrow the government. In response, the leaders of the Communist Party appealed to the people to overthrow the government and take power into their own hands. Large contingents of government troops were moved into the region of Madiun, and in two months the rebels were defeated.

The Communist Party suffered a heavy blow as a result of the Madiun incidents. The government arrested about 35,000 Communists and their supporters, and approximately 600 members of the Communist Party were killed in battles or were shot by punitive expeditions. Among the dead and executed were prominent leaders of the Communist Party, including Musso, A. Sjarifuddin, Maruto Darusman, Suripno, and Harjono.