Japanese Occupation of Indonesia: its Various Evaluation and Different Interpretation in Foreign Historiography
The problems of Japanese occupation and collaboration of nationalists with occupation authorities led to various evaluation and different interpretations in historiography. European historians tend to view the problems of collaboration and betrayal from moralizing positions. American historians recognize the facts of Indonesian nationalists’ collaboration with Japanese invaders, but try to avoid excessive moralizing. Indonesian historians do not deny the facts of collaboration, believing that Japanese occupation was an important stimulus for the activation of the nationalist movement and the political liberation of Indonesia. In general, historical memory and historiographical traditions continue to develop as fragmented and exposed to politicization and ideologization.