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Adapted from Bandung Conference, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for audio. This HearLore entry is also licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

— Ch. 1 · Origins And Organizers —

Bandung Conference.

~6 min read · Ch. 1 of 6
The first large-scale Asian, African Conference took place on the 18th of April 1955 in Bandung, West Java, Indonesia. Twenty-nine countries participated, representing a total population of 1.5 billion people. This figure accounted for 54% of the world's population at that time. The conference was organized by Indonesia, Burma, India, Ceylon, and Pakistan. Ruslan Abdulgani served as secretary general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia to coordinate the event. Indonesian President Sukarno and Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru were key organizers in their quest to build a nonaligned movement. Nehru first got the idea at the Asian Relations Conference held in India in March 1947. A second 19-nation conference regarding the status of Indonesia occurred in New Delhi in January 1949. Although Nehru initially attached relatively little importance to Indonesia's calls, he showed increasing interest during and after late 1954. Chairman Mao Zedong of the Chinese Communist Party also backed the effort with his influential right-hand man, Premier Zhou Enlai. At the Colombo Powers conference in April 1954, Indonesia proposed a global conference. A planning group met in Bogor, West Java in late December 1954 and formally decided to hold the conference in April 1955.

Cold War Geopolitics

Major debate centered on whether Soviet policies in Eastern Europe should be censured along with Western colonialism. A memo was submitted by 'The Moslem Nations under Soviet Imperialism' accusing the Soviet authorities of massacres and mass deportations. This document was never debated but a consensus reached that condemned 'colonialism in all of its manifestations'. The Bandung Conference reflected what organizers regarded as a reluctance by Western powers to consult with them on decisions affecting Asia. Their concern over tension between the People's Republic of China and the United States drove their desire to lay firmer foundations for China's peace relations. One of Sukarno's primary goals was to build support for Indonesia's claim to West Papua. He sought to prevent the Netherlands from transferring sovereignty of West Papua to indigenous Papuans. On the 4th of December 1954, the United Nations announced that Indonesia had successfully gotten the issue of West New Guinea placed on the agenda of the 1955 General Assembly. Plans for the Bandung conference were announced in December 1954. The conference accentuated a central dilemma of US Cold War policy. By currying favor with Third World nations by claiming opposition to colonialism, it risked alienating its colonialist European allies.

Zhou Enlai Diplomacy

Having survived an assassination attempt on the way to the conference, Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai displayed a moderate and conciliatory attitude. His approach tended to quiet fears of some anticommunist delegates concerning China's intentions. Later in the conference, Zhou signed an agreement on dual nationality with Indonesian foreign minister Sunario. World observers closely watched Zhou as he downplayed revolutionary communism. He strongly endorsed the right of all nations to choose their own economic and political systems. This moderation made a very powerful impression for his diplomatic reputation and for China. By contrast, Nehru received generally negative reception at the event. Senior diplomats called him arrogant. Zhou said privately, 'I have never met a more arrogant man than Mr. Nehru.' China began voicing support for Palestine at Bandung during the proceedings. Zhou stated there was a parallel between the problems of Palestine and Formosa. He argued neither could be solved peacefully unless intervention by outside forces was excluded. Egypt obtained Soviet arms via Czechoslovakia later in 1955 after Zhou interceded with the Soviet Union regarding Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser's request.

Bandung Declaration Principles

A 10-point declaration on promotion of world peace and cooperation was adopted unanimously as item G in the final communiqué. The document is known as Dasasila Bandung or the Bandung Ten Principles. It incorporated principles of the United Nations Charter alongside Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. The first principle demanded respect for fundamental human rights and purposes of the UN charter. A second principle required respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations. Recognition of equality of all races and all nations large and small formed another core tenet. Abstention from intervention or interference in internal affairs of another country stood as a key requirement. Respect for each nation's right to defend itself singly or collectively followed this stance. The declaration also called for abstention from using collective defense arrangements to serve big power interests. Refraining from acts or threats of aggression against any country's territorial integrity remained essential. Settlement of international disputes by peaceful means such as negotiation or arbitration completed the framework. Promotion of mutual interests and cooperation rounded out the final set of guidelines. The final Communique underscored the need for developing countries to loosen economic dependence on industrialized nations through technical assistance exchanges.

United States Response

The US security establishment feared that the Conference would expand China's regional power significantly. In January 1955, the US formed a Working Group on the Afro-Asian Conference including CIA and State Department officials. The Office of Intelligence Research and USIA followed a course of Image Management for the United States. They used overt and covert propaganda to portray the US as friendly while warning participants of Communist menace. An OCB memorandum of March 28 recounted efforts to distribute intelligence on Communist intentions to U.S. posts overseas. Posts in Japan and Turkey sought to do likewise regarding media coverage. The administration briefed members of American press which appeared instrumental in setting public tone. The United States shunned the conference under Secretary of State John Foster Dulles without official representation. However, the administration issued statements suggesting it would provide economic aid during the lead-up period. Representative Adam Clayton Powell Jr. attended the conference sponsored by Ebony and Jet magazines instead of the government. Powell spoke at some length in favor of American foreign policy there. African American author Richard Wright attended with funding from Congress for Cultural Freedom. Wright spent about three weeks in Indonesia writing articles and a book titled The Color Curtain: A Report on the Bandung Conference.

Legacy And Revivals

The conference was later followed by the Afro-Asian People's Solidarity Conference held in Cairo in September 1957. Subsequently came the Belgrade Summit in 1961 resulting in formation of Non-Aligned Movement. In early 1960s China sought to mobilize support for second Bandung Conference proposed to be held in Algiers. That effort failed due to events including 1965 Algerian coup d'état and ouster of Sukarno in Indonesia. To mark 50th anniversary of original summit, Heads of State met again from 20 to the 24th of April 2005 in Bandung and Jakarta. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono hosted this new Asian-African Summit attended by leaders from Japan, China, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Malaysia, Brunei, and South Africa. Of 106 nations invited, 89 were represented by heads of state or government ministers. The 2005 Asian African Summit yielded Declaration of New Asian, African Strategic Partnership known as NAASP. On 60th anniversary of Asian-African Conference a third summit was held from 21 to the 25th of April 2015 with theme Strengthening South-South Cooperation. Hosted by President Joko Widodo of Indonesia, delegates from 109 countries participated including Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and President Xi Jinping.

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1950s political conferences1955 conferences1955 in Indonesia1955 in international relations20th-century diplomatic conferencesAnti-imperialismApril 1955 in AsiaDiplomatic conferences in IndonesiaHistory of BandungLiberal democracy period in IndonesiaMakarios IIINon-Aligned MovementSukarnoZhou Enlai

Common questions

When and where did the first Bandung Conference take place?

The first large-scale Asian African Conference took place on the 18th of April 1955 in Bandung, West Java, Indonesia. Twenty-nine countries participated representing a total population of 1.5 billion people which accounted for 54% of the world's population at that time.

Who organized the 1955 Bandung Conference and what were their roles?

Indonesia Burma India Ceylon and Pakistan organized the conference with Ruslan Abdulgani serving as secretary general to coordinate the event. Indonesian President Sukarno and Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru acted as key organizers while Chairman Mao Zedong backed the effort through Premier Zhou Enlai.

What was the main purpose of the Bandung Conference regarding colonialism?

Major debate centered on whether Soviet policies in Eastern Europe should be censured along with Western colonialism but consensus reached condemned colonialism in all of its manifestations. The conference reflected organizer reluctance by Western powers to consult them on decisions affecting Asia and aimed to lay firmer foundations for China's peace relations.

How many principles were included in the final declaration of the Bandung Conference?

A 10-point declaration known as Dasasila Bandung or the Bandung Ten Principles was adopted unanimously as item G in the final communiqué. These principles incorporated elements of the United Nations Charter alongside Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence including respect for sovereignty territorial integrity and non-interference.

Why did the United States shun official representation at the Bandung Conference?

The US security establishment feared that the Conference would expand China's regional power significantly so Secretary of State John Foster Dulles had the administration shun the conference without official representation. The Office of Intelligence Research and USIA followed a course of Image Management using overt and covert propaganda to portray the US as friendly while warning participants of Communist menace.

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