Estranged Comrades: Global Networks of Indonesian Communism, 1926-1932

Entitled “Estranged Comrades: Global Networks of Indonesian Communism, 1926-1932,” Kankan’s doctoral dissertation examines Indonesia’s ongoing communist movement beyond the colonial borders after a series of unsuccessful communist revolts in 1926-27 by focusing on its global connections. He argues despite the collapse of the Partai Komunis Indonesia (PKI) in the aftermath of the aborted uprisings, Indonesian communism persisted internationally in three “worlds” of global networks, namely international fugitive networks, the international policing networks, and networks of the Comintern-dominated international communism. Specifically, the movement continued in the fragmented fugitive networks; yet, these groups took drastically different directions due to the split of the party leadership. Additionally, Indonesian communism existed as an existential threat throughout the remainder of the colonial period and loomed large in the world of international policing. Moreover, Indonesian communism remained marginal in the world of international communist revolution, but those stayed close with the course of the Comintern gained the authority in shaping the narratives concerning the PKI’s failure in the 1920s, which served as an essential source of legitimacy for reclaiming the party leadership in the 1940s.