Photo: Jan Stevens/Spaarnestad
During the Japanese military occupation of Indonesia, from 1942 to 1945, the world of press and broadcasting was suspended. Only press containing propaganda from the Japanese occupation government was allowed to circulate.
This was not surprising considering that Japan used the power of propaganda to gain the support of the Indonesian people to help Japan fight the Allies in the Pacific War.
After Japan lost the war, the Allies entered Indonesia to disarm the Japanese army and re-establish Dutch rule in Indonesia. Along with them were journalists who worked in various foreign news agencies. These journalists usually moved closely with the Dutch military because of the unsafe situation.
The Indonesian people at that time said they refused the return of the Dutch and chose independence. Fierce struggle lasted for about four years. It was in these war conditions that the journalists worked to report the conditions in Indonesia to the world.
The photo above shows journalists who were working in Indonesia in 1945-1949, it looks like they were photographers and cameramen.