Sukarno

About Sukarno

The founding President of Indonesia and leader of the independence movement against Dutch colonial rule. Sukarno declared independence on August 17, 1945. He was a charismatic orator who united the diverse Indonesian archipelago. Sukarno hosted the 1955 Bandung Conference, founding the Non Aligned Movement. His later years were marked by authoritarian drift and alignment with the Indonesian Communist Party. He was ousted in 1967 by General Suharto amid a mass killing of communists. Sukarno died under house arrest in 1970. He is recognized as a national hero.