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Missing millions: The victims of Java's 1944-45 famine

Activity: Contribution to Event/EngagementPublic lecture/debate/seminar

Description

This presentation examines the human toll of the famine in Indonesia’s main island of Java during the cropping year 1944-45. In September 1951, Indonesian foreign minister Subardjo at the San Francisco conference to conclude an international peace treaty with Japan stated that the Japanese occupation caused ‘the loss of life of approximately four million people’. Although public knowledge at the time, this estimate soon disappeared from view. Indonesia’s historiography of the human toll of the 1942-1945 Japanese occupation years still focuses on the plight of the 2.1 million romusha forced labourers of whom at least 200,000 perished. It largely ignores the victims of the 1944-45 famine.
Period2 Nov 2023
Event titleANU Indonesia Study Group seminar
Event typeSeminar
LocationCanberra, Australia, Australian Capital TerritoryShow on map
Degree of RecognitionInternational