This is a poster disseminated by a local branch of the Indonesian ministry of information. The left panel shows two Indonesian peasants working in a rice field. This picture shows the ideal world that Indonesia aspires to create: Indonesians working safely in their own land without the intervention of foreigners. In the second panel, two Indonesian fighters are portrayed, representing the Indonesian army and laskar (people’s militia) members. The bomb explosion reflects the horror of the war, but the two fighters are depicted as ready to fight even so. A text reads: “Kita tjinta damai tetapi lebih tjinta kemerdekaan” (We love peace but love freedom even more). Consequently, anyone who obstructs Indonesian independence will have to face Indonesian fighters like these. In this way, Indonesian nationalists legitimized the use of force and violence in their struggle for independence.
‘Kita tjinta damai tetapi lebih tjinta kemerdekaan’. One of a set of six Indonesian designs for propaganda posters, c. 1946/47. Manually coloured. Likely to come from the Indonesian propaganda centre Poesat Propaganda (PESINDO). Or. 27.011-14.