The British government’s observation of Sukarno’s health condition during the Konfrontasi Era of 1964-1965

Abstract

This article investigates British diplomats in Jakarta who directly observed and gathered information from inner palace circles, other foreign diplomats, and the media about Sukarno’s health condition during the Konfrontasi era of 1964 to 1965. Given the importance of the credibility of information on Sukarno’s health, British diplomats even requested an analysis from a trusted health expert at the FO to establish a diagnosis and prognosis for Sukarno’s health condition based on the information they had compiled. Britain’s politics of observing Sukarno in late 1964 and in 1965 was related to Indonesia’s Konfrontasi policy towards Malaysia, in which Sukarno was the most influential figure in determining the direction of Konfrontasi policy. This research argues that, based on various methods of information gathering, the British Foreign Office believed that Sukarno was seriously ill amid the escalation of the Konfrontasi in late 1964 due to problems with both of his kidneys. However, they were very careful not to immediately believe the predictions that Sukarno would not live long due to the severity of his illness, and continued to gather information about Sukarno’s health, including rumours about manoeuvring within Sukarno’s inner circle over succession.