Indonesia Raya was an Indonesian newspaper co-founded in 1949 by Mochtar Lubis. Before its permanent closure in 1974, it was banned numerous times during the Sukarno and Suharto governmental period.
Indonesia Raya was co-founded in 1949 by Mochtar Lubis.[1] It received irregular funding from military intelligence officers[2] and operated under the opinion that, for the free press, the government was "adversary number one".[3] By 1956 its circulation was 40,000,[4] but after 1957 Indonesia Raya was banned six times.[1]
Lubis, the paper's editor, in c. 1955
In October 1958, Indonesia Raya was banned and Mochtar Lubis imprisoned.[5] The daily did not resume publication until 1968, when the New Order government permitted its publication.[1] Former employees and staff were asked to return and continue their work.[5]
Beginning in 1969, Indonesia Raya published many articles regarding corruption in Pertamina. Although some newspapers, including Kompas, supported Indonesia Raya, others claimed that Indonesia Raya had a conflict of interest with Pertamina and accused it of trying blackmail the oil company. Eventually, in August 1970 Indonesia Raya was told to desist their reports or face serious repercussions.[6]
Indonesia Raya covered the 1973 Thai student demonstrations and the downfall of the regime. This coverage has been suggested to have been one of the causes of the Malari incident.[7] In 1974, following the incident, Indonesia Raya was banned again; this was due in part to the newspaper's coverage of corruption in Pertamina.[1][5] Mochtar Lubis and several other journalists were imprisoned without a trial, while others were blacklisted.[5] It was eventually decided to discontinue the newspaper.[1]
