Abstract
Javanese society underwent various social changes during the Japanese Military Occupation (1942-45). Some of the most important changes resulted from the establishment of a system which forced the peasants to deliver agricultural products, especially paddy, to the government, and the introduction of new institutions to carry out this policy. The Japanese, in need of huge amounts of provisions for continuing the war and the occupation, ordered the Javanese peasants to "sell" a certain percentage of their paddy (usually 30 to 40 percent) to the government at a fixed price.
This policy had a tremendous impact both on village politics and on the peasants' lives. The Japanese set up government-sponsored cooperatives called kumiai which were modeled after Japanese agricultural cooperatives (nokyoo ). Pamong praja (civil servants) and village chiefs played an important role in implementing the policy, which led to the undermining of their prestige among the people. Forced Delivery also caused a sharp decline in the peasants' welfare. Starvation spread and general living conditions deteriorated so much that finally, in 1944, the death rate exceeded the birth rate.
This paper discusses how the Forced Delivery System worked and its social, economic, and political effects.
