Pancasila is the name for the set of five principles on which the government of Indonesia is based. The five sila (principles) are (1) belief in one God, (2) humanitarianism, (3) the unity of Indonesia, (4) democracy based on deliberation and consensus among representatives, and (5) social justice for all people.
The five principles were first set forth in a speech by Sukarno, an Indonesian nationalist leader, on June 1, 1945. Japanese occupation of Indonesia was coming to an end, and Sukarno stressed that the five principles should underlie the future independent, Indonesian nation.
The five principles were incorporated into Indonesia’s 1945 constitution. Today, they still provide the ideological basis of the Indonesian state, although their order has been slightly changed.
