[3] In 1916-1917 a group comprising delegates from Budi Utomo, Sarekat Islam, and the Union of Regents as well as from regions of Java travelled around the Netherlands campaigning for representation and pleaded their case with Queen Wilhelmina.

Although the Dutch refused to consider any power sharing, they realized that limited concessions might be necessary, and on 16 December 1916, following a proposal from Colonial Affairs Minister Thomas Bastiaan Pleyte, a Wet (Dutch law) was passed establishing an advisory body without any legislative powers, the Volksraad.

Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies Johan Paul, Count van Limburg Stirum was unhappy with this outcome as he wanted more radical Indonesians in the Volksraad so they could be tamed.

He used his authority to appoint other members including Tjokroaminoto (Sarekat Islam) and Tjipto Mangoenkoesoemo (Insulinde).

[8] The Volksraad was officially founded in Weltevreden, Batavia, Java, on 18 May 1918 by the Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies, Johan Paul, Count van Limburg Stirum (1873–1948).

[7] A motion to send a "loyal cable" to the Queen of the Netherlands was rejected, while another allowing debates to be conducted in Malay was passed.

The strong criticism of the colonial administration from both Indonesian and Dutch members, especially given the turbulent political events in Europe at the time, caused so much concern that in November Governor-General van Limburg Stirum addressed the Volksraad and promised extensive administrative reforms.

[15][16] Meanwhile, National Faction members had become increasingly concerned about the repressive actions taken against Sukarno and the PNI leadership, which included monitoring and raids on their homes by the colonial police.

Among those voting against were six Indonesians, and the petition was only approved after Soetardjo's removal of the ten-year deadline persuaded the Dutch five-member Political Economic League faction to support it.

[12] On 21 May 1939, eight nationalist organizations, including parties represented in the Volksraad came together to form the Indonesian Political Federation.

[19][20] In September 1940, GAPI asked the Dutch government, then in exile in London as a result of the German invasion of the Netherlands, for a Dutch-Indonesian union and a fully-elected Volksraad.

The Visman Commission published its report in 1942, only a few weeks before the Japanese invasion, but the only concession granted was that the word "Indonesian" could henceforth be used instead of "Native" to refer to the people and the country.

[23][24] In September 1943, the Japanese authorities established the Central Advisory Council (Chuo Sangi-in) as a gesture towards popular representation for Indonesians.

There were also representatives of the colony's Vreemde Oosterlingen, or 'Foreign Orientals', including Chinese members, such as Khouw Kim An, Majoor der Chinezen, H. H. Kan, Loa Sek Hie, and Phoa Liong Gie.

Among prominent indigenous parliamentarians in the Volksraad were the Javanese Tjokroaminoto and Mohammad Husni Thamrin, the Ahmad Djajadiningrat, the Sumatrans Agus Salim and Mangaradja Soeangkoepon, and the Menadonese Sam Ratulangi.