Themilitary history of Indonesia includes the military history of the modern nation ofRepublic of Indonesia, as well as the military history of the states which preceded and formed it. It encompassed a kaleidoscope of conflicts spanning over a millennium. The ancient and medieval part of it began as tribal warfare began amongindigenous populations, and escalated as kingdoms emerged. The modern part is defined by foreign colonial occupations, battles for independence throughguerrilla warfare duringIndonesian National Revolution, regional conquests and disputes with neighbouring countries, as well as battles between the Republic and separatist factions. Since the formation of the Republic, themilitary has played significant role in state affairs. However, inPost-Suharto era, the Indonesian military has retreated from politics, yet it still possesses some influences.[1]
As anarchipelagic nation, historically Indonesia has always been a maritime power sinceSrivijaya andMajapahit era.[2] The 7th century Srivijayan empire for example, thrived by maximizing the potential of the sea.[3] During its early formation until theSuharto's New Order era, Indonesian military was heavily focused on itsland component. However, by the 21st century, its interest has shifted to maritime sphere, as in 2014 PresidentJoko Widodo has expressed a desire to turn Indonesia into a "maritime axis".[4]
Archaeological findings dating from prehistoric eras have discovered a variety of stone and metal weaponry, such as axes, arrows and spearheads. Usually used for hunting, they also allowed tribes to battle with each other. Some more elaborate bronze pieces, such as axes, seemed better suited for ceremonial purposes, but showed its influence as an icon. Native edged weapons, such as theparang,klewang,mandau,badik,pedang,kujang,golok andkris, were invented early.[5]
Tribal warfare, although often motivated by resources, lands and slave grabbing, was also a tribal solution to settling disputes, as well as a component of coming of age rituals (headhunting) for several tribes, primarily the Dayak, Nias and Batak. Warriors from militaristic tribes were appreciated by other factions, and were recruited by developed kingdoms and polities as mercenaries, such as Nias warriors serving as palace guards in the Aceh Sultanate, as well as Ambonese warriors recruited by the Dutch East India Company.
Tribal wars still occur amongst Papuan tribes in West Papua, as well as more remote areas ofNusantara, such as the interior of Borneo and Sumatra.[6]
Greek and Chinese sources mentioned that the people of the archipelago already building large ships from at least 2nd century A.D., the ships could be over 50 m in length and had 5.2–7.8 m high freeboard. These ships are calledkolandiaphonta by the Greeks andK'un-Lun po by Chinese.[7][8]: 347
As ancient kingdoms began to form in Indonesia, at least as early as 7th century B.C.,[9] standing units became increasingly prevalent in the region.Indianised Hindu-Buddhist kingdoms saw the establishment of the Hindu Kshatriya caste. Bas reliefs on Javanese temples dating back to theMataram kingdom, particularlyBorobudur andPrambanan, depict battles and soldiers wielding various types of weapons. These weapons were primarily sharp-edged, such as spears, swords, sabre,klewang, golok, as well as stabbing daggers (seeming predecessors tokris). However, blunt weapons such as theGada, shields, bows and arrows were also depicted.
Major Indonesian empires such as Srivijaya and Majapahit were known to launch naval raids against neighbouring kingdoms. Bas reliefs from their period depict double outriggered ships, now calledcadik. These reliefs show that some kingdoms developed navies and even armadas.
These ancient kingdoms also developed martial arts for use in self-defence and warfare. They are collectively known today aspencak silat.[10]
Many inscriptions were found that mention Srivijayan activity in the 7th century. TheKedukan Bukit inscription is the oldest record of Indonesian military history, and noted a 7th-century Srivijayansiddhayatra expedition led byDapunta Hyang Sri Jayanasa. He was said to have brought 20,000 troops, including 200 seamen and 1,312 foot soldiers. TheTelaga Batu inscription mentions military titles; such assenāpati (general),cātabhata (soldier),puhāvam (ship captain) andvāsīkarana (blacksmith/weapon maker). It revealed that the empire had specialised military units and formal military occupations. TheKota Kapur inscription mentions a Srivijayan naval expedition against Bhumi Java, and is dated to a period coinciding with the fall of theTarumanagara andKalingga kingdoms in Java.
In the 8th century CE, a Javanese launched various naval raids againstCham ports in Indochina.[11]: 269, 302 The Javanese continued to dominate areas around present-day Cambodia until theKhmer KingJayavarman II, the founder of theKhmer Empire dynasty, severed the Javanese link later in the same century.[11]: 228, 236, 269 In 851 anArabic merchant named Sulaimaan recorded an event about JavaneseSailendras staging a surprise attack on the Khmers by approaching the capital from the river, after a sea crossing from Java. The young king of Khmer was later punished by the Maharaja, and subsequently the kingdom became a vassal of Sailendra dynasty.[12]: 35 In 916 CE, Abu Zaid Hasan mentioned that a polity called Zabag invaded the Khmer kingdom, using 1000 "medium-sized" vessels, which resulted in a Zabag victory. The head of the Khmer king was then brought to Zabag.[13] Regardless of whether the story was true or not or just a legend, it may have a connection with the independence of Cambodia from Javanese suzerainty in 802 CE. Zabag might corresponds to Jawaka/Javaka, which may refer to Java or South Sumatra.[11]: 269, 302
The 10th-century Arab accountAjayeb al-Hind (Marvels of India) gives an account of invasion in Africa by people called Wakwak orWaqwaq, probably the Malay people of Srivijaya or Javanese people of Mataram kingdom,[14]: 27 [15]: 39 in 945–946 CE. They arrived in the coast ofTanganyika andMozambique with 1000 boats and attempted to take the fortress of Qanbaloh, though eventually failed. The reason for the attack is because that place had goods demanded by their country and China, such as ivory, tortoise shells, panther skins, andambergris, and also because they wanted black slaves fromBantu people (calledZeng orZenj by Arabs,Jenggi by Javanese) who were strong and make good slaves.[16]: 110 The existence of black Africans was recorded until the 15th century inOld Javanese inscriptions[17][18] and the Javanese were still recorded as exporting black slaves during the Ming dynasty era.[19] According to Waharu IV inscription (931 AD) and Garaman inscription (1053 AD),[20][21] theMataram kingdom andAirlangga's eraKahuripan kingdom (1000–1049 AD) of Java experienced a long prosperity so that it needed a lot of manpower, especially to bring crops, packings, and send them to ports. Black labor was imported fromJenggi (Zanzibar), Pujut (Australia), and Bondan (Papua).[15]: 73 According toNaerssen, they arrived in Java by trading (bought by merchants) or being taken prisoner during a war and then made slaves.[22]
In the late 10th century, animosity between the Sumatran Srivijaya and JavaneseMataram kingdom escalated. TheAnjukladang inscription, dated to 937, commemorated the Javanese Mataram successful effort to repel Srivijayan attack. In 990 AD, KingDharmawangsa of Mataram launched a naval invasion against Srivijaya, and unsuccessfully attempted to capture Palembang. Dharmawangsa's invasion led the Maharaja of Srivijaya,Sri Cudamani Warmadewa to seek protection from China. His diplomatic skills saw him securing Chinese support through appeasement, by building a Buddhist temple to honour the Chinese emperor. In 1006 AD, Srivijaya successfully repelled the Javanese invasion, and in retaliation and alarm, assistedHaji (king) Wurawari of Lwaram to revolt, destroying the Mataram palace. With the death of Dharmawangsa and the fall of the Mataram capital, Srivijaya collapsed the Mataram kingdom.
In 1025Rajendra Chola, theChola king fromCoromandel inSouth India,launched naval raids on ports of Srivijaya and conqueredKadaram (modern Kedah) from Srivijaya. Further battles with the Chola dynasty marked the decline of Srivijayan military might.
After defeating Srivijaya's successor, theDharmasraya kingdom, in Sumatra on 1275, the kingdom ofSinghasari in Java became the most powerful kingdom in the region. KingKertanegara launched thePamalayu expedition against Sumatran states and conquered them. Having taken notice of these conquests, theMongolYuan dynasty of China demanded tribute to be sent to Kublai Khan's court by Java. Kertanegara responded by insulting and torturing Khan's envoy, and Kublai Khan sent an armada of 1000 ships in retaliation.
Meanwhile, Jayakatwang, the ruler of the Gelang-Gelang (Kediri) kingdom,revolted against Kertanegara, killing him and destroying the Singhasari kingdom.Raden Wijaya, the son in law of Kertanegara, led Mongol forces during theMongol invasion of Java to Jayakatwang to oust him. Raden Wijaya then turned back against Mongol forces, and drove them out to the sea. Raden Wijaya then established the Majapahit kingdom in 1293.Majapahit would be plagued by regional rebellions, such as the rebellions of Sadeng and Keta, rebellion of Ranggalawe, and Nambi. After that, under the able and aggressive leaderGajah Mada, Majapahit spread its influence beyond Java and Sumatra, to the rest of the Nusantara archipelago.
Gunpowder technology entered Java in theMongol invasion of Java (1293 A.D.).[23]: 1–2 [24][25]: 220 Majapahit underMahapatih (prime minister)Gajah Mada utilized gunpowder technology obtained from theYuan dynasty for use in the naval fleet.[26] During the following years, the Majapahit army have begun producing cannons known ascetbang. Early cetbang (also called Eastern-style cetbang) resembled Chinese cannons and hand cannons. Eastern-style cetbangs were mostly made of bronze and were front-loaded cannons. It fires arrow-like projectiles, but round bullets and co-viative projectiles[27] can also be used. These arrows can be solid-tipped without explosives, or with explosives and incendiary materials placed behind the tip. Near the rear, there is a combustion chamber or room, which refers to the bulging part near the rear of the gun, where the gunpowder is placed. The cetbang is mounted on a fixed mount, or as a hand cannon mounted on the end of a pole. There is a tube-like section on the back of the cannon. In the hand cannon type cetbang, this tube is used as socket for a pole.[28]: 94
Because of the close maritime relations of the Nusantara archipelago with the territory of West India, after 1460 new types of gunpowder weapons entered the archipelago through Arab intermediaries. This weapon seems to be cannon and gun of Ottoman tradition, for example theprangi, which is abreech-loading swivel gun.[28]: 94–95 It resulted in a new type of cetbang, called "Western-style cetbang". It can be mounted as a fixed or swivel gun, small-sized ones can be easily installed on small vessels. In naval combat, this gun is used as an anti-personnel weapon, not anti-ship. In this age, even to the 17th century, the Nusantara soldiers fought on a platform calledbalai and performed boarding actions. Loaded with scatter shots (grapeshot,case shot, ornails and stones) and fired at close range, the cetbang would have been effective at this type of fighting.[29]: 241 [30]: 162
In 1350, Majapahit launched its largest military expedition, the invasion ofPasai, with 400 largejong and uncountable number ofmalangbang andkelulus.[31] The second largest military expedition,invasion of Singapura in 1398, Majapahit deployed 300 jong with no less than 200,000 men.[32] The average jong used by Majapahit would be about 76.18–79.81 mLOA, carrying 600–700 men, with 1200–1400 tonsdeadweight. The largest ones would be about 88.56 m LOA, they would carry 1000 men on board with 2000 tons deadweight.[33]
During the reign ofHayam Wuruk, Majapahit was involved in a battle against the royal family ofSunda Kingdom in theBattle of Bubat. However, theRegreg war of 1404 to 1406 drained the coffers of the Majapahit kingdom, and led to its decline in the following years.[34]
For centuries, numerous kingdoms rose and fell in theIndonesian archipelago. By the 15th century, Islamic states began to spread their influence, as a number of Sultanates started flourishing in Indonesia.
In the 17th century, Mataram Sultanate had replaced Demak and previous hegemon Majapahit, as the most powerful kingdom in Java. The reign of able and ambitiousSultan Agung of Mataram marked the apogee of Javanese Mataram martial power. The Sultan launched a series of military expeditions against other polities in Java, such as Pajang,Surabaya, Priangan, and went further by attacking theDutch East India Company (VOC) fortress in theSiege of Batavia (1628–29).
Aceh was one of the earliest Muslim states in the Indonesian archipelago, and they had the ambition to spreadIslam as well as their political influence in northern parts of Sumatra. The Sultanate was founded byAli Mughayat Syah, who began campaigns to extend his control over northern Sumatra in 1520.[35] His conquests includedDeli, Pedir, andPasai, and he attackedAru. His sonAlauddin al-Kahar (d. 1571) extended the domains farther south into Sumatra, but was less successful in his attempts to gain a foothold across the strait, though he made several attacks on both Johor and Malacca,[36] with the support along with men and firearms fromSuleiman the Magnificent'sOttoman Empire. The Aceh sultanate has formed a military alliance with theOttoman Empire, that sent a relief force of 15Xebecs.
Aceh's military ambition reach its peak during the reign ofIskandar Muda. He extended the Sultanate's control over most of Sumatra. He also conqueredPahang, atin-producing region of the Malayan Peninsula. The strength of his formidable fleet was brought to an end with a disastrous campaign againstMalacca in 1629, when the combined Portuguese and Johor forces managed to destroy all his ships and 19,000 troops according to Portuguese account.[37][38] Aceh forces was not destroyed, however, as Aceh was able to conquerKedah within the same year and taking many of its citizens to Aceh.[38]
In 1871, theAnglo-Dutch Treaty of Sumatra allowed for Dutch control throughout Sumatra in exchange for concessions in theGold Coast and equal trading rights in northern Aceh. The treaty was tantamount to a declaration of war on Aceh, and theAceh War followed soon after in 1873.[39] In 1874 the Sultan abandoned the capital, withdrawing to the hills, while the Dutch announced the annexation of Aceh intoDutch East Indies colonial state.
Started during theAge of Discovery in the 16th century, the European kingdoms and empires began to establish themselves in Southeast Asia. From Portuguese, Spanish, British to the Dutch, each of them involved in some fierce contests, during the age of European colonialism, to rule Indonesian archipelago. Because of the European's advance military technology, such asgunpowder technology in canons and muskets, many kingdoms and polities in Indonesian archipelago were conquered and subjugated by European power.
TheDutch East India Company (VOC) was the firstmultinational corporation in the world[40] It was a powerful company, possessing quasi-governmental powers, including the ability to form military units or militias, wage war, imprison and execute convicts,[41] negotiate treaties, strikeits own coins, and establish colonies.[42]
The Company in particular, was extremely successful on conquering local Indonesian polities, mostly contributed from European superiority on weaponry and military technology. Start by subjugatedTernate Sultanate in Maluku, wrestled former Portuguese ports by conquering Amboina and Banda islands, acquired port of Jayakarta fromBanten Sultanate as they were establishing their headquarter inBatavia (now Jakarta), and the conquest of Makassar in 1669. They went further by weakening theSultanate of Mataram, and conquered most parts of Java, except the interior ofVorstenlanden Mataram and Banten.
By 1800, the company was declared bankrupt and the Dutch nationalised VOC assets and creating the colonial state ofDutch East Indies.
The colonial state of Dutch East Indies expanded further as they launched a series of conquest against native kingdoms and sultanates started in the early 19th century to the early 20th century.
TheRoyal Netherlands East Indies Army or theKoninklijk Nederlands Indisch Leger (KNIL) was formed on 10 March 1830. It was not part of theRoyal Netherlands Army, but a separate military arm specifically formed for service in theNetherlands East Indies. Its establishment coincided with the Dutch ambition to expand colonial rule from the 17th century area of control to the far larger territories comprising the Dutch East Indies seventy years later.[43]
The KNIL was involved in many campaigns against indigenous polities and militias in the Indonesian archipelago including thePadri War (1821–1845), theJava War (1825–1830), crushing the resistance of Bali in 1849, and the prolongedAceh War (1873–1904).[44] In 1894,Lombok andKarangasem wereannexed.[45] Bali was finally taken under full control through thecampaign in 1906 and the finalcampaign in 1908.[45]
Throughout the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the KNIL launched some conquests on the Indonesian archipelago, and after 1904 the Netherlands East Indies were considered pacified, with no large-scale armed opposition to the Dutch rule. By 1920 the Dutch colonial state has integrated most of Indonesian archipelago within its territory. The Dutch East Indies has become the most precious colony for the Dutch crown.
The Dutch colonial state was brought into an abrupt end when theEmpire of Japan launchedfast and systematic attacks in 1942. The Japanese occupation in Indonesia was part of larger war of the Pacific theatre duringWorld War II. To gain popular support and mobilise Indonesian people in their war effort against theWestern Allied force, Japanese occupation forces encouraged Indonesian nationalistic movements and recruiting Indonesian nationalist leaders;Sukarno,Hatta,Ki Hajar Dewantara and Kyai Haji Mas Mansyur to rally the people support for mobilisation centrePutera (Indonesian:Pusat Tenaga Rakyat) on 16 April 1943, replaced withJawa Hokokai on 1 March 1944. Some of these mobilised populations were sent to forced labour asromusha.
Japanese military also provided Indonesian youth with military trainings and weapons, including the formation of volunteer army calledPETA (Pembela Tanah Air – Defenders of the Homeland). The Japanese military trainings for Indonesian youth originally was meant to rally the local's support for the collapsing power ofEmpire of Japan, but later it has become the significant resource forRepublic of Indonesia during Indonesian National Revolution in 1945 to 1949, and also led to the formation of theIndonesian National Armed Forces in 1945.
Just two days after Japanese EmperorHirohito announced the surrender of the Empire of Japan to the Allied force, theIndonesian Republic was proclaimed bySukarno and Hatta in Jakarta on 17 August 1945. At first, The Indonesian Army started out as BKR (Badan Keamanan Rakjat – People's Security Bureau), which was formed on 29 August 1945, it was created more as a civil defence force than anarmy.
However, the Dutch with the help of British forces tried to reestablish the colonial state of Dutch East Indies. Indonesian nationalist republicans fought hard to protect their newly declared independence. The fierceBattle of Surabaya on October to November 1945 saw the birth of Tentara Keamanan Rakyat (TKR –People's Security Army) – predecessor to the currentIndonesian National Armed Forces – on 5 October 1945; this was a move taken to formalise, unite, and organise the splintered pockets of independent troopers ('laskar') across Indonesia, ensuing a more professional military approach, to contend with the Netherlands and the Allied invasion forces.[46]
In January 1946, TRI (Tentara Republik Indonesia – Republic of Indonesia Army) was formed, in a further step to professionalise the army and increase its ability to engage systematically. In June 1947 then, TRI changed its name to TNI (Tentara Nasional Indonesia – Indonesian National Armed Forces) which is a merger between the TRI with the independent paramilitary people's struggle organizations (laskar) across the young republic.
On 20 July 1947, the Dutch launched a major military offensive calledOperatie Product, with the intent of conquering the Republic. Claiming violations of theLinggajati Agreement, the Dutch described the campaign aspolitionele acties ('police actions') to restore law and order. This used to be the task of the KNIL. However, at the time the majority of the Dutch troops in Indonesia belonged to theRoyal Netherlands Army.
The United Nations Security Council brokered theRenville Agreement in an attempt to rectify the collapsed Linggarjati Agreement. The agreement was ratified in January 1948 and recognised a cease-fire along the so-called 'Van Mook line'; which connected the most advanced Dutch positions.[47] Many Republican positions, however, were still held behind the Dutch lines. In February 1948 the Siliwangi Division (35,000 men) of the Republican Army, led byNasution, marched from West Java to Central Java; the relocation was intended to ease internal Republican tensions involving the Division in the Surakarta area. The Battalion, however, clashed with Dutch troops while crossingMount Slamet, and the Dutch believed it was part of a systematic troop movement across the Renville Line.
The Dutch launched a military offensive on 19 December 1948 calledOperatie Kraai (Operation Crow). By the following day it had conquered the city ofYogyakarta, the temporary Republican capital. By the end of December, all major Republican held cities in Java and Sumatra were in Dutch hands.[48] The Republican president, vice-president, and all but six Republic of Indonesia ministers were captured by Dutch troops and exiled onBangka Island off the east coast of Sumatra. In areas surrounding Yogyakarta and Surakarta, Republican forces refused to surrender and continued to wage aguerrilla war under the leadership of Republican military chief of staffGeneral Sudirman who had escaped the Dutch offensives. An emergency Republican government, thePemerintahan Darurat Republik Indonesia (PDRI), was established inBukittinggi, West Sumatra.
Although Dutch forces conquered the towns and cities in Republican heartlands on Java and Sumatra, they could not control villages and the countryside.[48] Republican troops and militia led byLt. Colonel (later President)Suharto attacked Dutch positions in Yogyakarta at dawn on 1 March 1949. The Dutch were expelled from the city for six hours but reinforcements were brought in from the nearby cities of Ambarawa and Semarang that afternoon.[49] Indonesian fighters retreated at 12:00 pm and the Dutch re-entered the city. The Indonesian attack, later known in Indonesia asSerangan Oemoem (new spelling:Serangan Umum '1 March General Offensive'). A similar attack against Dutch troops inSurakarta was led by Lt. Col. Slamet Riyadi on 7 August the same year.[49]
The resilience of Indonesian Republican resistance and active international diplomacy set world opinion against the Dutch.[50] The United States pushed the Netherlands government into negotiations. TheDutch–Indonesian Round Table Conference was held in The Hague from 23 August 1949 to 2 November 1949 between the Republic, the Netherlands, and the Dutch-created federal states. The Netherlands agreed to recognise Indonesian sovereignty over a new federal state known as the 'United States of Indonesia' (RUSI). It would include all the territory of the former Dutch East Indies with the exception ofNetherlands New Guinea; which was retained by the Netherlands until further negotiations with Indonesia. Sovereignty was formally transferred on 27 December 1949.
In the period between the 1949 to 1965, Indonesian national unity faced some dire ordeals, as Indonesian Central Government in Jakarta faced numerous regional rebellions and separatist movements that appeared almost simultaneously. They had established the alternative government and declared separate independent states within the Republic of Indonesia. TheIndonesian Islamic state appeared in 1949,Republic of South Maluku was declared in 1950, while theRevolutionary Government of the Republic of Indonesia andPermesta rebellions appeared in the same period between 1957 and 1958.
During the Indonesian National Revolution,Kartosuwirjo founded his own band of freedom fighters inWest Java, calledHizbullah andSabilillah. As a protest toward theRenville Agreement signed by Indonesian leaders in 1948, which ceded West Java to theDutch, Kartosuwirjo proclaimed aDarul Islam ("Islamic State") in West Java on 7 August 1949. Darul Islam did not disband itself after the transfer of sovereignty in 1949, resulting in a clash with the government of the Indonesian Republic.
On 25 April 1950, theRepublic of South Maluku (RMS) was declared and promptly quashed by Indonesian Republic. The RMS on Ambon was defeated by Indonesian forces in November 1950. The defeat on Ambon resulted in the flight of the self-declared RMS government to the island ofSeram, where guerrilla clashes would take place for more than a decade.
In 1951, rebels inSouth Sulawesi led by army deserterAbdul Kahar Muzakkar joined the Darul Islam movement. On 20 September 1953,Daud Beureu'eh declared thatAceh was part of the Islamic State of Indonesia(Negara Islam Indonesia) under the leadership of Kartosuwirjo. In 1957, it was estimated that the Darul Islam controlled one-third ofWest Java and more than 90% ofSouth Sulawesi andAceh provinces. The movement had 15,000 armed guerrillas operating under the banner ofTentara Islam Indonesia (Indonesian Islamic Army).
Indonesian Republic launched some crackdown operations against the Islamist state. Smaller Darul Islam bands operating inCentral Java under Amir Fatah was crushed by ColonelAhmad Yani's Banteng Raiders in 1954–1957. Amir Fatah was killed in 1954, while Ibnu Hadjar was eventually executed in 1962.
On 2 March 1957, thePermesta rebellion was declared by civil and military leaders of East Indonesia, centred inManado. The movement was led byColonel Ventje Sumual. In 1958, theRevolutionary Government of the Republic of Indonesia (Indonesian:Pemerintah Revolusioner Republik Indonesia/PRRI) set up an alternative government inSumatra to oppose the Indonesian Central Government.[51] On 17 February 1958 the Permesta rebels joined forces with the Revolutionary Government of the Republic of Indonesia rebels based in Sumatra who had declared a revolutionary government two days earlier.[52]
Darul Islam forces inSouth Kalimantan under Ibnu Hadjar were forced to surrender in 1959. Three years of negotiations (1959–1962) led to a peace agreement that ended the conflict in Aceh, in which Aceh was restored as an autonomous province with special rights for Islamic law. Introduction of effective "fence-of-legs" method of encircling rebel mountain hideouts in 1959 succeeded in breaking the strong rebel grip over West Java's rural areas.
The Central Government launched military operations against PRRI headquarter in Central Sumatra. General Nasution, who was leading the government forces, launchedOperasi Pemanggilan Kembali (Operation Call Back) at the end of 1960 to take advantage of internal rifts within the PRRI. The main objective of which was to persuade the army officers supporting the PRRI to surrender themselves. By 1961 PRRI rebellion surrendered.[53] Following successful Central Government attacks on the PRRI based in Sumatra, the conflict swung to the east where the Permesta rebels were based. Central Government forces were able to capture the Permesta capital of Manado at the conclusion of June 1958. However, the Permesta rebels continued their resistance, fighting a guerrilla campaign against central government troops until the last remnants surrendered and were given an amnesty in 1961.
In June 1962,Kartosuwirjo, the leader of Darul Islam, was captured on his hideout of Mount Geber nearGarut. In captivity, Kartosuwirjo issued order for all his followers to surrender, after which he was quickly tried and executed. The last Darul Islam band in West Java surrendered in August 1962. Successive military operations also crushed the Darul Islam inSouth Sulawesi.
RMS armed struggle continued on the island ofSeram until defeated in December 1963. In February 1965, Darul Islam's leader Kahar Muzakkar was killed in a military ambush in the interior ofSoutheast Sulawesi province, ending the Darul Islam insurgency in Indonesia. The fall of RMS position in Maluku has led to the formation of RMS government in exile in the Netherlands in 1966.
In the early 1960s, Indonesia has succeeded in maintaining its national unity against regional rebellions, and shifted their attention toDutch-held West New Guinea. Indonesia argued that as a successor state of Dutch East Indies, West Papua is theirs. Feeling confidence, Indonesia has wonSoviet Union's supports to modernise their weapons and military equipment, and soon would embarked on regional military campaigns, first against Dutch to wrestle West New Guinea, then against the formation ofMalaysia, and later in the 1970s againstPortuguese Timor.
In July 1959, the Indonesian government adopted a policy of confrontation against the Dutch to claim West New Guinea and increased military incursions into the island.[54] Sukarno also developed closer relations with the Soviet Union, which shared Indonesia's anti-colonial outlook. Later that year, the Soviet government decided to supply the warships and other military hardware directly to the Indonesians.
Between 1960 and 1962, Indonesia continued its policy of confrontation against the Netherlands for the control ofWest New Guinea, combining diplomatic, political, and economic pressure with limited military force.[55] The final stage of the Indonesian Confrontation also involved a plannedmilitary invasion of the territory. The Indonesians also secured military weapons and political support from theSoviet Union, which induced theUnited States to intervene in the conflict as a third-party mediator between Indonesia and the Netherlands.[56] Throughout 1960, Indonesian armed forces launched several infiltrations into West New Guinea. On 19 December 1961 Indonesian President Sukarno decreed the establishment of theOperation Trikora orTri Komando Rakyat with the objective of 'liberating' West New Guinea by 1 January 1963.[57][58][59] During the ensuingVlakke Hoek incident, one of Indonesian torpedo boats was sunk while the remaining two boats were forced to retreat.[60] Many Indonesian crew members and embarked marines being killed and 55 survivors taken prisoner. Among the casualties wasCommodoreYos Sudarso, the deputy chief of the Indonesian Navy Staff.[61]
On 24 June 1962, four Indonesian Air ForceC-130 Hercules jets dropped 213 paratroopers near Merauke. Throughout the year, a total of 1,200 Indonesian paratroopers and 340 naval infiltrators landed in West New Guinea. By mid-1962, the Indonesian military had begun preparations to launch a full-scale invasion of Dutch New Guinea known as Operation Jayawijaya around August 1962. However, a ceasefire agreement between the Dutch and Indonesians, which facilitated the transfer of West New Guinea to Indonesia control by 1963, was signed on 15 August. As a result, the Indonesian military cancelled Operation Jayawijaya on 17 August 1962.[62] Following the Act of Free Choice plebiscite in 1969, West Papua was formally integrated into the Republic of Indonesia.
In 1963, Indonesia opposed the British decolonisation initiative on the formation ofMalaysia, arguing that it was the western imperialist move to block Indonesian influence. This led to an undeclared war popularly calledKonfrontasi that took place between 1963 and 1966. This tension was marked by the infiltration of Indonesian forces into Northern Borneo.[63] The conflict lasted nearly four years; however, following GeneralSuharto'sreplacement of Sukarno, Indonesian interest in pursuing the war with Malaysia declined, and combat eased. Peace negotiations were initiated during May 1966 before a final peace agreement was ratified on 11 August 1966.[64]
On 7 December 1975,Indonesian forces invaded East Timor under the pretext ofanti-colonialism.[65]Operasi Seroja (Operation Lotus) was the largest military operation ever carried out by Indonesia.[66][67] Following a naval bombardment ofDili, Indonesian seaborne troops landed in the city while simultaneously paratroopers descended.[68] 641 Indonesian paratroopers jumped into Dili, where they engaged in six-hours combat with FALINTIL gunmen.Indonesia would rule East Timor asits province for 24 years until 1999, whenEast Timorese vote for independence from Indonesia.
By the 1970s, Indonesia was facing two main separatist movements on both edges of the archipelagic realm; a separatist movement inAceh on the western front, and a small scale separatist movement inPapua on the eastern front.
Between 1976 and 2005 inAceh, there was aninsurgency waged by theFree Aceh Movement (GAM) aspired for the province to be independent from Indonesia. Previously in the 1950s, Aceh has been a part of similar separatism aspiration, theDarul Islam. On 4 December 1976Hasan di Tiro, the leader of Free Aceh Movement, declared Acehnese independence. In 1985, di Tiro securedLibyan support for GAM—taking advantage ofMuammar Gaddafi's policy of supporting nationalist rebellions. Incidents began in 1989 after the return of the Acehnese trainees from Libya.[69] Operations by GAM included weapons raiding, attacks against police and military posts, arsons and targeted assassinations of police and military personnel, government informants and other individuals.[69]
The GAM's actions led the Indonesian government to institute repressive measures. The period between 1989 and 1998 became known as the"Military Operation Area" orDaerah Operasi Militer (DOM) era as the Indonesian military stepped up its counter-insurgency measures.[70] This measure, although tactically successful in destroying GAM as a guerrilla force, alienated the local Acehnese. Shortly the GAM re-establish itself when Indonesian military was almost totally withdrawn from Aceh by order of presidentHabibie in late 1998.[71] Destruction caused by the armed conflicts and2004 Indian Ocean earthquake brought a peace deal and an end to the insurgency. The resulting peace agreement[72] was signed on 15 August 2005. Under the agreement, Aceh would receive special autonomy under the Republic of Indonesia, and non-Aceh native government troops would be withdrawn from the province in exchange for GAM's disarmament. As part of the agreement, theEuropean Union dispatched 300monitors. Their mission expired on 15 December 2006, following local elections.
In eastern front, despite the official international recognition of West New Guinea absorption into Indonesia in 1969, there is some residual problems that still haunting the province up until this day. This is mostly because previously theNetherlands New Guinea has promoted Papuan nationalism among native population back in the 1950s that inspired their desire to establishing an independence state separated from Indonesia. There is an ongoing low-level conflict between the Indonesian Government and portions of the indigenous populations ofWest Papua in the Indonesian provinces ofPapua andWest Papua. One of the separatist group, theFree Papua Movement (OPM), a militant Papuan-independence organisation, has conducted a low-levelguerrilla war against the Indonesian state, targeting the Indonesian military and police, as well as engaging in the kidnapping and killings of both Indonesians including native Papuans and foreigners.[73] Up until this day, most of the West Papuan insurgency were considered as low-level security disturbances and dealt by deploying Indonesian police and military force.
After the crackdown onDarul Islam in 1962 and the death of most of its leaders in 1965, theIslamist aspiration in Indonesia were seems to be repressed, but not completely eradicated. During and after the rule of Suharto, numbers of Islamist movement has been aspired to establish Islamic state based onsharia and toppled the secular Republican government of Indonesia. Among these organisation, the most notable isJemaah Islamiyah Islamist terrorist group, that orchestrated series of terror attacks in Indonesia, such as2000 Christmas Eve bombings,2002 Bali bombings,2003 Marriott Hotel bombing,2004 Australian Embassy bombings,2005 Bali bombings and2009 Jakarta bombings. Since then Indonesian Police and authority has been successfully crack down the terrorist-cells and arrested their leaders and masterminds.
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Since 1956, Indonesia has been participating inUnited Nations'peacekeepers force drawn from theIndonesian military calledGaruda Contingent. It has been deployed to three continents. The Garuda Contingent was first deployed toEgypt andIsrael in November 1956 as part of theUnited Nations Emergency Force.[74] The next two contingents were sent to theCongo. The first contingent consisted of 1,074 troops, served from September 1960 to May 1961. The second contingent to the Congo consisted of 3,457 troops, served from 1962 to 1963 and saw one casualty.[74]
The Garuda Contingent's fourth and fifth deployments were toVietnam in 1973 and 1974, towards the end of theVietnam War. This was followed by a sixth deployment to Egypt after theYom Kippur War under the command of Colonel Rudini. The Garuda Contingent later returned to Vietnam and Egypt for a seventh and eighth deployment, respectively.[74]
After an eight-year hiatus, the Garuda Contingent deployed as part of theUnited Nations Iran–Iraq Military Observer Group in 1988, followed by the mission toSomalia andCambodia in 1992, Mozambique in 1994,Bosnia in 1995,Congo in 2003, andLebanon in the 2010.
As of 30 June 2023[update], the United Nations recorded that 42 Indonesian troops serving in the United Nations had been killed for various reasons.[75]
Throughout the history of modern Indonesia, military has maintained an important role in political and social affairs. Many Indonesian prominent figures have military backgrounds. Since the rise of Suharto regime in 1965, the armed forces has been actively involved on supporting the regime, which was marked by authoritarian rule, political repression, and widespread human rights abuses. The military played a key role in suppressing dissent and maintaining Suharto's grip on power through fear and intimidation. However, after thefall of Suharto regime in 1998, there were some calls to limit the military role in national politics. With the inauguration of the newly elected national parliament in October 2004, the military no longer has a formal political role, although it retains important influence.[76]
一、药材:胡椒、空青、荜拨、番木鳖子、芦荟、闷虫药、没药、荜澄茄、血竭、苏木、大枫子、乌爹泥、金刚子、番红土、肉豆蔻、白豆蔻、藤竭、碗石、黄蜡、阿魏。二、香料:降香、奇南香、檀香、麻滕香、速香、龙脑香、木香、乳香、蔷薇露、黄熟香、安息香、乌香、丁皮(香)。三、珍宝：黄金、宝石、犀角、珍珠、珊瑙、象牙、龟筒、 孔雀尾、翠毛、珊瑚。四、动物：马、西马、红鹦鹉、白鹦鹉、绿鹦鹉、火鸡、白 鹿、白鹤、象、白猴、犀、神鹿（摸）、鹤顶（鸟）、五色鹦鹉、奥里羔兽。五、金 属制品：西洋铁、铁枪、锡、折铁刀、铜鼓。六、布匹：布、油红布、绞布。[4]此 外，爪哇还向明朝输入黑奴、叭喇唬船、爪哇铣、硫黄、瓷釉颜料等。爪哇朝贡贸易 输人物资不仅种类多，而且数虽可观，如洪武十五年（1382年）一次进贡的胡椒就达 七万五千斤。[5]而民间贸易显更大，据葡商Francisco de Sa记载："万丹、雅加达等港 口每年自漳州有帆船20艘驶来装载3万奎塔尔（quiutai）的胡椒。"1奎塔尔约合59 公斤则当年从爪哇输入中国胡椒达177万公斤。
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