BANDUNG THE SEA OF FIRE

 Nama : Rahil Hikmah Cahyani Kelas : 7B

Guru Pembimbing : Bu Dian

 Bandung sea of fire incident occurred on March 23th 1946. One of the important points in the emptying and burning the city of Bandung by local people so that it would not be used as the headquarters of the allies and NICA. Bandung sea of fire began with the arrival of the allied/British troops on October 12th 1945. A few weeks after proclamation of independence of the Republic of Indonesia, allied troops who joined AFNEI ( Allied Forces Netherlands East Indies ) came to Indonesia after winning World War II against Japan.

Mohamed Ully Purwasatria in a research entitled “The role of Sukanda Bratamanggala and Sekawa in north Bandung in maintaining independence in 1945-1948” Convey, initially their arrival was only to free the allied soldiers from Japanese custody. But it turned out that the Netherlands or NICA were piggybacking on the allied forces and wanted to control Indonesia again.

Allied forces began to carry out propaganda. The Indonesia military responded by attacking the allied headquarters in northern Bandung on the night of the November 24th 1945. On November 27th 1945, Colonel MacDonald as the Allied warlord once again delivered an ultimatum to the Governor of West Java, Mr. Datuk Djamin, that the people and soldiers immediately vacate the North Bandung area. The warning valid until November 29th 1945, must be complied with. If not, then the allies will act tough.

Several battles took place in Bandung. March 17th 1946, the commander in chief of AFNEI in Jakarta, Lieutenant General Montagu Stopford, warned Soetan Sjahrir as the prime minister that the Indonesian military should immediately leave southern Bandung. Only the civilian government, police and civilians are allowed to stay. On March 1946, TRI under the leadership of Colonel Nasution decided to burn Bandung city.

People began to be evacuated. Most of it goes south of the railroad in a southerly direction for 11 km. The wave of refugees grew bigger after sunset. Bandung`s scorched earth began. Resident who want to leave the house burn it first. TRI troops have even bigger plans. TRI planned to burn the total on March 24th 1946 at 00.00am, but this plan did not go smoothly because at 08.00pm the first dynamite exploded in the Indische Restaurant building. Because it didn`t go according to plan, the TRI troops continued their action by blowing up buildings and burning residents` houses in northern Bandung. That night , Bandung caught fire and the incident became known as the BANDUNG THE SEA OF FIRE.