Bandung Lautan Api

In March 1946, within 7 hours, some 200,000 residents made history by burning their homes and
possessions, leaving the city for the mountains in the south.

After the Proclamation of Independence on August 17, 1945, Indonesia was still not fully
independent. This independence must be achieved little by little through the struggle of the people
who are willing to sacrifice everything.

The ultimatum was so that the Army of the Republic of Indonesia (TRI) immediately left the city and
the people, then gave birth to the "bumihangus" policy. The people are not willing if the city of
Bandung is used by the enemy.

They fled to the south with the fighters. The decision to burn Bandung to the ground was taken
through the deliberations of the Priangan Struggle Assembly (MP3) in front of all the forces of the
struggle, on March 24, 1946.

Colonel A.H. Nasution as the Division Commander ordered the people to leave Bandung. On that
same day, a large group of Bandung residents left the city in droves.

Bandung was deliberately burned by TRI and the people with the intention that the allies could no
longer use it. A lot of black smoke billowed high in the air.

All the electricity went out, so the British began to attack so there was a fierce battle. The most
tense battle, where there is an Allied gunpowder factory. TRI intends to destroy the warehouse.

For this reason, a young man named Muhammad Toha and Ramdan were sent. The two youths
managed to blow up the warehouse with hand grenades. The huge warehouse exploded and caught
fire inside.

Since then, approximately at 24.00 South Bandung is empty of residents and TRI. But the fire still
burned the city, and Bandung turned into a sea of fire.

Scorched earth is the right step, because the power of TRI and the people will not be able to fight an
enemy whose strength is greater. Furthermore, TRI together with the community carried out
guerrilla resistance from outside the city of Bandung.

The term Bandung Lautan Api, first appeared from a journalist named Atje Bastaman, where he
witnessed a view of the burning Bandung from the hills of Mount Leutik in the vicinity of
Pameungpeuk, Garut. From the top he saw a reddened Bandung from Cicadas to Cimindi.