Nama : Satria Pratama Putra

Kelas/No:X IPA 1(33)

Writing skill.

Bandung as Sea of Fire

Orientation:

British troops part of the MacDonald Brigade arrived in Bandung on 12 October 1945. From the
beginning their relationship with the Indonesian government had been tense. They demanded that all
firearms in the hands of the residents, except TKR, be handed over to them. The Dutch, who had just
been released from the detention camps, began to carry out actions that began to disturb security. As a
result, armed clashes between Britain and TKR were unavoidable. On the evening of November 21,
1945, TKR and fighting agencies launched attacks on British positions in the north, including the Hotel
Homann and the Hotel Preanger which they used as headquarters. Three days later, MacDonald
delivered an ultimatum to the Governor of West Java for North Bandung to be vacated by the
Indonesian population, including military troops.

Event 1

The Allied Forces ultimatum so that Tentara Republik Indonesia (TRI, as TNI was called at the time) left
the city of Bandung, prompted TRI to carry out a "scorched earth" operation. The fighters from the
Republic of Indonesia did not want Bandung to be used by the Allies and the NICA. The decision to
demolish Bandung was taken through a meeting of the Priangan Persatoean Perdjoangan (MP3) Council
in the presence of all struggling forces of the Republic of Indonesia, on March 23, 1946. Colonel Abdoel
Haris Nasoetion as Commander of Division III of the TRI announced the results of the deliberation and
ordered the evacuation of Bandung City. That same day, a large group of Bandung residents flowed long
leaving the city of Bandung and that night the city planning system.

Event 2

Bandung was deliberately burned by the TRI and the local people with the intention that the Allies could
not use Bandung as a military strategic headquarters. Everywhere, billowing black smoke rose high in
the air and all the electricity went out. The British army began to attack so fierce fighting ensued. The
heaviest fighting took place in the village of Dayeuhkolot, south of Bandung, where there is a large
ammunition depot belonging to the Allied Forces. In this battle Muhammad Toha and Ramdan, two
members of the BRI (Barisan Rakjat Indonesia) militia engaged in a mission to destroy the ammunition
store. Muhammad Toha managed to dynamite the warehouse. The large warehouse exploded and
caught fire with the two militiamen in it. Bandung city government staff initially would remain in the
city, but for their safety, at 21:00 they also joined the group that evacuated from Bandung. Since then,
at approximately 24.00 South Bandung has been empty of residents and TRI. But the fire still burned the
city, so that Bandung became a sea of fire.
Re-Orientation

The burning of Bandung was considered the right strategy in the Indonesian War of Independence
because the strength of the TRI and the people's militias was not comparable to the strength of the
Allies and the NICA which were large in number. After the incident, TRI together with the people's militia
fought guerrillaly from outside Bandung. This incident inspired the song Halo, Halo Bandung, whose
creator's name is still a matter of debate.