Misplaced Pages

Makassar Uprising
Part of the aftermath of the Indonesian National Revolution
Worang Battalion of the central government, occupying Makassar Port, 20–21 April 1950
Date 5–21 April 1950 Location Makassar; Jakarta Result Accelerated integration of the RIS federal states into the Republic of Indonesia by 17 August 1950.
Belligerents
Republic of Indonesia	East Indonesia
Commanders and leaders
Alex Kawilarang Hamengkubuwana IX	Andi Aziz (POW)
Units involved
National Armed Forces of the United States of Indonesia (APRIS)	Royal Netherlands East Indies Army (KNIL)
Casualties and losses
No casualties

Part of a series on the
History of Indonesia
Timeline
Prehistory Paleolithic Java Man 1,000,000 BP Flores Man 94,000–12,000 BP Neolithic Toba catastrophe 75,000 BP Buni culture 400 BCE–500 CE
Hindu and Buddhist kingdoms Kutai Kingdom 350–1605 Tarumanagara Kingdom 400s–500s Kantoli Kingdom 400s–500s Kalingga Kingdom 500s–600s Melayu Kingdom 600s–1347 Srivijaya Empire 600s–1025 Shailendra Dynasty 600s–900s Mataram Kingdom 716–1016 Bali Kingdom 914–1908 Sunda Kingdom 932–1579 Kahuripan Kingdom 1019–1045 Kediri Kingdom 1045–1221 Dharmasraya Kingdom 1183–1347 Pannai Kingdom 1000s–1300s Singhasari Empire 1222–1292 Majapahit Empire 1293–1527
Islamic sultanates Spread of Islam 800–1600 Peureulak Sultanate 840–1292 Aru Kingdom 1225–1613 Ternate Sultanate 1257–1914 Samudera Pasai Sultanate 1267–1521 Pagaruyung Kingdom 1347–1833 Bruneian Empire 1368–1888 Malacca Sultanate 1400–1511 Sultanate of Sulu 1405–1851 Sultanate of Cirebon 1445–1677 Demak Sultanate 1475–1554 Aceh Sultanate 1496–1903 Sultanate of Ternate 1486–1914 Sultanate of Bacan 1515–1946 Sultanate of Tidore 1500s–1967 Sultanate of Jailolo 1496–1903 Banten Sultanate 1526–present Banjar Sultanate 1526–1863 Kalinyamat Sultanate 1527–1599 Mataram Sultanate 1586–1755 Johor Sultanate 1528s–1877 Kingdom of Kaimana 1600s–1926 Jambi Sultanate 1604s–1904 Palembang Sultanate 1659–1823 Siak Sultanate 1725–1946 Surakarta Sunanate 1745–present Yogyakarta Sultanate 1755–present Deli Sultanate 1814–1946 Riau-Lingga Sultanate 1824–1911
Christian kingdoms Kingdom of Larantuka 1515–1904 Kingdom of Siau 1510–1956 Kingdom of Bolaang Mongondow 1670–1950
Chinese Kongsi federations Heshun Confederation 1776–1854 Lanfang Republic 1777–1884 Santiaogou Republic 1777–1853
European colonization Portuguese Insulindia 1512–1850 Spanish East Indies 1521–1677 Dutch East India Company rule 1602–1799 British Bencoolen 1685–1824 French and British interregnum 1806–1816 Dutch East Indies 1800–1942 1945–1949
Emergence of Indonesia National Awakening 1908–1942 Japanese occupation 1942–1945 National Revolution 1945–1949 United States of Indonesia 1949–1950
Republic of Indonesia Liberal democracy 1950–1959 Guided Democracy 1959–1966 Transition 1966–1967 New Order 1967–1998 Reformasi 1998–present
Regions Jakarta Bali Bogor Bandung
By topic Agriculture Archaeology Currency Economy Education Javanese historical texts Religion Buddhism Christianity Hinduism Islam Judaism Mass media Military Sport Women
Indonesia portal
v t e

The Makassar Uprising, also known as Andi Aziz rebellion, was a skirmish in Makassar, Sulawesi, between former Royal Dutch East Indies Army soldiers under Captain Andi Aziz and the Republic of the United States of Indonesia government. The purpose of the uprising was to revolt against the incorporation of the Indonesian federated "states" into the Indonesian Republic. However, the uprising was quashed in a little over two weeks when troops under Lieutenant Colonel Suharto and Colonel Alexander Evert Kawilarang arrived at Makassar to find only light resistance.

The East Indonesian government refused to condone Aziz's actions and he was subsequently arrested in Jakarta on 14 April while attempting to negotiate with the republican authorities. The Makassar Uprising only facilitated republican control over the federal states.

Background

Following the end of World War II in August 1945, the Dutch sought to re-establish control over the East Indies, modern-day Indonesia. While Australian and Dutch troops managed to occupy much of eastern Indonesia with minimal resistance, Anglo-Dutch forces in Java and Sumatra were challenged by nascent Republican nationalists advocating self-rule under Sukarno. The Republican goal of a unitary Republic of Indonesia centered on Java clashed with Dutch decolonization efforts to implement a system of federal states which was part of a Dutch commonwealth. Negotiations were dogged by skirmishes and police actions.

In Sulawesi, resistance to Dutch rule was successfully suppressed by Captain Raymond Westerling, who drew controversy for his use of arbitrary terror tactics including rounding up villages and summarily executing members until they submitted information. However, the eradication of Republican forces paved the way for the establishment of a more amenable East Indonesian civil administration based in Makassar. In South Sulawesi, they also replaced more than a quarter of the pro-Republican local nobility including the Rajahs of Bone and Lawu, prompting the remaining rajahs to collaborate with the Dutch authorities.

In December 1948, the Dutch launched a second police action Operatie Kraai which succeeded in capturing much of Java and Sumatra as well as the Republican leadership in Yogyakarta. However, this action only fuelled opposition to the Dutch in the United Nations, the United States, Australia and India. The United States threatened to suspend Marshall Plan aid to the Dutch including funds vital for Dutch post-World War II rebuilding that had so far totalled $US 1 billion. The Netherlands Government had spent an amount equivalent to almost half of this funding their campaigns in Indonesia. On 24 December, the UN Security Council called for the end of hostilities. In January 1949, it passed a resolution demanding the reinstatement of the Republican government.

International pressure forced the Dutch to continue negotiations with the Republicans, culminating in the Dutch agreeing 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 of Netherlands New Guinea; sovereignty over which it was agreed would be retained by the Netherlands until further negotiations with Indonesia. Sovereignty was transferred on December 27, 1949. The new RUSI government consisted of both Republicans and Federalists but was short-lived due to animosity between the two parties and growing popular support for a unitary state.

On January 23, 1950, Westerling and the federalist Cabinet member Sultan Hamid II attempted to overthrow the Republican government by using Westerling's private Legion of the Just Ruler to launch simultaneous attacks on Bandung, Jakarta and Blora in the short-lived APRA Coup d'état. The coup failed since the majority of the KNIL leadership refused to support Westerling's actions and intercepted his munitions convoy. This only added fuel to public dissatisfaction with the federal system, leading to the integration of the states of Pasundan and West Kalimantan into the Republic of Indonesia by April 1950.

The uprising

Due to the strong presence of KNIL troops in Sulawesi and other parts of East Indonesia, there was much suspicion towards the intentions of the unitary central government in Jakarta. Efforts were made to integrate the KNIL into the RUSI army, but this was impeded by mutual distrust between the predominantly Javanese Indonesian military and the largely Ambonese and Minahasan KNIL. In the State of East Indonesia, the Justice Minister Soumokil banned all public meetings and jailed pro-Republican leaders in response to public pro-Republic protests. On April 5, 1950, the Jakarta central government dispatched a force of 700 Republican troops under Colonel Sunkono and Colonel Mokoginto to persuade the East Indonesian President Soekawati to join the Republic and to step down. These troops were further augmented by 200 pro-Republican guerrillas in the Makassar region.

Fears that this deployment would shift the balance in favour of pro-Republican elements and lead to disorder prompted Soumokil and other pro-federal elements to convince the local KNIL forces to launch a coup. KNIL Captain Andi Aziz commanded a force of 350 KNIL troops in Makassar. At the urging of Soumokil, Aziz's force overwhelmed the few local Republican troops and their guerrilla allies before seizing control of the city. They then prevented the 700 RUSI reinforcements from landing by firing artillery at their troop transports, forcing them to retreat. Aziz defended his actions by claiming to uphold the Federal Constitution which guaranteed the autonomy of the federal states including East Indonesia. He also claimed that he had discovered documents alleging that Sukarno was collaborating with the Indonesian Communist Party and the Soviet Union to destroy the “capitalist and upper classes” and establish a unitary state, paving the way for a communist take-over.

However, most of the East Indonesian government including President Soekawati refused to condone or support his coup. By April 13, President Sukarno had denounced Aziz's insurgency and deployed RUSI forces to crush the rebellion in South Sulawesi. Wanting to maintain working relations with the Jakarta government, Soekawati convinced Aziz to come to Jakarta to negotiate with Sukarno's government. He was also granted a safe-conduct pass by Sukarno and the United Nations Commission for Indonesia to fly to Jakarta. However upon arrival, he was arrested by the Sultan of Yogyakarta Hamengkubuwono IX who incarcerated him in his private prison. The capture of Aziz ended resistance and allowed 2,000 RUSI troops to swiftly occupy Makassar by April 21.

Aftermath

The elimination of the KNIL as a political actor allowed Republican factions in the East Indonesian parliament to assume a majority. The federalist Prime Minister Diapari was replaced by Martinus Putuhena, who declared martial law and established an Emergency Government in South Sulawesi which was controlled directly by Jakarta. Following the release of Republican political prisoners, guerrilla forces in the upland regions launched attacks against pro-Dutch aristocrats in the urban areas. This led to further fighting with the remaining KNIL units and the abolishment of local aristocratic principalities.

The new East Indonesian Cabinet was pro-Republican and advocated the integration of East Indonesia into the unitary Indonesian Republic. On April 21, 1950, President Soekawati successfully negotiated East Indonesia's integration, heeding majority support for a unitary state. This prompted all thirteen constituent territories within East Indonesia with the exception of South Moluccas to secede from East Indonesia and join Sukarno's Republic. Following further negotiations, the RUSI was dissolved on August 15 in favour of a unitary Republic of Indonesia. Due to his leading role in the uprising, Aziz was subsequently tried in 1952 and sentenced to 14 years imprisonment.

Bibliography

• Kahin, George McTurnan (1952). Nationalism and Revolution in Indonesia. Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University Press. ISBN 0-87727-734-6.
• Palmer, Leslie H. (1962). Indonesia and the Dutch. London: Oxford University Press.
• Westerling, Raymond Paul Pierre (1952). Mes aventures en Indonesie (in French). – translated from the French to English by Waverley Root as – Challenge to terror. London: W. Kimber.

References

1. "Andi Azis dan Pemberontakan Tanpa Korban Jiwa". 30 December 2019.
2. Clancy, Gregory Bruce (1992). A Dictionary of Indonesian History Since 1900. Sydney, Australia: Sunda Publications. p. 18.
3. Kahin (1952), p. 355
4. Vickers (1952), p. 97
5. Kahin (1952), p. 446-52
6. ^ Kahin (1952), p. 356
7. Westerling (1952), p. 210
8. Friend (2003), page 37
9. Friend (2003), page 38
10. "The National Revolution, 1945-50". Country Studies, Indonesia. U.S. Library of Congress.
11. Kahin (1952), p. 448-48
12. Westerling(1952), p. 191-92
13. ^ Kahin (1952), p. 456
14. ^ Westerling (1952), p. 210-11
15. ^ Kahin (1952), p. 457
16. ^ Westerling (1952), p. 212
17. Westerling (1952), p. 213
18. ^ Palmer (1962), p. 78
19. Kahin (1952), p. 460
20. Kahin (1952), p. 463

v t e Indonesian National Revolution
Prelude	Dutch East Indies Indonesian National Awakening Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies Proclamation of Independence
Diplomatic efforts	Malino Conference Linggadjati Agreement Denpasar Conference United Nations Security Council Resolution 27 Renville Agreement Roem–Van Roijen Agreement Dutch–Indonesian Round Table Conference
Armed conflict	Indonesian National Armed Forces Royal Netherlands Army Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Darul Islam Kalimantan Physical Revolution Dayak Desa War Battle of Kumai Bersiap Battle of Kotabaru Battle of Medan Battle of Semarang Battle of Ambarawa Battle of Surabaya Kolaka incident Cumbok affair Lengkong incident East Sumatra revolution Bandung Sea of Fire Battle of Margarana South Sulawesi campaign 3 March affair Dutch police actions Operation Product Operation Kraai Madiun Affair Yogyakarta and Surakarta Offensive General Offensive of 1 March 1949 Siege of Surakarta
Key figures	Abdul Haris Nasution Hubertus van Mook Mohammad Hatta Raymond Westerling Simon Spoor Sudirman Sukarno Sutan Sjahrir Sutomo Tan Malaka

• 1950 in Indonesia
• April 1950 events in Asia
• Cold War rebellions
• Conflicts in 1950
• Indonesian National Revolution
• Battles and conflicts without fatalities