Hari
Pahlawan (Indonesian
for Heroes' Day/Warriors' Day) is a Remembrance Day annually
celebrated on 10 November in Indonesia. The day commemorates the 1945 Battle of
Surabaya, in which pro-independence Indonesian soldiers and militia fought
against British and Dutch troops as part of the Indonesian National Revolution.
The history
was begun like this: The Battle of Surabaya was fought between
pro-independence Indonesian soldiers and militia against British and Dutch
troops as a part of the Indonesian National Revolution. The peak of the battle
was in November 1945. Despite fierce resistance, British Indian troops managed
to conquer Surabaya, the second-largest city in Indonesia, on behalf of the
Netherlands. The battle was the heaviest single battle of the revolution and
became a national symbol of Indonesian resistance. Considered a heroic effort
by Indonesians, the battle helped galvanize Indonesian and international
support for Indonesian independence. 10 November is celebrated annually as
Heroes' Day.
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| Bung Tomo (Source: id.wikipedia.com |
By the time
the Allied forces arrived at the end of October 1945, the pemuda
('youth') foothold in Surabaya City was described as "a strong unified
fortress”. Ferocious fighting erupted when 6,000 Indian troops landed in the
city to evacuate European internees. Following the killing on 30 October of the
British commander, Brigadier A.W.S. Mallaby, the British retaliated with a
punitive sweep that began on 10 November, under the cover of air attacks.
Although the European forces largely captured the city in three days, the
poorly armed Republicans fought for three weeks, and thousands died as the
population fled to the countryside.
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| Battle of Surabaya 1945. British troop. (source: panoramio.com) |
Despite the
military defeat suffered by the Republicans and a loss of manpower and weaponry
that would severely hamper Republican forces for the rest of the revolution,
the battle and defense mounted by the Indonesians galvanized the nation in
support of independence and helped garner international attention. For the
Dutch, it removed any doubt that the Republic was not simply a gang of
collaborators without popular support. It also had the effect of convincing
Britain that wisdom lay on the side of neutrality in the revolution; within a
few years, in fact, Britain would support the Republican cause in the United
Nations.
(Source:
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heroes_Day_%28Indonesia%29
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Surabaya)
