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The grave of Captain Joseph Drury RN in Bogor, Indonesia - buried in 1835

The gravestone of Captain J. Drury RN who died in 1835 and is buried in Bogor, Indonesia

I was recently in Bogor, Indonesia (formerly known as Buitzenzorg during the Dutch Colonial period and had an opportunity to visit Kebun Raya, the famous tropical botanical gardens founded by the Dutch in 1817. I am not much of botanical garden person but I was interested in checking out the old Dutch gravestones to see what military history there may be there. I was surprised therefore to see the above gravestone in what was described as a Dutch Cemetery given the nationality of the deceased and his date of death. I had previously blogged about the British invasion of Java in 1811 but knew that the British had departed in 1816 so I could not figure out the connection between a Royal Navy Captain in Bogor, well away from the sea, and Java in 1835, well past the British occupation period.

Disquiet in Indonesia about a suggestion for TNI to buy an Israeli UAV

 

(Source: Kabar-Terkini)

There was a certain amount of disquiet in Indonesia about a plan by TNI to buy UAVs from Israel. The Head of Commission 1 of the DPR (Indonesian Parliament) responsible for overseeing and reviewing government decisions on defence has called on TNI to explore other options rather than buying a UAV from Israel. His reason for objecting was that Indonesia was banned from purchasing weapons because it was accused of being a human rights violator (this was probably a reference to the recent Dutch parliament actions to block a sale of Leopard 2 MBTs to Indonesia) yet Israel was a major human rights violator, especially against the Palestinians. The Head of Commission 1, Mahfud MD, was a former Indonesian Defence Minister under President Gus Dur and has been very critical of some recent military procurement intentions.

A fashion t-shirt with an 'Aceh Hardwar' logo for sale in Indonesia

While walking through a shopping mall in Indonesia my gaze was attracted to this T-shirt. (Sorry for the photo quality I was using my iPhone in one hand while holding the grocery shopping in the other hand.) At first I did not take it in, just looking without reading, wandering past all the different shops. It took me a few seconds before it registered what the t-shirt had written on it; Aceh Hardwar. It was a play on the Ace Hardware logo (here is the Indonesian site with the logo visible). The shop was not big and I do not think it was a franchise, just a small shop. I was not certain if the t-shirt was a political statement about the long running conflict in Aceh or possibly about how it was fought. Maybe it was just a joke for locals to enjoy. Possibly it was only a fashion design to project an air of political awareness. There was a remote possibility it was demonstrating solidarity to resurrect an old video game. I just thought that the t-shirt was worth a post. For more information on the conflict in Aceh that concluded in 2005, please check out the International Crisis Group website, specifically this August 2005 report and this December 2005 report.

Some quick Indonesian related links

There has been some trouble again in Aceh with a state electricity tower damaged by an unknown party. The attack has been ascribed by some observers to growing tensions related to the upcoming governor election in Aceh on 16 Feb 12. This attack comes on the tail of shootings in early January this year. The article also gives a good rundown of current tensions in Aceh and what the view of TNI is:

The Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) and the police are believed to prefer that he [Irwandi, the current governor] continue his governorship for a number of different reasons. For one, they still harbor suspicions toward the leaders of the Aceh Party, all former GAM leaders and commanders...

Second, the business interests of the security forces are being accommodated by Irwandi, who has frequently visited Jakarta to attract investors. He has reportedly discussed investment plans with business tycoon and the part-owner of the Artha Graha Group, Tomy Winata, who enjoys close ties with the TNI. [emphasis added]

Indonesia looking to buy second hand F-16C/D aircraft from the US

This article from the Jakarta Post reports that Indonesian Air Force officers will travel to the US to acquire second hand F-16C/Ds that are currently stored in the aircraft boneyard in Arizona. The details of the purchase are:

The 30 aircraft will come free of charge. But six of them will be cannibalized for their parts. The Indonesians are expected to spend US$400 million to US$600 million equipping the rest with advanced avionics and weaponry and buying 28 Pratt and Whitney engines.

On the face of it this seems to be a good deal. Yes, Indonesia will still need to integrate the weapons and avionics but it has had US aircraft for a while so hopefully this upgrade work will not be technologically difficult. Where the news starts getting a bit more questionable is talk of politicians wanting the air force to avoid getting reliant on US weaponry again. This has been an ongoing Indonesian ambition since the Leahy provisions were passed into US law about ten years ago. The rationale is that if the Indonesian military becomes overly reliant on the US for weapons, including spare parts, then Indonesia will be vulnerable to another US arms embargo. The problem is the flip side, over diversification of Indonesian weapon systems. The SU-27s and SU-30s are still without weapons and there are reports that their electrical systems are incompatible with existing Indonesian systems. Indonesia has British, US, Russian and South Korean aircraft. Who would want to be an Indonesian logistics officer.

Another interesting paragraph in the article is where critics, not further defined, give a good list of alternates for acquisitions.

Critics question why greater priority is not being given to maritime reconnaissance aircraft, ocean-going patrol craft and transport planes, but protecting a nation's air space is a source of pride for a military - and a president - concerned about national sovereignty.

Worth a read.

Some quick links, Monday 22 August 2011

- North Korea has seized South Korean assets at the Mt Kumgang resort and given the South Koreans there 72 hours to depart...that won't go down well.

- The Philippines largest warship, a former USCG cutter has arrived in Manila Bay.

- Nothing says law and order control like deploying sharp-shooters around East Java to keep the Idul Fitri exodus under control.

Media reports claim South Korea is close to being chosen to supply submarines to Indonesia

There are South Korean media reports claiming that Taufik Kiemas, the Speaker of Indonesia's Upper House of Parliament, informed Daewoo Heavy Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering officials that their company is almost certain to be chosen to supply submarines to the Indonesian Navy. I blogged about this acquisition program recently.

"Indonesia will likely pick Korea as the preferred bidder for its submarine acquisition program, worth $1.08 billion, industrial sources said Thursday. ..“France has been practically eliminated from the race,” an official of Korea's Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine (DSME) said, asking for anonymity." (Korea Times)

"Indonesia is close to picking Korea's Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering as the priority negotiating partner for a submarine project worth US$1.08 billion...A senior government official said Taufik Kiemas, the speaker of the Indonesian People's Consultative Assembly, told Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik on Wednesday morning that Daewoo is virtually certain to get the nod for the project. "There still are some more processes to follow, but the deal will be struck, unless something comes up," the official said." (Chosun Ilbo)

It will not be surprising if Korea picks this contract up because Indonesia and Korea have developed a strong relationship in the defence industry arena. Indonesian submarines were repaired in Korea and two years ago there was talk of a counter trade deal between the two countries as involving Korean made submarines and Indonesian made CN-235 aircraft.

Indonesia's population expected to double by 2045 - can Indonesia cope?

I was listening to Australia's ABC radio program Connect Asia and they had a story discussing some of the results of the 2010 Indonesia census. The key result was the projected population growth in Indonesia.

"Indonesia is being confronted with a rapidly growing population, projected to double to 450 million by 2045.  The Indonesian Government faces a serious challenge in dealing with a potential population boom that could result in one out of every 20 people in the world being Indonesian."

Martial Arts Groups and implementing domestic security in Malaysia and Indonesia

This recent article in The Malaysian Insider gives the impression that the Malaysian Prime Minister, Datuk Sei Najib Razak, is endorsing the concept of using a national martial arts organisation as  'third line of [national] defence' primarily against internal unauthorised political movements.

“I believe if there are evil enemies who want to attack the country from without and within, ‘anak-anak lincah’ [the members of this martial art] will rise to fight them.”

The context of the remark was that it was said at a meeting of the Pertubuhan Seni Silat Lincah Malaysia (PSSLM or Malaysian Silat Lincah Martial Arts Organisation) during which the Grand Master of the organisation, Tan Sri Omardin Mauju, commented:

“We maintain our stand to go to ‘war’ if they still want to proceed with this illegal rally. If it happens, I cannot guarantee I can control the emotions of my members because they have been taught to act when faced with opposition.”

An interesting quote on Indonesian defence strategy from a former Defence Minister

I am currently reading Monsoon by Robert Kaplan. In chapter 14, entitled 'The heart of Maritime Asia' Kaplan had a very interesting quote from the former Indonesian Minister of Defence, Juwono Sudarsono. On page 272 of my copy of the book was the following:

The strategy of the Indonesian military, Defence Minister Juwono Sudarsono told me, is one of "patience": hold the line while a middle class develops further, providing the tax revenue for a larger military, especially a navy; in the meantime, continue to participate in UN peacekeeping operations to raise international stature, and thus be morally defended by the international community.

I think this is more likely a description rather than an objective but it was the first time that I have seen this long term strategy laid out so starkly. A quick internet search did not bring up any similar public remarks so this will have to stand alone as short assessment from somebody who was at the heart of the Indonesian defence establishment.

The Hikayat Prang Sabi - A really useful text for rebellion

I was doing some reading about the early use of jihadi inspired suicide terrorism in Asia and came across reference to the Hikayat Prang Sabi-HPS (The Story of the War in the Path of God). It was a hikayat or story written in a very romantic form of verse about the Acehnese resistance to the Dutch in the 1873-1913 war. It was intended as a work to support the message of jihad of the Acehnese religious leader, Teuku Chik di Tiro (1836-91) in his fight against the Dutch.

What I found interesting was that according to the scholar Stephen Dale it was also imported into the Southern Philippines to inspire the Moros fighting the Spanish and a quick search on the web showed that it was used more recently as a source of inspiration for the Free Aceh Movement (GAM)in its fight against the central Indonesian Government. A very good examination of what the document means in regards to the Acehnese concept of war is available here.

Teuku Chik di Tiro (Sourced from here) 

South Korea and Turkey in the race to build Indonesia's two new submarines

The Indo Defense Blog had two recent articles on Indonesia's new submarine program.  One article was from South Korea and was about Korea being short listed to provide two submarines to Indonesia. That was not unexpected given the amount of defence industry cooperation between the two countries.

A South Korean shipbuilder has been picked among the final candidates to export submarines to Indonesia, officials here said Friday [01 Jul 11].

However, there was also an article from Turkey quoting an un-named Turkish Defence official claiming that Indonesia was about to sign a deal with Turkey soon to have Turkey build the submarines due to recent improvements in the Turkish shipbuilding industry.

Indonesia is expected to shake hands with Turkey soon on the production of two submarines, a Turkish Ministry of Defense official has told Today's Zaman.

Article about Australia's first student at Indonesian Army Staff College, when both countries were fighting each other

This is an article from the late 2010 edition of the Australian Defence Force Journal but timeless in the views it paints. It was written by LTCOL (Retd) Bob Lowry, who himself graduated from the Indonesian Army Command and Staff School (Sekolah Staf dan Komando Angkatan Darat - SESKOAD). In 1964 Colin East was the first foreign student to attend SESKOAD. He attended SESKOAD at a time of mounting tension between the West and Sukarno's Indonesia over the formation of Malaysia. The conflict was termed Konfrontasi by the Indonesians or Confrontation in the West. Although Australians had not deployed to Borneo, the main theatre of operations, when he started at SESKOAD in January 1964 they did deploy during that year.

The Indonesian Army will have a new Chief of Staff, the President's brother in law

The Jakarta Post is reporting that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono will appoint his brother-in-law, LTGEN Pramono Edhie Wabowo, as the next Chief of Staff of the Indonesian Army. The paper also noted the criticism about the linkage to the President and that there are health concerns because Pramono is suffering from a liver condition. A previous Jakarta Post article raised concerns about Pramono's human rights record because of his possible involvement in atrocities in East Timor in 1999. However, that article appeared to be based on this page from the Masters of Terror website, which basically clears Pramono of any obvious role. The very practical problem about having a human rights violation record is that he would risk legal action if he travelled to certain countries, including the US. That would severely restrict his usefulness as the Indonesian Army Chief of Staff.

 
General Pramono Edhie Wibowo (taken from here) 

A new site about the Dutch War in Aceh

Atchin is a new site, in Dutch, about the 1873-1914 Dutch War in Aceh. The site is still limited in its content but it does have some interesting pcitures, incluidng of the Acehnese weapons along with some information about them. I used the Google translation bar and received some very interesting takes on what the Dutch text supposedly meant. Still, it looks like it will grow and it is a new site about a little known war in an area that has seen a lot of bloodshed even up to only a few years ago. Atchin is certainly worth a visit.

Moro Armour

I have seen two sets of Moro Armour of the Southern Philippines and they caught my eye as I did not expect to see this type of armour from Southeast Asia. Although in researching this post I found photos of Bugis armour that is exactly the same as Moro armour due to links between the two groups. I am still not certain what the armour was used for as it is not well documented but I did have an interesting time finding out about it.

 
Moro armour in the Madrid Naval Museum

 
Moro armour in the Royal Armouries at Leeds

 

Mongolian invasion of Java in 1293

The Mongols were a formidable army and they conquored large parts of the Eurasian landmass while defeating a wide variety of opponents. However, Southeast Asia  and maritime operations were always problematical for the Mongols. In 1293 both these challenges existed in a single campaign, the attack on Java; it was a disaster. It was at the edge of the known world for the Mongols and proved too hard. It is a confusing story and not well covered but illustrative of what happens when a powerful force moves into unfamiliar territory and faces an enemy that fights in a different way.  

The Ottoman Military Academy in Aceh

Understandably much of the focus on the Ottoman Empire is on its clash with Western Europe. There is at least one aspect of Ottoman military power that reached out into wider Asia, the Ottoman Military Academy in Aceh on the northern tip of the island of Sumatra in what is now Indonesia. From what I understand this was the only Ottoman Military Academy established outside of the empire's confines. It was part of a broader military assistance program that was focused on blunting Portuguese expansion into Southeast Asia.

The British Invasion of Java 1811

In some respect the Napoleonic Wars were 'world wars' like those of the twentieth century where the two major wars were fought over several continents. The operations on Java originated in the conflict between Napoleon and his opponents. While fought far way from the main centres of struggle it was interesting for bringing Thomas Stamford Raffles t prominence, who would later go on to found Singapore. His governorship brought respite to the Javanese from Dutch Colonial rule and would prove a lightening rod for instability when the Dutch returned and tried to pick up from where they had left off.

This post is about the military campaign to seize Java by the British. It is a campaign that is not well known about but was conducted with much dash and skill by the British. The campaign was conducted quickly, keeping the Dutch and French forces on the run once the break-through was made.