The Tricks to Conquer Timor
As the people of Bangka fought against Dutch colonials, Batin Barin was busy spying for the invaders. The sign of his betrayal had become clear when he handed over two sons of Demang Singayuda to the Dutch troops.
While studying the history of the Dutch colonial period on the island of Bangka, I discovered its connection with the history of the anticolonial struggle on the island of Timor. This led me to the inventory of the Timor archive published by the National Archives of the Republic of Indonesia in 1998.
Through the Timor archive, I learned about Baki Koi or Bakikooi (the name in the archive). He was the ruler (fetter) of Takaip in the 19th century and a great warrior against Dutch colonialism on Timor Island (1855-1863). Information about his resistance was listed in the July 1855 archive: "Still about the Takaip whose fetter with residents in Soengei Leo was not willing to submit to Dutch power."
Baki Koi continued to build a resistance base. He was clever in avoiding arrest. In April 1856, the Dutch mobilized infantry troops at Babau and Pariti to storm the fortress. Again, Baki Koi escaped. Ironically, he was arrested by the people of Banka who became colonial collaborators.
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Two rebels from Bangka, Amir and his younger brother, Hamzah, were exiled to Kupang, Timor, after they surrendered to the Dutch. They became loyal Dutch collaborators and received a salary of 50 guilders every month. Their salaries were doubled to 100 guilders, because they succeeded in capturing Baki Koi, the Dutch mortal enemy.
In 2015 and 2018, two newspapers published on Bangka Island and Belitung Island, contained interviews with Hamzah’s descents in Kupang, which strengthened historical facts about the strategic role of Amir and Hamzah in the Special Operation of the arrest of Timor Fighters: They obtained the Ridder in de orde van Oranje Nassau from the Netherlands for their services in ending the resistance of Baki Koi.
Amir and Hamzah followed their father's example, Barin, until the end of their lives as loyal servants of the Dutch.
Life’s memory, collective memories and historical facts of the people of Bangka who fought against Western colonialism and pirate barbarity on Bangka Island labeled Amir, Hamzah, Barin and Anggur (Amir's grandfather) as traitors.
Bangka-Belitung was part of the Palembang state until 1812. After that, the region became a target of Western colonialism.
During the Palembang state era, Anggur and Barin betrayed their country and the people of Bangka by invading Bangka Island, namely the Riau Lingga state. Riau Lingga's troops, led by commander Raman, destroyed settlements, seized property, killed, captured and sold the Bangka people before finally being defeated by the Palembang State forces in 1804.
Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II ordered Kemas Ismail, commander of the Palembang troops, to pursue the father and son, but they ran away with commander Raman to Riau Lingga. Anggur died on a ship because of serious injuries.
The official report by Thomas Horsfield for British governor general Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles on Aug. 5, 1847, showed damages and destruction in Bangka due to attacks on the Riau Lingga state forces, led by commander Raman. This troop also consisted of pirates from various nations. The Horsfield report was published in the Journal of the Indian Archipelago and Eastern Asia, Vol 2, No. VI, in June 1848, with the title Report on the Island of Banka.
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The pirates who controlled Koba caught the Bangka people and robbed their property. These troops destroyed settlements from Tanjung Berikat to Sungailiat. Kotawaringin and Tempilang were looted. Residents were captured.
Based on Horsfield's report, Demang Singayuda was the only Palembang man who succeeded in attacking the pirates around Sungai Jering and Kotawaringin to free prisoners. The Arabs and the Chinese worked hand in hand to dispel pirates.
Barin left Lingga and returned to live on Bangka Island after receiving forgiveness from Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II. The Sultan appointed him to be a batin in the Jeruk area. He was better known as Batin Jeruk.
As the people of Bangka fought against Dutch colonials, Batin Barin was busy spying for the invaders. The sign of his betrayal had become clear when he handed over two sons of Demang Singayuda, Jaya and Jamal, to the Dutch troops.
As the people of Bangka fought against Dutch colonials, Batin Barin was busy spying for the invaders.
In 1820, Demang Singayuda died fighting against Dutch troops in Kotawaringin. Two of his sons were rescued by Cekong Muncul, his warlord, who took them to the Jeruk area. Instead of protecting the two sons of Bangka’s hero from the enemy, Barin handed them over to enemy forces in the midst of the war. After that, he negotiated with the Dutch through correspondence in order to obtain salaries, positions and the right to manage tin mines.
In contrast to Barin, who closed his eyes in prosperity and pleasure, Batin Tikal (real name Sheikh Ahmad, the heir of Sheikh Yusuf Al Makassari) was sentenced to life in Manado in 1851. His long struggle against Dutch colonialism was continued by Baki Koi in Timor by fighting against the Dutch, Amir and Hamzah.
LINDA CHRISTANTY, Woman of Letters and Cultural activist
This article was translated by Hyginus Hardoyo.