The Indonesian need of arms after the proclamation of independence

Abstract

At the time Sukarno and Hatta proclaimed Indonesia's independence on 17 August 1945, considerable numbers of arms were actually in Indonesian hands (Wagner 1988:119). In 1943 the Japanese had established the Indo nesian PETA, in Java comprising 66 battalions.1 Besides, there were the heiho (in my previous articles incorrectly spelled heih?), the Indonesian auxiliary forces, amounting to 25,000 troops.2 In addition there were 24,000 lightly armed Indonesian police with their better equipped Tokubetsu Keisatsutai (special police units), with a total of 15,000 revolvers, 10,000 rifles and 80 machine guns at their disposal (Miyamoto 1973:60, 1986:340; Remmelink 1978:53). This advantageous starting-position of the fledgling republic was not to last long, however. At noon on 17 August, very shortly after Sukarno had made the pro clamation, the Gunshireikan (Japanese army commander), Lieutenant Gen eral Nagano, issued Army Operation Order No. 1113, ordering the East,