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This conflict occurred during Achmed Sukarno’s rule, one of the most brutal dictators in history. He refused to recognize the Republic of Malaysia, and enforced war against Malaysia in Indonesia., leaving him with full responsibility of the casualties and humility that came as a result of this conflict.
This war was by no means an ordinary war that was fought in organized battles. This was a guerilla war, with secrecy and surprise attacks. Paratroopers were used in Malaysian territory, and demolition teams underwater, to attack the Singapore harbor. These methods of attack made this war hard to predict and rose the number of casualties.
Malaysia’s numerous allies led it to be a powerful foe to the recently independent nation. Malaysia at this time was the union of Malaya, Sabah, Sarawak, and Singapore until 1965. When Indonesia broke into Sabah and Sarawak, Great Britain lent a hand to Malaysia by offering much needed military aid. But, this was not the cause of Indonesia’s loss in the war.
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The Indonesian-Malaysian war had a bad effect on Indonesia as a united country. Communism split the nation by expressing the disproval for the war. In addition to the communist abduction and murder of six high ranking Indonesian generals, a failed coup d'état on September 30, 1965, that resulted in an irrational purge and sent Indonesia into darkness and discontent. The man who began the purge goes by the name of Raden Suharto, Sukarto’s general in chief. The Indonesian forces were sent to eliminate leftists and communists from the Indonesian population. The Indonesian forces consisted of the Indonesian army and right-wing Muslim political groups. It is this dissension within its own nation that cost Indonesia victory in this conflict.
The results of the Indonesian-Malaysian war were catastrophic for Indonesia, as well as Sukarno. Military resources were used during the successful effort to purge the communists, but there were not enough resources to continue the fight Malaysia. The rebellion left Indonesia no option but to agree to open peace negations at Bangkok and accept peace in 1966 with Malaysia, which from that point on was considered an independent republic. An armistice was settled on June 1, 1966, which was then followed by the formal agreement, the Treaty of Jakarta, which was signed on August 11, 1966. This war was responsible for the transition from Sukarno to Suharto. The army demanded that he give most of his authority to Suharto on March 11, 1966, leaving him with very little power after the war. Sadly, this was not the worst result.
The number of casualties was shocking and devastating. It is thought that 150,000-500,000 Indonesian communists were killed. What makes the death toll even more appalling is that a majority of the deaths occurred during a period of eight weeks after the failed coup, though the killings still occurred in 1966. The death toll in Bali (that Indonesia had control over), was at least 50,000, and on east Java, the death toll was at least 100,000. Dipoa Nusuntara Aidit, the leftist leader, was killed, and those that were not brutally murdered were imprisoned in innumerable numbers. Even by 1976, there were approximately 70,000 political prisoners imprisoned from a war and were not released until a decade ago.
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The Indonesian Malaysian war was one of the most devastating and lethal occurrences in Indonesian’s history. It was an imperialistic war that Sukarno enforced with stupidity, and resulted in a grim fate for the people of Indonesia, especially the communists. The situation from this point on, should have, but would not improve. The power change from Sukarno to Suharto was seen as an improvement, but the only thing this transition of power accomplished was the handover of power from one brutal dictator to another to come.
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