page_title: History of Bandung
section_title: Struggle for Independence
hierarchical_section_title: History of Bandung / Struggle for Independence
caption_attribution_description: Gedung Merdeka in Bandung during the Asia-Africa Conference in 1955.
context_page_description: Bandung is a city in the western part of Java island in Indonesia. Beside its own city administration, Bandung also serves as the capital of the West Java province and the seat of the chief of Bandung regency.
context_section_description: Bandung was decided as the provincial capital of West Java, after the independence.
  Since October 1945, there had been several extreme Islam groups in West Java with the main goal of establishing an Islamic state in Indonesia (Darul Islam). One of this movements was "Laskar Hitam" a militia group that kidnapped and killed Otto Iskandardinata, RI's Minister of State (1945). Other victims of similar groups: Poerdiredja, the regent of Priangan, Oekar Bratakoesoemah, the mayor of Bandung and Niti Soemantri, the leader of Indonesian national committee (KNI) in Priangan.
  Prior to the Dutch Politionele acties ("police action"), there was an ultimatum for the Indonesian combatants in Bandung to leave, given by the British military command, that temporarily (before the Dutch came back) tried to restore order. As for the answer, on March 24, 1946, the southern part of Bandung was deliberately burned down as they were leaving. This event is known as Bandung Lautan Api or "Bandung as the sea of flame". A heroic song "Halo-halo Bandung" was sung along by these hundreds of patriots.
  During the evacuation process of March 1946, a member of Indonesian militia Mohammad Toha smuggled several sticks of dynamite into a large scale ammunition dump guarded by Japanese and Dutch troops, near the Dutch military HQ in Dayeuh Kolot.
  After overpowering the guards, he put the dynamite in several warehouses full of ammunition. He then committed suicide by igniting the dynamite. The massive explosion killed him and several Dutch, Japanese troops in the area. The explosion created a small lake ("situ") in Dayeuh Kolot. The main street in the area is called "Mohammad Toha Street".
caption: Gedung Merdeka during the Asian-African Conference in 1955
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