Peling Gulf: Meeting point I for Liberation Operation of West Irian

66 After maritime source, plantation source is abundant. Some plants are growth by local people as baku Banggai’s yam, kela sweet potato, bokinde corn, ndeke taro and kasubi cassava. Lowland is reserved to plant some coconut palms, chocolate, pecan and cashew. Plateau is dominated by rottan, ebony and ironwood. 9 In eastern side of gulf, the condition is best for some plantation crops as cloves, nutmeg, cacao, palms and sago. The fact has existed since a long time, even before Indonesia’s independence, some platantion crops had been cultivated as palm and sago. Calm condition and crossing position made the Peling gulf as a best position for defense strategy in liberating West Irian, or Trikora Operation. 10 Peling gulf participated in this part of Indonesian history. As Urip Santoso said, Finally, naval taskforce came at DK meeting point 1. The location is Peling Gulf in Banggai islands. We arrived there in early August 1962. While waiting for a negotiation in the United Nations, we made some combat trainings as necessary. In Peling Gulf, I got a present as an instruction to receive 2 platoons of civilian voluntarilies and five “humat torpedoes” for jibaku from Japanese language, meaning “to take suciede”. I wondered about the operation that never seen before even some briefing.” 11 Comfort condition was felt by Indonesian army that positioned in the gulf. However, it was not so for Montomisan people. In August 1962, the comfortable gulf was shocked by Indonesian’s naval forces under the command of Commodor Soedomo. Some months before, Indonesian cruiser visited the gulf. As some 9 Wisnawaty, Op.cit., p. 27. 10 I define that the most crucial thing is our combination attack on Biak with amphibious landing and airborne. The place of rendezvous is Peling Gulf, in Banggai islands. Meanwhile airborne troops in Morotai, Ambon and Makassar will strike. Thus, we collect all maritime force that positioned in Ambon and Makasar, to a meeting point in Peling Gulf. According to the instruction, at late on August 17 th , 1962, national flag must be flown on the ground of Irian. The operation is planned to work for five daus. Therefore, D-day is defined on August 12 th , 1962 the day for landing in Biak. On 8-D, all naval force has to meet in Peling Gulf. On 20-D submarines that load special troops of command RPKAD has to leave for a position between Biak and Hollandia Jayapura at present, with a task to sink enemy’s ship and land the special troops to attack Hollandia. I will depart with police’s patrol ship, accompanied with some minesweepers and anti-submarine, as a last group from Ambon to the meeting point of naval force in Peling Gulf. In this route, our trip is followed by a foreign submarine. Dwipayan and Ramadhan. SOEHARTO; Pikiran, Ucapan, dan Tindakan Saya: Otobiografi. t.t.: PT. Citra Lamtoro Gung Persada, 1989, p. 46. 11 Santoso. “Operasi Pembebasan Djayawijaya” in Sukono dkk, Dan Toch Maar; Apa Boleh Buat, Maju Terus: Ingatan dan Pengalaman ADELBORST INDONESIA 1949-1957. Jakarta: Kompas. 2009, p, 295. 6 fregattes appeared, Montomisan people was surprised. Uncountable ships came as a fiber on the surface of sea. The command of naval task force was in the hand of “Pak Domo.” 12 One of the fregattes was KRI Iskandar Muda, under Captain marine Rudy Purnawa and Mayor Sahono Soebroto. 13 After that, KRI Multatuli followed her. 14 Almost every day, at the dawn, smoke billowed in the rock hills. Some time there was a loud explosion. Montomisan people did not know that the explosion came from some bombs for voluntarily’s training. It meant that the bombs were blown up in the training. According a witness, there were eight groups of voluntarily that trained for a battle with motorboat to launch torpedo. S. Tolodo said: In Montomisan, there were some people voluntaries, but they don’t admit it. I know how to avoid to be recruited. In my teenager, I was asked three times to be voluntary by army but I refused it. Because of continous pressure, I offered a reason that I had to help my parent working in palm plantation in Montop. I went to there for working, but not for my parent. In Ambelang Gulf, I found more troops under command of Soeharto. 15 What can we get from this information? Peling gulf was not only a meeting point 1 of Trikora Operation, but with her potential nature, it had a great effect on a common people. The meeting point had a close relation with military’s strategic position, especially for a strike against West Irian. Only twelve hours, Indonesian fregattes could reach their target, Papua island. 16 On the other side, the existence of meeting point was interesting for outside immigrants to Montomisan people. Abubakar Tolodo’s testimony showed that “at that time, I saw Major Sahono Soebroto of the KRI Iskandar Muda and another persons in the fregatte. A day after, some soldiers landed in Montomisan.” 17 Their arrival can be seen from two specters, namely as a realization of army’s double 12 Interview with H. Lumangino in village of Sumondung, district of Bulagi Regency of Banggai islands, 21 Juni 2009. 13 Interview with Mohammad Saiful J. Mangopo, Firman’s, and Nasir Sadio in Montomisan, 24 Pebruari 2012. 14 Santoso, Urip. Op.cit., p. 296. 15 Interview with S. Tolodo di Montomisan, 24 Pebruari 2012. 16 Santoso, Urip. Op.cit., page. 296-297. 17 Interview with Abubakar Tolodo in Montomisan, 9 Juni 2006. 68 function for people and also as a form of recreation. On the ground, they were prepared to make an infiltration into West Irian, so they needed to have a close friendship relation with local people. Nasir Sadio informed that “ Almost every day, my parent’s house was visited by some soldiers from the fregatte that anchored in the front of village. Usually, two persons came at the dawn, returned to the fregatte in the evening. Possibly they had a leave of their task or instructed by their boss, because Pak Sahono seldom stayed in. 18 Another testimony told that every Friday and Sunday, twenty soldiers and voluntaries of Trikora landed in Montomisan. They visted for sport, as playing volley ball and football. It had a positive effect because after Trikora Operation finished on August 17 th , 1963, Montomisan was known with its volley ball sport.

IV. Trikora Operation and external influence

Before discussing on Montomisan’s further testimony about their fear toward the existence of Indonesian army as a part of Trikora Operation, some explanation is needed on the village’s history. It can be told as follow. In the past time, there was an old woman that coming to the coast. She found a water source on the coast side and take it for drink. The water had a good taste, so that she called mantamisan that meaning in Indonesian as a good taste. It was happened in the sote age. The old women came from Tokolong. After drinking it, she made a border line between sea and land, and then she swore that it would be more people on the land than on the sea. After swearing, she informed people of Kombolon that she found a water source. People who inhabited Kombolon’s hill came directly to the coast for proving it and they migrated there forever. As the Dutch colonized this region in 1940, they made an error in writing a name of Mantamisan as Montomisan. So the originality of Montomisan is Mantamisan. 19 Since the rule of King Adi Cokro-Mbumbu Haji Abdul Rachman 1900- 1922, Montomisan got a status of Batomundoan Pauno vazal from Batomundoan Banggai. New period in Montomisan’s history began in 1903, or in 1908, as this region was integrated as a part of Peling-Salakan district. It meant that Montomisan had a status of village under the Bulagi district. According to Aibin Sadili, at first before growing to be a district, Montomisan was a part of Tinangkung 18 Interview with M Saiful J Mangopo, Firman’s, and Nasir Sadio in Montomisan, 24 Pebruari 2012. 19 Village office of Montomisan, 2012. 6 district with Salakan as a capital now capital of Tinangkung district, based on Surat Keputusan Kepala Daerah Tingkat I Sulawesi Tengah governor’s decree, dated 4 Pebruari number: 01Pem1961. 20 A man who controlled Montomisan is called as Kapitan. The term applies to the present, although Montomisan is a village of Bulagi district. Between 1908 and 2009, Montomisan was under seven rulers, namely Tolodo 1908-1930, Bae Tolodo 1930-1963, Manan Tolodo 1963- 1990, Suleman Molunggui 1990-1997, Nurjad Tolodo 1997-2005, Abia Molunggui 2005-2009, and Ismadi Tumbu 2010-2015. Montomisan people was not eliminated by the coming of military uniformed persons, but they were surprised with the arrival of naval forces. Nasir Sadio remembered a such condition in the middle of 1962. There were some fregatted on the sea and experienced a flunctuative. Many people were surprised with their sudden arrival. For eight months in Peling Gulf, there were two submerines around the waters. One of them was in the central, at the other was near the coast. The interesting one is Montomisan people’s memory about their relation with Indonesian soldiers, that majority were Javanese. The relation made Montomisan people had a memory on Indonesian language. At that time, a little people of this village spoke Indonesian well. Indonesian language was more populair as Melayu language. Indonesian soldiers infiltrated into some plantations near the village to get some fruits. They asked some persons who saw them, but not every one in Montomisan spoke Indonesian well. Indonesian language was a hindrance for people who did not speak it well. Even some people tried to avoid or to take another way for not seeing with Indonesian soldier. In a such condition, it was advisable that outsider tried to learn local language it meant the visitor to this village. It was needed to maintain a good personal relation. Conversely, village’s people like Montomisan would always be inferior in the relation for a long time. 21 This phenomenon motivated people who lived around Peling Gulf, especially Montomisan, to learn Indonesian language in their daily living. 20 Sadili, Op.cit., hlm. 39. 21 Brocher, Jaques Lacan, Identitas dan Perubahan Sosial Yogyakarta: Galang Press, 2009, page. 34.