Janatin

Usman bin Haji Muhammad Ali
Born (1943-03-18)18 March 1943
Banyumas, Dutch East Indies
Died 17 October 1968(1968-10-17) (aged 25)
Singapore
Other names Janatin
Criminal charge 3 counts murder
Criminal penalty execution by hanging
Criminal status Executed
Awards National Hero of Indonesia

Second Sergeant Usman bin Haji Muhammad Ali (18 March 1943 – 17 October 1968), better known as Janatin and Usman Janatin, was an Indonesian marine and National Hero of Indonesia.

Biography

Janatin was born in Jatisobo, Banyumas, on 18 March 1943.[1][2] He graduated from his middle school in 1962.[1]

On 1 June 1962, he entered the Indonesian Marine Corps.[1] During the Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation, he was appointed as one of three volunteers to serve in a military operation called Komando Siaga (later renamed Komando Mandala Siaga), led by Vice Admiral Omar Dhani.[2][3] Then he was stationed at Sambu Island, Riau. On 8 March 1965, he, Harun Thohir, and Gani bin Arup were assigned to conduct sabotage in Singapore. Equipped with a rubber boat and 12.5 kilograms (28 lb) of explosives, they were told to bomb important building that must be determined on their own on, 10 March 1965, they targeted a civilian building, the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank building, now known as the MacDonald House, killing three and wounding at least 33 others, all of which were innocent civilians. When escaping, Janatin and Thahir went to a beach, while Gani chose a different route. Janatin and Thahir seized a motorboat, but on the sea the motorboat broke down. They were arrested by Singapore patrol squads on 13 March 1965 and convicted of murder, as they had been wearing civilian clothes at the time and had targeted a civilian building, and were sentenced to death by a Singapore court.[4]

They were sentenced to hang in Changi Prison, Singapore, on 17 October 1968. Janatin's remains were taken back to Indonesia and buried in Kalibata Heroes Cemetery, Jakarta.[5]

In 2014, one of the ships of the Bung Tomo-class corvette by the Indonesian Navy was named after him and Harun, the KRI Usman-Harun. The name however, causes controversy between Indonesia and Singapore, and Singaporean government banned the ship from berthing at their port.[6]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Sudarmanto 2007, p. 162
  2. 1 2 Komandoko 2006, p. 480
  3. ↑ Ajisaka 2008, p. 215
  4. ↑ Ajisaka 2008, p. 216
  5. ↑ Sudarmanto 2007, p. 164
  6. ↑ "Singapore: Naming Indonesian warship after marines would reopen old wounds". 7 February 2014.

Bibliography

  • Komandoko, Gamal (2006). Kisah Seratus Duapuluh Empat Pahlawan dan Pejuang Nusantara (in Indonesian). Sleman: Pustaka Widyatama. ISBN 9789796610907.
  • Ajisaka, Arya (2008). Mengenal Pahlawan Indonesia (in Indonesian) (Revised ed.). Jakarta: Kawan Pustaka. ISBN 9789797572785.
  • Sudarmanto, J. B. (2007). Jejak-Jejak Pahlawan: Perekat Kesatuan Bangsa Indonesia (in Indonesian). Jakarta: Grasindo. ISBN 9789797597160.
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