Janatin

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 convicted murderer.

Usman bin Haji Muhammad Ali
Born(1943-03-18)18 March 1943
Banyumas, Dutch East Indies
Died17 October 1968(1968-10-17) (aged 25)
Changi Prison, Singapore
Other namesJanatin
Criminal charge(s)3 counts murder
Criminal penaltyExecution by hanging
Criminal statusExecuted
AwardsNational Hero of Indonesia

Biography

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

On 1 June 1962, he entered the Indonesian Marine Corps,[1] and was appointed as one of three volunteers to serve in the military operation Komando Siaga (later renamed Komando Mandala Siaga), led by Air Force Vice Admiral Omar Dhani, during the Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation.[2][3] Janatin was later stationed at Sambu Island, Riau.

Bombing of MacDonald House

On 8 March 1965, Janatin, 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 an important building of their own choice. On 10 March 1965, they targeted a civilian building, the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank building (now the MacDonald House), killing three and wounding at least thirty-three, all civilians.

Capture and Conviction

Janatin and Thahir subsequently escaped to a beach, while Gani disappeared and presumed returned to Indonesia. After seizing a motorboat, which broke down at sea, they were rescued by a boat, and were subsequently handed over to Singapore marine patrol boat on 13 March 1965.Initially claiming to be fishing, they were arrested and interrogated by the local police.

Janatin and Thahir were 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] The two 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]

National Heroes

They were awarded the status of Indonesian national heroes on 17 October 1968 (the same day they were hanged) and were posthumously promoted to one rank higher than those they held prior to their last operation.[6][7]

KRI Usman-Harun 359

In 2014, one of the three ships of the Bung Tomo-class corvette of the Indonesian Navy, built for Brunei but later abandoned, was named after him and Thahir, as the KRI Usman-Harun 359[8]. The name caused controversy between Indonesia and Singapore, and the Singaporean government banned the ship from entering its waters or docking in the country.[9]

References
  1. Sudarmanto 2007, p. 162
  2. Komandoko 2006, p. 480
  3. Ajisaka 2008, p. 215
  4. Ajisaka 2008, p. 216
  5. Sudarmanto 2007, p. 164
  6. "4 Fakta Harun Tahir Pahlawan Asal Bawean Yang Bikin Bangga". Berita Bawean (in Indonesian). Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  7. "Liontin Garuda, Misteri Peninggalan Harun yang tak Terungkap". SINDOnews.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  8. "KRI Usman-Harun (359)", Wikipedia bahasa Indonesia, ensiklopedia bebas (in Indonesian), 30 September 2018, retrieved 7 June 2020
  9. "Singapore: Naming Indonesian warship after marines would reopen old wounds". 7 February 2014.

Bibliography
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