Monument for 40,000 Victims

DURING 1946-1947 South Sulawesi residents experienced a dark slab. As many as 40,000 people was slaughtered in an insurgent crushing operation by Dutch special troops led by Westerling. Monument for 40,000 Victims stands as a reminder of that incident.

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HISTORY OF THE SLAUGHTER

When leaders of the independence of Indonesia negotiate with the Dutch delegations in Linggarjati (1946), resistance of people continued to uproar outside Java. Including in South Sulawesi. Shooting and attacks almost happened every night against defense posts of the Dutch army.

On November 9, 1946, the headquarters of Dutch army called KNIL in Batavia (Jakarta) decided to send special troops from the Depot Speciale Troepen (DST) in counter insurgency operations (crushing rebellion). Troops led by Captain Raymond Westerling, a Turkey bloody Dutch officer. They arrived in Makassar on December 5, 1946.

Special operations troops first action began on the evening in December 11, 1946. Its objectives are Batua village and several small villages in the east of Makassar. The area was surrounded, houses were combed, and all the people forced to came together in an open space. Nine people who attempted to flee immediately shot dead.

Westerling directly speak to the people, translated into Bugis and Makassar language. He gave a list to the head of the village consist of insurgent names. They were forced to identify the people who are in the list. In Batua, 35 peoples are accused as insurgents directly executed in place.

With the same pattern, frisk continued. In area of Tanjung Bunga, 81 people died in the night operation on December 12. In Kalukuang Village, 23 people shot dead in the operation on December 14. In Jongaya Villege, 33 people executed in the place of operation on December 16.

After they swept in Makassar, they resumed operations in areas outside of Makassar. Polombangkeng, Takalar Regency, attacked by special teams. 330 people were killed there. On December 26, Westerling forces began attacking Gowa Regency. 257 people were shot. They continued to search insurgents to Barru Regency, Parepare City, Pinrang Regency, Sidrap Regency, and Enrekang Regency.

Most terrible slaughter occurred in Galung Lombok, Barru Regency, on February 2, 1947. Some of Indonesian's Independence Movement was fallen down under bayonet, than they was shot dead. Following the peoples who gathered in the field exterminated with automatic rifle. No official report on the number of victims. But the Government of the Republic of Indonesia (RI) said thousands of people died in this place.

Special forces are drawn to Batavia in March 1947. Westerling greeted as a hero. Dutch military media mentions the year as a shining victory of the rebellion. "The Turkish Came Back," so they called.

In the same year, the Indonesian delegation speaking before the UN Security Council. Victims of the slaughter reported reached 40,000 people. But the Dutch government denied. According to them, only 3,000 people were killed. Westerling admitted he had only killed 600 peoples.(*)