Was Pangkalpinang The Capital City of Indonesia? These Are Facts

INDEPHEDIA.com - Indonesia has experienced several changes in the national capital, including in Yogyakarta and Bukittinggi.

However, it seems that Pangkal Pinang City (written: Pangkalpinang), Bangka Belitung Islands Province (Babel), was also the national capital.

According to various sources, the appointment was not official. This happened when the Dutch arrested the state leader in Yogyakarta on December 19, 1948.

To run the government, Mr. Sjafruddin Prawiranegara received the mandate to form the Emergency Government of the Republic of Indonesia (PDRI) in Bukittinggi, West Sumatra.

Mr. Sjafruddin Prawiranegara then became President of Indonesia for 207 days. Meanwhile, Lambertus Nicodemus Palar established RI representatives at the United Nations (UN).

With his efforts, Palar's diplomatic mission succeeded in getting the UN to pressure the Netherlands to negotiate with Indonesia.

However, at that time the Dutch did not want to negotiate with the Emergency Government of the Republic of Indonesia.

In its diplomatic efforts, the Netherlands chose to negotiate with Indonesian leaders who were exiled to Bangka from 22 December 1948 to July 1949.

The leaders included Vice President Mohammad Hatta, State Secretary AG Pringgodigdo, Chairman of the Central Indonesian National Commission (KNIP) MR Assaat and Air Force Chief of Staff Soerjadarma.

In this exile they lived in a guest house in Bukit Menumbing, West Bangka, from 22 December 1948 to July 1949.

The inscription at Taman Sari which was inaugurated by Bung Hatta on August 17, 1949. (Photo Source: inews)

At the same time, President Soekarno and Minister of Foreign Affairs Agus Salim were exiled to Wisma Ranggam, located in Muntok, West Bangka, starting February 5, 1949.

De facto, at that time the main leader of the Republic of Indonesia was in West Bangka and in exile.

In the book "Half a Century of Pangkalpinang as an Autonomous Region" (Pangkalpinang Culture and Tourism Office, 2006) it is stated that initially the negotiations were held at Wisma Menumbing.

Next, the negotiations were moved to Pangkalpinang. The location of the negotiations is now the Indonesian Tin Museum.

The negotiations at the house mainly discussed the framework of the Roem-Royen agreement.

The agreement on May 7, 1949 was followed by the Round Table Conference (KMB) in The Hague, Netherlands, which was held from August 23 to November 2, 1949.

KMB led by prime minister Dr. Willem Drees, while the head of the delegation from Indonesia, Moh Hatta.

The process of the Round Table Conference was also witnessed by one of the UNCI (United Nations Commissions for Indonesia) representatives, namely Chritchley.

It was agreed at the conference that the Netherlands recognized Indonesian sovereignty on December 27, 1949.

With the acknowledgment of the sovereignty of the Republic of Indonesia by the Netherlands, Indonesia at that time changed its state form to become a union state, namely the United Republic of Indonesia (RIS).

Apart from the designation, other proof of Pangkalpinang being the national capital is the inscription at Taman Sari.

The park which was inaugurated by Bung Hatta on August 17, 1949 is located on the north side of Merdeka Square.

The inscription monument reads the Inscription of Power of Attorney for the Return of the Republic of Indonesia to Yogyakarta, which was handed over by Ir Soekarno to Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono IX, June 1949.

A copy of the original manuscript is still kept at Wisma Menumbing. This inscription does not have a date written on it, only written in June 1949. (*)