Dayak Desa War

Dayak Desa War
Part of the Resistance during World War II (until 31 August 1945) and the Indonesian National Revolution (from 1945 to 1948)
Date 1945–1948[2] Location West Kalimantan
Belligerents
Empire of Japan (until 1945) Dutch East Indies (1945–1948)	Dayak Desa tribe (until 1945) Angkatan Perang Majang Desa (1945–1948)[1]
Commanders and leaders
Lieutenant Nagatani †	Pang Suma † Pang Linggan
Strength
Unknown	Unknown
Casualties and losses
Unknown	Unknown

The Dayak Desa War or Majang Desa War was an armed uprising by the Dayak Desa tribe in West Kalimantan against the Japanese Empire during World War II, and shortly thereafter by Indonesian nationalists against the Dutch East Indies. The war was initially caused by the local population's opposition against the rōmusha system and disappointment with Japanese occupation (which was initially thought to be liberation from European rule).^[3][4] In the initial phase of Japanese occupation, several Japanese companies entered the region to gain natural resources in order to support the Japanese war effort in the Pacific. Occupying Japanese forced locals to work for free for these companies, mainly in coal mining and timber production. After that, a Japanese foreman working in a company wanted to marry the daughter of Pang Linggan, a respected Dayak chief in the region, which caused more tension between locals and the Japanese. Dayak tribes in the region initiated mangkuk merah (red bowl) ritual, as a sign to mobilise men from villages and prepare for war. The Japanese were driven out of the Borneo interior in June 1945, but returned on 17 July and continued until 31 August 1945 when Japanese forces there surrendered and left the region, replaced by Allied forces including the Dutch, who would later be opposed again until recognition of Indonesian independence in 1949.