(Photo: AWM)
August 11, 2016
Thursday marks the 50th anniversary of the end of the Indonesian Confrontation (Konfrontasi), an undeclared war fought between Commonwealth forces – including Australian troops – and Indonesia along the Malaysian-Indonesian frontier on the island of Borneo.
The Confrontation lasted from 1963 to 1966.
The Australian personnel joined British, Commonwealth and Malaysian forces to repel cross-border raids by Indonesian troops seeking to destabilise the newly federated state of Malaysia.
Many of the cross-border incursions were secret at the time and received little publicity in the media, so Australians these days have almost no knowledge of the conflict.
However, 21 Australians troops died during the operations, including several killed by land mines.
Soldiers from 3RAR and 4RAR served in Borneo as well as two squadrons of SAS troops, signallers, engineers and several artillery batteries. Ships from the Royal Australian Navy and several RAAF squadrons were also involved in the Confrontation.
“Today we remember the service and sacrifice of the Australians on Borneo 50 years ago,” Veterans’ Affairs Minister Dan Tehan said on Thursday.
“Our troops were sent to protect Malaysia against external attack – which they did against Indonesian paratroop and amphibious raids on the Malayan Peninsula, and against Indonesian infantry in operations on Borneo.”
“It is a reminder that the men and women who serve in defence of our country are called on to do their duty in a variety of forms and as a nation we honour them all.”
- External link: Indonesian Confrontation (Australian War Memorial)
