Janatin


Second Sergeant Usman bin Haji Muhammad Ali, better known as Janatin and Usman Janatin, was an Indonesian marine and convicted murderer.

Biography

Janatin was born in Jatisobo, Banyumas, on 18 March 1943. He graduated from middle school in 1962.
On 1 June 1962, he entered the Indonesian Marine Corps, and was appointed as one of three volunteers to serve in the military operation Komando Siaga, led by Air Force Vice Admiral Omar Dhani, during the Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation. 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 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, 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 presumably returned back to Indonesia. After seizing a motorboat, which broke down at sea, they were rescued by another boat and subsequently handed over to the Singapore Marine Police on 13 March 1965. Initially claiming to be engaged in fishing, they were however 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; both men were sentenced to death by a Singapore court. The two were hanged in Changi Prison on 17 October 1968. Janatin's remains were taken back to Indonesia and buried in Kalibata Heroes Cemetery, Jakarta.

National Heroes

They were awarded the status of Indonesian national heroes on 17 October 1968 and were posthumously promoted to one rank higher than those they held prior to their last operation.

KRI Usman-Harun (359)

In 2014, one of three ships of the Bung Tomo-class corvette of the Indonesian Navy was named after him and Thahir as the KRI Usman-Harun. The ship's name caused controversy between Indonesia and Singapore due to the bombing attack of 1963 and its immediate after-effects. Indonesia has not reversed its naming decision; in response, the Singapore government has banned the ship from entering its waters or docking in the country.