The Construction of Blang Bintang Camp on 7 September 1896 — begin van den bouw van een kampement op de Blang Bintang (Tjot Mantjang) — was the construction of a forward Dutch kampement (camp) at Blang Bintang — known also by the name of its location, Tjot Mantjang — which served as the advanced base for the first Selimoen expedition of 6–11 September 1896 and the second Selimoen expedition of 3–6 November 1896. The construction — authorised under the modified postenstelsel (system of posts) policy of the 18 July 1896 telegram of Governor-General Van der Wijck — represented the second permanent Dutch forward position beyond the geconcenteerd linie in the second semester of 1896, after the occupation of Kroeng-Raba (Lok-Nga) of 15 July 1896.
The Strategic Location
The choice of Blang Bintang (Tjot Mantjang) as the site of the second permanent Dutch forward position was determined by its strategic location. Blang Bintang — situated on the high ground between the geconcentreerde linie (concentrated line) and the XXII Moekims — commanded the principal route from Koeta-Radja to the Selimoen highlands, and its occupation gave the Dutch a strategic foothold for the projection of force into the Selimoen region. The Selimoen highlands — the centre of Acehnese resistance in the south of Groot-Atjeh — had been the object of repeated Dutch reconnaissances and tuchtigingen throughout the war, but had never been permanently occupied. The construction of the Blang Bintang camp — placed within striking distance of the Selimoen — was the preparatory step for the first Selimoen expedition of 6–11 September 1896, which had been ordered before the construction of the camp began.
The Construction and the First Selimoen Expedition
The construction of the camp began on 7 September 1896 — one day after the departure of the first Selimoen expedition on 6 September 1896. The construction was undertaken by a detachment of Genietroepen (engineers), with the protection of an infantry garrison, and the camp was sufficiently advanced by the time the first Selimoen expedition returned on 11 September 1896 to serve as its base. The camp — which would be expanded over the following weeks — became the principal Dutch forward position for the next two months, and served as the base for the second Selimoen expedition of 3–6 November 1896 and the temporary occupation of Indrapoeri of 28 October 1896.
The Authorisation under the Modified Policy
The construction of the Blang Bintang camp was authorised under the modified postenstelsel (system of posts) policy of the 18 July 1896 telegram of Governor-General Van der Wijck. The telegram had modified the geen postenstelsel policy of the conference of 18 June 1896 by authorising the bezetting dezer moekims (occupation of these mukims) on condition that voortdurende aanvulling van troepen en dwangarbeiders steeds mogelijk zullen zijn (continuous replenishment of troops and forced labourers would always be possible). The construction of Blang Bintang — like the occupation of Kroeng-Raba (Lok-Nga) before it — was thus a voorloopige (provisional) occupation, justified by the explicit authorisation of the Governor-General for the temporary occupation of points beyond the geconcentreerde linie (concentrated line).
Significance
The Construction of Blang Bintang Camp on 7 September 1896 is significant in the documentary record of ATJEH ‘96 — Tweede Deel as the second permanent Dutch forward position beyond the geconcentreerde linie (concentrated line) in the second semester of 1896. The camp — placed within striking distance of the Selimoen highlands — was the preparatory step for the first Selimoen expedition of 6–11 September 1896 and the second Selimoen expedition of 3–6 November 1896, and represented the slow, methodical extension of Dutch forward positions which characterised the pacificatie (pacification) of the second semester of 1896 under Stemfoort’s second tenure.
See Also
- ATJEH ‘96 — Tweede Deel (book by A. Kruisheer)
- J. W. Stemfoort
- Jhr. C. H. A. van der Wijck
- Blang Bintang
- Tjot Mantjang
- Occupation of Kroeng-Raba (Lok-Nga) (15 July 1896)
- First Selimoen Expedition (6–11 September 1896)
- Second Selimoen Expedition (3–6 November 1896)
- Temporary Occupation of Indrapoeri (28 October 1896)
- Stemfoort’s Second Tenure as Civiel en Militair Gouverneur (11 July – 17 November 1896)
- Notulen der conferentie van 18 Juni 1896
- Geconcentreerde Linie
- XXII Moekims
- Selimoen
- Genietroepen
- Aceh War
- 1896
- 7 September
- 1913
Source
ATJEH ‘96. Tweede Deel (2c Deel), door A. Kruisheer, Kapitein der Infanterie O.I.L., met 3 kaarten en 6 portretten (Weltevreden: N.V. Boekhandel Visser & Co, 1913). Instituut Kern, Leiden. OCR-filename: 20260715_163243_DLP-90-Atjeh_96_DLP-89-Atjeh_96_Met_3_kaarten_en_6_DOORA_KRUISHEER_Kapiteinder_Infanterie_nemoretriever-ocr-v1_OCR.txt., pp. 8, 103, 136, 240.