Introduction

Borneo, the world’s third largest island, with an area of 427,500 square km, that is slightly bigger than California, is located at the heart of Southeast Asia. East Kalimantan, a territory that comprises the eastern portion of Borneo, is ethnically diverse as a result of transmigration being a major destination of origin for peoples from Java, Sulawesi, and South Kalimantan. The arrival of an English gentleman adventurer, James Brooke, in 1839 literally injected ‘life’ to Borneo that was hitherto little known, largely neglected, and/or overlooked, both politically and economically. In order to ensure the integrity and sustainability of Brunei, Britain granted protectorate status over the sultanate, Sarawak and North Borneo in 1888, hence was borne British Borneo. Borneo with its oilfields and installations was a prime military objective in Imperial Japan’s southern push. North Borneo was literally a wreck during the closing months of the war, and this was particularly conspicuous on the coastal fringes.