HISTORY OF BANGKA ISLAND

During the 17th Century, Hindu people from Siantan and Johor of Malaysia inhabited Bangka Island. Subsequently it was occupied by Sriwijaya Kingdom (686 AD) who was written "Wangka" which means "Tin" on a stone, that's why Bangka Island is also called "Tin Island", the stone was found in the Western part of the island, near Kota Kapur, now the stone still can be seen at the National Museum in Jakarta.

Bangka was ceded to Britain by sultan of Palembang in 1812, but in 1814 it was exchanged with the Dutch for Cochin in India. The Japanese from 1942 to 1945 occupied the island. It became part of Indonesia independent in 1949. The island, together with neighboring Belitung, was formerly part of South Sumatra province, but in 2000 the two islands became the new province of Bangka-Belitung. Bangka is famous for two other events; the Banka Island Massacre in WWII by the Japanese of Australian Nurses and as reputedly the setting for the book "Lord Jim" by Joseph Conrad. Bangka is also home to a number of Indonesians communist that has been under house arrest since the 1960's and are not permitted to leave the island.