Mandau Brigades
| Mandau Brigades | |
|---|---|
| Brigad Mandau | |
 Flag of the Frontier Defence Forces Central Command | |
| Leader | Tawi Riwut |
| Country |  Capuria |
| Ideology | Anti-councilism Orang Ulu interests |
| Size | 200,000 (est.) |
| Part of | Capurian Armed Forces |
| Opponents | Pro-Surubon militias |
| Battles and wars | Capurian Civil War Capurian Coup d'Etats Internal Conflict in Capuria |
The Frontier Defence Forces (Belaw: Pasukan Pertahanan Pertemenggongan), more commonly referred to as the Mandau Brigades (Belaw: Brigad Mandau) after the traditional mandau, a machete-type sword weapon wielded by the original groups, are an officially recognised paramilitary branch of the Capurian Armed Forces. Largely comprised of loosely-organised militias drawn from Orang Ulu tribal groups, the Mandau Brigades have evolved from rudimentary and unofficial village protection units to a significant armed force.
History
Origins
During the colonial period, the Gaullican administration had maintained a loose degree of control over highland regions of Capuria due to the difficult terrain and sparse population, preferring to bribe village headmen by educating their children and recognising their authority. Law enforcement was maintained by the Gendarmerie montagnarde, which drew its recruits from Orang Ulu tribes and provided one of the major employment opportunities available to the sons of notables. This formation was subsequently absorbed into the mandate's law enforcement service, administering the inland of the whole island. Due to its links to tribal aristocracies, the newly renamed Internal Gendarmerie gained a reputation for opposing Councillism as well as violence. As BAHSUPAN-linked agitation grew across the island, the Internal Gendarmerie was increasingly deployed to bolster urban police units, particularly in the majority-Pelangi north. This led to further politicisation and tension, with the Capurian Democratic Transitory Administration forced by public pressure to dissolve the formation officially. The end of the gendarmerie left a large number of newly-unemployed and well armed highland youths with an anti-Councillist ideology, which would prove important as the civil war began to unfold.
Capurian Civil War
The outbreak of hostilities following Capuria's abortive electoral attempt led to violence across the island, as socialist revolutionaries clashed with the AFR-backed central government. The initial stages of fighting were primarily confined to urban areas, with the hinterland avoiding involvement. However, as the frontlines began to be drawn up and conventional routes fortified, these dense jungles became a vital corridor for troop and supply movement for both sides. Socialist cadres were particularly violent towards many of the village headmen, who were seen as presiding over semi-feudal systems of local governance. On the 18th of September 1958, a group of fighters associated with the socialist north perpetuated a massacre in the village of Gunung Serindit, eastern Kuala Terubuk. Though reports were varied, with some claiming that the massacre had instead been perpetrated by opportunistic highlanders avenging a blood feud, the incident nonetheless prompted panic among many highland villages. Due to the dissolved internal gendarmery there was an abundance of trained fighters and weapons in the area, leading to a plethora of armed groups emerging during this time. Though alliegances were fluid and often revolved around tribal politics, the pressures of collectivisation would push the bulk of highland fighters to side with the Capurian government.
These tribal units were not incorporated within the structures of the Capurian armed forces, which was itself in a process of rapid reform under the support of the limited number of Asterian military advisors left in the country. Instead, affiliation was on a personal basis and indigenous units operated largely autonomously of any central authority. They often operated in a supporting role to more conventionally trained and armed units of the army, particularly as guides or scouts. Nonetheless, these Mandau formations played a key role in engagements from 1961 as Capurian forces were more able to make use of their abilities. Notable battles in which Mandau brigades played a key role included the Battle of Nyang ridge, where irregular scouts were able to infiltrate behind Surubonese lines and sabotage armoured support, allowing Capurian forces to recapture the strategic high point and stopping the Capurian front from being split in two.
One of the hallmarks of the Mandau brigades during the civil war was the use of guerilla warfare tactics such as booby traps. Largely drawn from traditional hunters, the Orang Ulu fighters excelled in their bushcraft to employ ambushes and fashion surprise attacks. Popular booby traps included the notorious tungkat harimau, or "tiger stick", pit traps where unsuspecting victims would fall onto a wooden stake that would be smeared with improvised toxins. They also employed psychological warfare, practising ritual headhunting and displaying the trophies taken from dead Surubonese soldiers on crossroads or outside longhouses to serve as a warning to their enemies. While this practice was strongly condemned by international observers, it would continue for the length of the conflict and has only been officially banned following the end of direct hostilities in 1964.
Contemporary
