▁the ▁Napole onic ▁Wars ▁British ▁forces ▁captured ▁the ▁islands ▁in ▁ 1 8 1 0 ▁and ▁held ▁them ▁for ▁over ▁four ▁years . ▁In ▁that ▁time ▁they ▁up root ed ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁sp ice ▁trees ▁for ▁trans plant ation ▁throughout ▁the ▁British ▁Empire . ▁ ▁After ▁Indones ian ▁independence ▁ ▁With ▁the ▁declaration ▁of ▁a ▁single ▁republic ▁of ▁Indones ia ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 0 ▁to ▁replace ▁the ▁federal ▁state , ▁a ▁Republic ▁of ▁South ▁Mal u ku ▁( Rep ublik ▁Mal u ku ▁Sel atan , ▁R MS ) ▁was ▁declared ▁and ▁attempted ▁to ▁se ced e . ▁and ▁led ▁by ▁Chris ▁Sou m ok il ▁( former ▁Supreme ▁Pro sec utor ▁of ▁the ▁Eastern ▁Indones ia ▁state ) ▁and ▁supported ▁by ▁the ▁Mol u cc an ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁Netherlands ▁special ▁troops . ▁This ▁movement ▁was ▁defeated ▁by ▁the ▁Indones ian ▁army ▁and ▁by ▁special ▁agreement ▁with ▁the ▁Netherlands ▁the ▁troops ▁were ▁transferred ▁to ▁the ▁Netherlands . ▁ ▁Mal u ku ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁provinces ▁of ▁Indones ia , ▁proc laimed ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 5 ▁until ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁when ▁the ▁Mal u ku ▁Ut ara ▁and ▁Hal ma h era ▁T eng ah ▁Reg encies ▁were ▁split ▁off ▁as ▁a ▁separate ▁province ▁of ▁North ▁Mal u ku . ▁Its ▁capital ▁used ▁to ▁be ▁T ern ate , ▁on ▁a ▁small ▁island ▁to ▁the ▁west ▁of ▁the ▁large ▁island ▁of ▁Hal ma h era , ▁but ▁has ▁been ▁moved ▁to ▁Sof ifi