▁roles ▁in ▁fighting ▁against ▁the ▁Dutch ▁and ▁Mal ay ▁s ult ans ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 9 4 6 ▁East ▁Sum atra ▁Social ▁Revolution . ▁ ▁Al lied ▁Land ings , ▁Local ▁Str ugg les ▁and ▁Period ▁of ▁Un certain ty ▁( L ate ▁ 1 9 4 5 ▁- ▁ 1 9 4 6 ) ▁After ▁the ▁Japanese ▁surrender ed , ▁the ▁independence ▁of ▁Indones ia ▁was ▁declared ▁in ▁Jak arta ▁and ▁Su kar no ▁was ▁chosen ▁as ▁the ▁president ▁of ▁a ▁new ▁republic . ▁Sum atra ▁was ▁then ▁declared ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁province ▁of ▁the ▁new ▁republic ▁and ▁Med an ▁was ▁chosen ▁as ▁its ▁capital . ▁Despite ▁this , ▁many ▁leaders ▁were ▁wor ried ▁about ▁the ▁possibility ▁of ▁the ▁Dutch ▁returning ▁and ▁of ▁the ▁Mal ay ▁arist ocr ats ▁reg aining ▁their ▁former ▁power . ▁Many ▁of ▁the ▁Japanese - tra ined ▁p em uda ▁were ▁then ▁rec ru ited ▁into ▁inform al ▁organizations ▁such ▁as ▁Bad an ▁O ento ek ▁M emb ant or ▁P ert ah an an ▁Asia ▁( Body ▁for ▁Ass isting ▁the ▁Def ence ▁of ▁Asia ▁/ ▁BO MP A ) ▁and ▁Pers atu an ▁P em uda ▁L ati han ▁( Tra ined ▁Youth ▁Association ) ▁to ▁defend ▁the ▁Republic ▁under ▁the ▁arrangement ▁of ▁X ar im ▁M . S ▁– ▁the ▁exec utor ▁for ▁former ▁BO MP A ▁property . ▁ ▁Before ▁the ▁land ings ▁of ▁the ▁Al lied ▁( B rit ish ) ▁forces , ▁these ▁young ▁p em uda ▁were ▁act ively