▁against ▁Australian ▁n urs es ▁and ▁British ▁and ▁Australian ▁serv ic emen ▁and ▁civ ili ans . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁Indones ian ▁National ▁Revolution , ▁republic an ▁leaders ▁Su kar no ▁and ▁H atta ▁were ▁ex iled ▁in ▁Bang ka ▁in ▁the ▁after math ▁of ▁Operation ▁Kra ai . ▁Bang ka ▁ ▁became ▁part ▁of ▁independent ▁Indones ia ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 9 . ▁The ▁island , ▁together ▁with ▁neighbor ing ▁Bel itung , ▁was ▁formerly ▁part ▁of ▁South ▁Sum atra ▁( Sum ater a ▁Sel atan ) ▁province , ▁but ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁the ▁two ▁islands ▁became ▁the ▁new ▁province ▁of ▁Bang ka - Bel itung . ▁In ▁the ▁recent ▁years , ▁tin ▁min ing ▁has ▁decl ined ▁noted ly , ▁although ▁it ▁is ▁still ▁a ▁major ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁island ' s ▁economy . ▁ ▁Bang ka ▁is ▁also ▁home ▁to ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁commun ist ▁Indones ians ▁who ▁have ▁been ▁under ▁house ▁arrest ▁since ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s ▁anti - Comm un ist ▁pur ge ▁and ▁are ▁not ▁permitted ▁to ▁leave ▁the ▁island . ▁ ▁Econom y ▁▁ ▁Since ▁c . ▁ 1 7 1 0 , ▁Bang ka ▁has ▁been ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁world ' s ▁principal ▁tin - produ cing ▁cent ers . ▁T in ▁production ▁is ▁an ▁Indones ian ▁government ▁mon opol y , ▁and ▁there ▁is ▁a ▁tin ▁sm elter ▁at ▁M unto k . ▁White ▁pe pper ▁is ▁also ▁produced ▁on ▁the ▁island . ▁ ▁Dem ograph ics