Dutch War Crimes
Sep 9th, 2008, in History, Opinion, by LairedionLairedion on the Dutch state being sued over war crimes at Rawagede, West Java.
Dutch State sued by Indonesians
On Monday 8 September 2008 10 Indonesian survivors of Dutch post WWII violence have sued the Dutch State for the assassination of their family members during the First Police Action (Agresi Militer Belanda I) after WW II. They want financial compensation, explanations and recognition for their suffering, as announced by their lawyer Mr. Gerrit Jan Pulles.
According to Pulles it is for the first time Indonesian victims of the fighting of 1945-1949 hold the Dutch State responsible. Mr. Pulles acts on behalf of ten villagers from Rawagede, West Java. They survived the bloody attack of the Dutch Army on 9 December 1947. According to the Dutch Honorary Debts Foundation, 431 (almost all the male) villagers were slaughtered. According to the Dutch Indulgence Note from 1969 150 people were killed. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced they will study the matter.
Well into 2008, 63 years after Indonesian independence, the Dutch, due to their stubbornness, ignorance and patronizing behaviour, are being haunted again by their crimes in the aftermath of Soekarno’s declaration of 17-8-45 and they rightfully should. Only just being liberated themselves from the Germans the Dutch wanted to continue the situation as it was before WWII and re-occupy their former territories now being declared independent and bearing the name Republik Indonesia.
Rawagede is one of the most notorious events in the history of Indonesian struggle for independence against the Dutch. On 9 December 1947 Dutch forces raided the West Javanese village to look for weapons and Indonesian freedom fighter Lukas Kustario who often spent time in Rawagede. They didn’t find any weapons neither did they find Lukas.
Survivors of Rawagede remember (full version of documentary linked in footnotes).
Apparently dissatisfied by their lack of success the Dutch commander directed all males to be separated from the rest in order to execute all of them, despite the fact there were some young males of 11-12 years old among them. Indonesian leaders reported the mass killing to local UN officials. The UN made an inquiry and concluded the killings were “deliberate” and “ruthless” but failed to prosecute and to have the Dutch punished and sentenced for these obvious crimes against humanity and this is still the situation today!
Last month Pulles (of mixed Indo-Dutch blood like yours truly) visited Rawagede together with people from the “Yayasan Komite Utang Kehormatan Belanda (KUKB)”, including its chairman Jeffry Pondaag, to collect witness accounts and endorsements from survivors in order to hold the Dutch State responsible.
A protest outside Dutch embassy in Jakarta.
While financial compensation is sought after it must be noted that most survivors only want the Dutch State to take moral responsibility and offer official apologies to the Indonesian people. Furthermore they do not seek punishments for the people directly involved in the killings. One survivor just wants the Dutch not to forget what has happened.
At the same time more and more Dutch veterans, haunted by the crimes and horror they experienced, are supportive of the Rawagede survivors’ claim. It is very disappointing to see that of all the Dutch political parties only the left-wing Socialist Party support the claim while the conservative-liberal VVD on behalf of MP spokesman Hans van Baalen even denied Dutch crimes against humanity in Indonesia! 63 years of ignorance and subtle racism have been persistent obviously, a disease many Western nations still suffer from.
It is because of this the KUKB has been founded by Netherlands-based Indonesian Jeffy Pondaag in 2005. They demand the Dutch government:
- to recognize 17 August 1945 as the day Indonesia became independent.
- to offer apologies to the Indonesian people for its colonialism, slavery, gross violations of human rights and crimes against humanity.
The foundation is a non-subsidized independent foundation with branches in the Netherlands and Indonesia and would be happy to accept any donations. They look after the interests of civilian victims who suffered from violence and war crimes committed by Dutch military. Their website have more information on the Rawagede story and on the infamous Raymond Westerling who murdered thousands of innocent people in South Sulawesi.
Back in 2005 Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda, obviously speaking on behalf of the Indonesian people, made it clear Indonesia is not seeking apologies or compensation from the Dutch. This reaction came after then Dutch Foreign Minister Ben Bot (who is Jakarta-born) expressed regrets and morally accepted the de-facto independence of Indonesia on 17-8-45 while he was representing the Dutch government during the festivities of Independence Day on 17-8-2005. Bot’s remarks were widely criticized in the Dutch media for being insufficient and way too short of a full apology and recognition of 17-8-45.
Of course it is irrelevant if Indonesia is demanding apologies or compensation or not. It should come from the Dutch themselves but their stubbornness and ignorance are still hindering them anno 2008. The Netherlands have constantly refused to express a full apology and recognition but were always quick to raise their finger and lecture its former colony on alleged human rights violations during the Soeharto reign.
I’m fully supportive of the Rawagede villagers and any future similar cases, seeking for Dutch responsibility, recognition and financial compensation. Evidence is clear, witnesses and next of kin are still alive, we’re dealing with war crimes, gross violation of human rights and crimes against humanity and here lies an opportunity for the Dutch to finally deal with its own past by recognizing and helping those poor villagers.
Sources and links:
News article from Dutch daily “Parool” (Dutch) : IndonesiĂ«rs klagen Nederlandse staat aan
Website of KUKB (Dutch and Indonesian): Yayasan Komite Utang Kehormatan Belanda
1948 (English) Word document approx. 7.8 MB: Report of the Rawahgedeh observation team
Broadcast of Dutch news show Netwerk with topic on this story: Netwerk 8 September 2008 (witness accounts from survivors (Dutch-Indonesian-Sundanese). Streaming media, requires broadband internet access.
827 Comments on “Dutch War Crimes”
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Arie Brand says:
Well you stick to Suharto’s “otobiografi”, no doubt a source of unadulterated truth. At any case you seem to have read it, unlike that fictitious Portuguese memoir that you have not.
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Peter says:
Quite a site.A huge mob of Anglo Ductch Zionist shills whitewashing the bloody 300 year
Zio Dutch rape of Indonesia.No one has mentioned the completely successful genocide in Banda by Jan Pietersohn Coen and his hounds. -
Anglo…Dutch…and the Jews…surely we can fit the homosexuals and the communists in there as well can’t we?
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Look forward to kicking your kosher butt,Oigal.But I must admit your historians have done a great job of burying Zio Dutch history.Have they restored that statue of Coen in Hoorn.
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Join the Petier :-). My goodness, I am shaking …no wait that was just gas.
Hmmm my historians ? and I am Dutch and a Jooow today, cool. Actually they (the historians) have been doing a great job of investigating how a vastly out numbered and logistically challenged occupied force was able to control such a vast nation. It appears then as now the Javanese elite were quickly bought off with a few beads n trinkets and they had no problem betraying the nation. You know how it goes
Petier. “Quick, look over there Shiney thing”.
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Lost a long post.Testing.
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By the way Petier, look forward in your long post on the truly excellent way the modern republic adopted the colonial business plan in East Timor, Kalimantan and Papua.
Perhaps you could ask your historians how the relative death tolls compare, I mean the TNI have made some serious attempts to make up lost ground. Oh and please don’t leave out the rape camps and genocide in East Timor as after all there is an election coming and the issue will be raised again.
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Modern history really starts with the 1492 expulsion of the Jews from Spain and the crypto Jewish funding of Columbus’ voyages.The loot and plunder that resulted strengthened the European powers and enabled the colonisation of the rest of the world.
More later.
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Indeed, cause it was only the European nations who went about building empires wasn’t it. Damn them sneaky joooows. Oh perhaps if you have time how do you spell Otterman?
I do seem to recall a couple of Asian empires not doing so bad around that time?By the way, if that’s the long post, the brief version should be a sight to see.
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This was about a third of the long post.The inhabitants of the Ottoman Empire survived.Those of the Spanish and Porugese empires did not.Big difference.
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timdog says:
Were the Mongols Jewish?
Are the Chinese also Jewish?
Did the Armenians survive? And what about the East Timorese? -
My brother, who’s in politics (and the worst kind too – he’s a bloody Liberal Democrat; our relationship is a little strained at times these days), has this line that in any debate the first person to mention Hitler/the Nazis has automatically lost the argument, and all further discussion is terminated…
You know, like “But Hitler banned foxhunting…” – “You lose; you mentioned Hitler; no, I’m not talking to you any more; NO! You know the rules…”I suppose there would be an argument for applying a similar rule to mention of the Mongols, and I did just mention the Mongols. But there are, of course, times when you do need a very blunt object…
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Pretty sure, there are a fair few Spanish speaking communities that seem to have survived. Besides shouldn’t they be speaking Yiddish? I love these guys 🙂
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History
The Jews and crypto Jews that settled in Amsterdam in the 16th century started the world’s first stock exchange in that city.They also started the infamous VOC which was the world’s first joint stock company.
Both these events occurred in 1602.In 1628 the pirate Moses Cohen Henriques helped the Dutch navy pull off history’s biggest silver heist off Cuba’s north shore.Thus part of the bullion flowing out the mines at Potosi and Zacatecas and elsewhere in South America found it’s way into the Netherlands.
The Ottoman’s took in more Jews than anyone else after the Spanish and Portugese expulsions.Their ruling elites are to this day crypto Jews.Mustafa Kemal Attaturk was a crypto Jew.Turkey is after all a NATO member.
Jan Pieterszoon Coen got busy at about this time as I recall.He exterminated the Bandanese and expropriated the nutmeg trade.He started the opium trade with Java and the rest of the “East Indies”.I have have been trying to get details of his other nastiness but there isn’t much on the net.I won’t bother asking you guys for references.
Was Coen the founder of Batavia ? Someone in the VOC founded that city after exterminating or expelling the local inhabitants.Most people in the semi colonial world are completely unaware of the misdeeds of their former masters.
The Dutch roll lasted until Oliver Cromwell readmitted the Jews into England around 1655.After the that the larger part of the action moved to London,the abode of the Rothschilds who as far as I can tell still rule the planet.
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Ah the Rothschilds..of course but are you not getting confused with the Rothschild, Royal Family, Lizard people cartel (it’s true, look it up on the web). Although it must be said that Diana was a particulary nice blue tongue.
Batavia, mmm from what I have read there weren’t to many locals to exterminate it was only the silly bloody Dutchmen who would choose to build a city in a swamp. Speaking of extermination, whilst the Dutch could and are accused of many things and in many cases quite rightly, extermination of local inhabitants would seem silly thing to say in country of 240 million (ish) and Batavia itself 10 – 20 million (depending on day, night, where you want the boundary). I mean seriously to go from extermination to 15 million in 60 years, damn those Batavia girls can get it on!
Ok, so Turkey is ruled by joows and that’s proved because they are part of NATO, ignoring the NATO and ‘oh those Russians’ (best line ever in a song), that’s a proof if ever there was one. Dem Turkey Joows is sneaky with that attacking Israel via aid ships to Palestine thing. Pretty near had me fooled except for the long Turkish noses, you can’t hide a Joow nose.
BTW What the … Is a Crypto Jew ? Is that like a Joow in code, an enigma if you will?
Keep em coming, love your work 🙂
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ET says:
Peter
If you’re such a history freak try at least try to get the names correct. It’s AtatĂĽrk and not Attaturk, wise guy. If Kemal AtatĂĽrk was a crypto Jew then Stalin was a crypto Nazi, Genghis Khan a crypto Mormon and I am a crypto Muslim. And what about Barack Obama?Oops, I said nazi.
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berlian biru says:
That’s Godwin’s Rule timdog not your bruv’s.
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Shills
Typical shill responses.I’m surprised I haven’t been accused of wearing a tin foil hat,whatever that might be.Originality is not a shill forte.Jan Coen did exterminate the inhabitants of Banda just as their cousins across the channel exterminated the native Tasmanians a couple of centuries later.Tasmania is named after a likely Jewish Dutchman Abel Tasman of the VOC.
They didn’t wipe out the Javans,though I am sure they tried.I have a photograph of a couple of wasted Javan opium addicts.I was unaware until recently that the opium trade with Java preceded the more notorious Chinese opium trade.
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Crypto Jews
Crypto Jews,also known as Marranos,Anusim,New Christians,etc were Jews that converted to Christianity in the 14th and 15th centuries in Spain and Portugal,but retained their loyalty to Judaism in private.Many of them reverted to Judaism when they got out of Spain.It was crypto Jews Luis de Santangel and Raphael Sanchez that financed Columbus’ voyages.Most of the founders of the VOC and the British East India Co were crypto Jews with Spanish and Portugese names.
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Is there a cure against crypto trolls?
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Apparently not.You are still here.
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If not then better ignore.
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Well, you know I’m kind of into my history, right?
Was Coen the founder of Batavia ? Someone in the VOC founded that city after exterminating or expelling the local inhabitants.
What actually happened was this: in 1618 the little port of Jayakarta was a vassal of the Banten Sultanate under a princeling called Wijayakrama. There was a minor Dutch outpost there, a client of a client.
However, Wijayakrama was not the most plient of vassals, and the Banten Sultan decided that it was not senisble to leave him there with the Ducth as potential allies.So, in time honoured fashion, he called on someone else to do his dirty work – he asked the captain of a British fleet then anchored off Banten to go and attack the Ducth. The British captain agreed, and off he went to the east.
Pieterszoon Coen was already there with a small fleet – he and the brits had a little tussle, then Coen ran away to Ambon to get more troops.
At this point the Brits came ashore and, bizzarrely, decided to team up with rebelious Wijayakrama to beseige the handful of drunk and diseased Dutchmen camped out in the little fortress. This they did, at the worst time of the year.At this point, the Sultan of Banten seems to have realised that getting others to do your dirty work was a bad idea; he had been rather hoping to get rid of Wijayakrama; now the little bugger was teaming up with the same mercinaries he himself had just sent there – so he sent his own army east along the coast. The British scurried back into their boats and ran away; Wijayakrama and his little court ran away into the hills and vanished from history.
The party of Dutch defenders stayed in the fort, and, the weather being terrible, the Banten Army soon lost interest and went home.
When Coen came back he found that the drunk and dying Dutch defenders had sort of taken possession of the place by default, everyone else having fled or got bored. They had also, in a moment of either desperate patriotism or malarial delusions, renamed it “Batavia”.It is, in its way, a classic story of early European involvement in Asia – rival European trading (pre-colonial) powers, rival native powers, everyone taking advantage of everyone else for their own reasons, everyone as guilty as everyone else, and the final upshot happening more or less by accident…
Still, crypto-jews are much more fun…
(I might tell you about opium later, but I’m kind of busy now)…
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Ether
I just lost another post in the ether.Thanks for your spin on the establishment of Batavia.I’ll reply later.
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Word of warning Petier to save you some embarrassment,unless you really know your history best not to go head to head with Timdog. Ari is similar albeit with an evil joows and far narrower focus fixation as well.
Best to stick with us idle passer bys like myself and ET.
Oh..and it was the Joows who exterminated the Tasmanians? Bugger and PM Rudd just apologized for all Australians. Can we take that back now and tell em it was just the Joows?
Not sure the tin foil is working..have you tried hiding in the microwave? -
Abel Tasman may have been a Jew (old testament first name).The extermination occurred later.The Jews benefited,I am sure.The Beaconsfield gold mine is named after Benjamin Disraeli.
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Yaser Antone says:
What concern me most is Crypto Criminal.
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Laugh, this is good stuff :-). Beaconsfield was named after the Brit PM at the time and Adelaide was named after that notorious Joowess and Lizard Lady Queen Adelaide. She of course was secretly working with the Elders of Zion to destroy christianity by renaming the fledging port of the north after that evolutionist Charles Darwin (it could be worse, I might hail from Beagle).
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Protocols (Second attempt)
So you are familiar with the protocols.I must admit you propagandists are well trained.
Comment on “Dutch War Crimes”.
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Arie Brand,
Your account of story reminds me of a portuguese official’s memoir in the eve of India’s annexation of Goa.
Very interesting, and indeed, full of truths.