Better too late than never<\/p>\n
The Netherlands gave Indonesia a special gift for our 60th
\nindependence anniversary: A long overdue recognition of Aug. 17,
\n1945 as the day Indonesia reclaimed its sovereignty, rather than
\nDec. 27, 1949, when the Dutch formally handed it to the young
\nrepublican leaders.<\/p>\n
Visiting foreign minister Bernard Bot, the first ever Dutch
\ngovernment representative to come for our Independence Day
\ncelebrations, expressed "profound regret" for the military
\nviolence that took place between those two dates, when the Dutch
\nforces tried to reimpose their rule in Indonesia after the end of
\nWorld War II.<\/p>\n
As a civil nation and a good host, we Indonesians should
\ngraciously accept the gesture.<\/p>\n
Not that the issue still matters to most Indonesians.<\/p>\n
Every year for the past 59 years, we have celebrated our
\nnational day on Aug. 17, which is the day in 1945 when Sukarno
\nand Mohammad Hatta jointly proclaimed our independence. We have
\nmarked it as the day we became an independent nation. As for the
\nmilitary violence, for most of us it belongs to the history
\nbooks. It is probably still important for the few remaining
\nIndonesians who lived through those years.<\/p>\n
But since the expression of regret is limited to that period
\nin the late 1940s, it raises the question about the three-and-
\nhalf centuries that the Dutch ruled the people of this
\narchipelago, which it then called the East Indies, and ruthlessly
\ntoo according to history lessons we took at school. Shouldn't
\nthey apologize for this too?<\/p>\n
But Indonesians are a forgiving, if not forgetting lot.<\/p>\n
Mr. Bot's message, as noble and genuine as it sounds, will not
\nlikely draw much attention, let alone a passionate public debate
\nhere. The passage of time has removed most emotional ties -- good
\nand bad, love and hate -- that lingered on after the war was
\nover. Those who fought the Dutch or lived through the violent
\nyears have either died or are too old to be in a position of
\npower to have any influence.<\/p>\n
Few Indonesians use or learn the Dutch language, and English-
\nspeaking countries are the preferred choice for Indonesians
\nstudying abroad. For most present-day Indonesians, the
\nNetherlands is just another small European country, with some
\ngreat soccer stars playing for English or Spanish teams.<\/p>\n
Mr. Bot's expression of regret is more relevant for the
\nNetherlands than for Indonesia. Setting history straight is
\nimportant, and 60 years seems like a good time to review and even
\nrewrite one's own national history, with less emotional and
\npolitical baggage. You come to terms with the tragic reality of
\nhistory only when you feel comfortable. The loss of a colony was
\na tragic event for the Netherlands.<\/p>\n
Relations between the two countries have long gone past that
\nlevel where our emotions were still governed by what happened in
\nthe 1940s. Nowadays, Indonesia and the Netherlands interact as
\ntwo equals on the basis of mutual respect. The intensity of our
\nrelations are determined more by how much benefit each will get
\nout of it, and not by history or by emotional ties. That's the
\nway it should be with any relations.<\/p>\n
For what it's worth, the Dutch acceptance of our independence
\ndate and expression of regret has given closure over that tragic
\nwar between our two peoples. Let's move on.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/better-too-late-than-never-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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