Post colonial relations<\/p>\n
My salute to Ms. Nanny Djali for her letter in this paper's
\nNov. 9, 1994 issue. She did what many of us ought to do to
\ncounter Mr. de Kort's contorted perception of history.<\/p>\n
Every time one of his letters appears in The Jakarta Post I
\nhave a strong urge to blast back, but each time I was restrained
\nby the realization: Why waste so much energy, emotion and time on
\nthis issue and his nonsense. But reading Ms. Djali's well-founded
\nand eloquent response I cannot refrain from joining the fray
\nwith some remarks of my own.<\/p>\n
As a veteran of the independence struggle and witness to many
\nof the events leading to the collapse of the Dutch colonial
\nregime, I was particularly offended by his assertion that
\nindependence was not won by the Indonesian military but solely by
\nthe skill and success of the Indonesian diplomats\/negotiators
\nwho, according to Mr. de Kort, were so clever because of their
\nDutch education. I cannot find anything more ridiculous.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian National Military Forces were very poorly
\nequipped, but we still succeeded in disrupting the Royal
\nNetherlands East Indies Army mining operations on several
\noccasions, ambushing and destroying their convoys, patrols and
\ntroop concentrations. Mr. de Kort needs only to inquire at the
\nNederlanse gravendienst (or whatever its name) as to the number
\nof Netherlands war dead buried in several cemeteries.<\/p>\n
Many of our diplomats, indeed most of them were, Dutch
\neducated in that period. But their professional skill and
\nperformance in defeating their Dutch adversaries were not the
\ndirect product of education but more of their strong motivation
\nthat was, in turn, inspired by the conviction that they were
\nfighting for a just cause.<\/p>\n
More over their victories at the negotiating table were only
\nmade possible because their position was bolstered by the
\nachievements of the military in the field, for example the large
\nscale attack led by Lt. Col. Soeharto ousting Dutch forces from
\nthe RI capital of Yogyakarta on the eve of the UN mediated cease
\nfire.<\/p>\n
The myths cherished by colonial types like Mr. de Kort are
\ntypically the product of their morbid superiority complexes and
\narrogance.<\/p>\n
I join Ms Djali's call for more honesty and fairness in
\njudging past differences, at the same time banishing them from
\nour present frame of mind, clearing the way towards building new,
\nhealthier and mutually beneficent relations which are already
\nunderway, spearheaded by post-colonial exponents on both sides.<\/p>\n
R. SUNARYO<\/p>\n
Jakarta<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/post-colonial-relations-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }