Another 'Westerling'

Another 'Westerling'

One day the Dutch ordered all male inhabitants of Payakumbuh
in West Sumatra, to sit close to the bridge on the broad terraces
leading down to the river Batang Agam. An important announcement
was going to be made.

After everybody was seated, eagerly awaiting the news, the
Dutch soldiers suddenly machine gunned them from the bridge. The
men tumbled over each other into the river. One of them survived
the massacre because he was sitting on the lowest step and was
covered by the dead bodies.

A monument was erected close to the bridge depicting a group
of grieving mothers, pointing to the river, where their beloved
sons had died. The bridge is called Ratapan Ibu -- "Lamenting
Mothers."

Two of my cousins, Buyung Gadang and Damanhuri, had to sit on
the rail of that same bridge, and were shot. Their teenaged
bodies fell into the river. Their sister is still alive and lives
in Jakarta.

Another cousin Mukni was taken by the Dutch and never came
back. A friend still has scars on his wrists from being
electrocuted by the Dutch.

There are many cases like this, almost every family had
members murdered by the Dutch. These were the "good old colonial
times."

YUNIAR SUTAN

RANGKAYO BASYA

Jakarta