Despite long history, Dutch community a recent phenomena

Despite long history, Dutch community a recent phenomena

Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Although the Dutch had been in Indonesia from 1602, most Dutch
communities during the colonial period only lasted until 1942,
when the Japanese invaded.

In the 17th and 18th centuries Indonesia, or the Dutch East
Indies as it was then known, was not controlled directly by the
Dutch government but by a joint-stock trading company, the Dutch
East India Company (VOC).

The VOC had been awarded a monopoly on trade in the region by
the Dutch parliament in 1602, but had no territories of its own
in Java. In 1619, the VOC conquered the small village of
Jayakarta and founded the city of Batavia (present-day Jakarta),
modeling it on Amsterdam.

Over the centuries, Dutch businesspeople and professionals
began to arrive and settle on several islands in the Indies. As
was normal in those times, the VOC often used violence to seize
islands or areas from the indigenous people so that it could
establish communities there.

For instance, when the people of the Banda Islands, well-known
in Europe for their spices, continued to sell nutmeg to English
merchants, the VOC killed or deported virtually the entire
population and repopulated the islands with troops,
professionals, servants and slaves.

A combination of involvement in local politics and wars, and
widespread corruption, caused the VOC to go bankrupt at the end
of the 18th century, and after a short British interregnum under
Thomas Stamford Raffles, the Dutch government took over VOC
assets and possessions in 1816.

More and more Dutch people came during the course of the 19th
and the first half of 20th century, with the main aim of making
money here. They formed communities on almost all the major
islands in the country. Some historians even say that the money
earned during this era was what made the Netherlands as rich as
it is.

The Dutch heyday in the Indies, which lasted for almost 350
years, abruptly ended after the arrival of Japanese troops in
1942.

"The Japanese effectively swept away everything that could
remind people of the Dutch -- good or bad. Most Dutch people and
those of Dutch-Indonesian blood left the country for the
Netherlands during the Japanese occupation," a researcher at the
University of Indonesia, Imelda K. Salim, told The Jakarta Post
recently.

She said the Netherlands' efforts to reestablish Dutch power
in Indonesia in the brief period between 1945 and 1949 was in
vain.

The anti-Western crusade waged by Soekarno in the 1950s and
1960s, and widespread government-orchestrated terror and
intimidation, effectively forced most remaining Dutch and people
of Dutch-Indonesian blood to return home, and wiped out what
Dutch communities were left.

Despite the fact that Indonesia has inherited many things from
the Dutch, including its legal and political systems, as well as
the Christian religion, most traces of the Dutch presence were
literally wiped off the face of the map.

In Jakarta, for instance, no Dutch community survives from the
colonial era in the same way as, for instance, Kampung Arab or
Kota China survive.

The re-establishment of Dutch communities in Indonesia only
became possible after the fall of Soekarno and the rise of
Soeharto in the late 1960s, who made a start on rebuilding ties
with the Netherlands.

Subsequently, many businesspeople and professionals began to
come here to tap the potential of a growing economy. To mark the
improving relations between the two nations, the Dutch Cultural
Center (Erasmus Huis) was established in 1970.

Since then, cultural ties have been nurtured and a new Dutch
community is emerging. Currently, it is estimated that there are
around 2,000 Dutch citizens in Indonesia.

The following are a number of institutions representing the
growing Dutch community in Indonesia

1. De Nederlandsche Club

Association for Dutch-speaking people in Indonesia. Throughout
the year the club organizes various events such as exhibitions,
presentations, sporting events and provides information to Dutch
expatriates in Jakarta.
On the net: http://www.dnc.or.id; Email dncjakarta@cbn.net.id

2. Indonesian-Dutch Friendship Association

Membership is limited to Dutch and Indonesian men and women.
The current membership is 150. Annual membership dues are by
donation only. Most activities are held in English or Dutch.
c/o Het Kamertje, Erasmus Huis Jl. H.R. Rasuna Said Kav.S-3
Kuningan, South Jakarta, email tbakker@abnrlaw.co.id

3. The Indonesian-Netherlands Association (INA)

This organization, which was established in 1978, is the
official Benelux Chamber of Commerce in Indonesia. The
association aims to facilitate, encourage and support business
cooperation between the two countries and has more than 250
members.
INA's Head Office: Citra Graha 7th Floor, Suite 703, Jl. Jendral
Gatot Subroto Kav. 35 - 36 Jakarta 12950, email: ina@ina.or.id

4. The Netherlands Education Center (NEC)

This center represents a large number of Netherlands
universities and vocational schools in Indonesia with the aim of
encouraging Indonesian students to pursue an international
education in the Netherlands.
Cita Graha 7th floor, Jl. Jend. Gatot Subroto kav. 35-36
Jakarta 12950, www.nec.or.id

5. The Erasmus Huis, the Dutch Cultural Center

The Erasmus Huis is the cultural center of the Netherlands in
Jakarta, with the focus being on musical programs and
exhibitions.

Jl. H.R. Rasuna Said Kav. S-3 Kuningan Jakarta 12950,
email: info@erasmushuis.or.id