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