Dutch war hero cemeteries

Recently two Dutch naval ships visited Surabaya and Jakarta.

We can read from newspapers that the crew did not go to the war-hero cemeteries in either city to pay homage to the fallen military and civilian Dutch citizens during World War II and the independence war of our country after 1945.

Actually the first category of burials can be considered for removal and reburying in Holland, as the warring between Dutch people and Japanese on our soil, is a fact of history, but it is solely something between those two nations.

But for sure those buried in the second category should be removed and buried in Holland; how can we give land and let those rest here who opposed our people by conducting a war with politionele acties (military actions) when we fought for our freedom from Dutch colonial oppression?

It is therefore reasonable that the Dutch should be urged to remove the bones and remnants to their own soil, so that our soil is free from those burials.

The whole chapter of Dutch colonial rule can only be closed completely and in peace after:

1. Apology by the Dutch government for the harm done during those years (prime minister deKok stated a while ago that he was prepared to do so).

2. Compensation for taking our wealth at suppressed prices (from plantations and spices to oil by Royal Dutch Shell and tin ore by Billiton Tin Mij.).

3. Compensation for the poor pay to coolies working to deliver goods to Dutch firms including VOC (even the Germans are doing so for this kind of malpractice during World War II).

4. Compensation for the killings (including victims of Westerling killings).

5. Return of artifacts etc. taken away to Holland.

One can clearly conclude that if the Dutch had not colonized Indonesia and taken our wealth to Holland, they would not now be in this first world industrial and developed position; at the most they would have a quarter of their present GDP as their country did not have sufficient natural resources to achieve such progress.

It is to be stressed that I am not a fanatic anti-Dutch, but I only apply the basic logic of right and wrong.

Y. SANTO

Jakarta