Netherlands may debate colonialism after 50 years
Netherlands may debate colonialism after 50 years
THE HAGUE (AFP): A proposal being floated in the Netherlands
for a national debate on the role of Dutch troops during the
Indonesian war of independence has found little popular support
and provoked the furor of Dutch army veterans.
The idea surfaced after the uproar created at the end of last
year by the decision to grant a visa to a former Dutch soldier
who defected to the Indonesians during the four-year conflict
which lasted from 1945 to 1949.
The arrival of "Poncke" Princen, who many still regard as a
traitor, reopened old scars and prompted calls for a national
debate to "lance the abscess" and clear the air once and for all
with Indonesia, the former Dutch East Indies.
Proponents of the debate say it will improve the atmosphere
ahead of a milestone state visit which Queen Beatrix is due to
pay to Indonesia in the summer.
Dutch Cooperation Minister Jan Pronk, who was the first to ask
his countrymen to "examine their consciences" over the colonial
war, said squarely that the decision to send troops to crush
Indonesia's bid for independence was a "mistake".
He accused the political establishment of the time of being
"guilty of the excesses" committed by Dutch troops. Pronk said
the mission given to Dutch soldiers was "an impossible and
senseless task" because "it was not possible to halt the
decolonization process".
Asked whether he thought the 6,000 Dutch soldiers killed in
Indonesia had died in vain, Pronk said "Yes. It is painful to
admit it but we cannot keep it quiet."
Indonesia, which had been a Dutch possession for four
centuries, proclaimed its independence on Aug. 17, 1945, shortly
after Japanese occupying forces had capitulated.
The first reaction of the Dutch, who were loathe to cut all
ties with their former colony, was to propose forming a Dutch-
Indonesian union but the idea was dropped due to continued
Indonesian nationalist resistance.
In July and August 1947 and again in December 1948, the Dutch
army intervened to "restore order" in Indonesia, killing more
than 100,000 Indonesians in the process.
Under pressure from the United Nations, the Netherlands
finally recognized Indonesia's independence on Dec. 9, 1949.
Ever since, the two countries have maintained an ambiguous
"love-hate" relationship. While the Dutch generally get on well
with ordinary Indonesians, political relations have often been
stormy.
The Hague has traditionally conditioned its economic aid to
Jakarta to respect for human rights by the Indonesian regime,
particularly with regard to East Timor.
It is far from certain that soul-searching on a national level
would do anything to change this attitude.
Prime Minister Wim Kok warned against judging actions in the
past by today's standards and even the Indonesian embassy here
was unenthusiastic about digging up old grievances.
Future
"It is forgotten, forgiven. Let us talk about the future
instead," a diplomat said.
Kok said the situation today was "radically different from
that of 50 years ago," although he said he was not opposed to "an
exchange of views" at national level.
Ordinary people have voiced scant enthusiasm for the idea and
an opinion poll carried out by the NIPO institute showed that 53
percent of those questioned thought the whole scheme was useless.
A third said they thought the Dutch military intervention in
Indonesia had been wrong while 49 percent thought it was quite
possible that Dutch troops had committed war crimes in Indonesia.
The most outspoken critics have been the veterans of the four-
year conflict. They say they want more from the government and
from parliament than a debate.
"We want to be respected," said Jan Dijkema, president of the
East Indies Veterans' Association.
"The accusations and slanderous writings about us must stop.
We only did our duty. As for the authorities responsible, they
kept well out of it," he said.
Some veterans even threatened to kill Princen when he came
back to the country of his birth in December to spend Christmas
with his relatives. Princen, 69, who is now a human rights
campaigner in his adopted country, is partially paralyzed and is
suffering from skin cancer.
He was given his visa on the condition that he made no
political statements during his stay.