Old ties, new meaning

Of course, it should surprise no one that for many years Indonesia's relations with the Netherlands were more impassioned than those with other countries. For over 350 years, as the popular -- though historically not quite accurate -- saying goes, that small country on the North Sea was master over the more than 17,500 islands of the Indonesian archipelago.

The first Dutchmen arrived here in 1596 as merchants in search of the source of the tropical spices that were at the time highly coveted by the rival merchant states of Europe. Either by design or through the course of developments, the Dutch ended up as masters of what they called their East Indies colonial possessions -- a situation that ended abruptly in 1942, when the Japanese imperial forces occupied this country for the remainder of World War II.

Indonesian history books are filled with accounts of wrongdoings committed by "the Dutch" at that time. To be fair, it was of course also the Dutch who introduced such Western concepts as modern education, roads, railways and other forms of infrastructure to Indonesia -- irrespective of their motives for doing so.

The important point here is that such extensive contacts, taking place over several centuries, were bound to lead to the emergence of a special relationship between the two peoples. Colonial bonds, says the Indonesian historian Onghokham, tend in the end to create a love-hate relationship loaded with a high degree of "emotional baggage." In the words of another Indonesian historian, Taufik Abdullah, "If an American shows a superior attitude here, people do not pay attention to it. But if a Dutchman acts superior, people notice it right away."

We believe such sentiments do indeed help explain emotional outbursts such as the one that nearly led to the disruption of whatever ties still remain between Indonesia and Holland. As most of us remember, Indonesia suspended all forms of Dutch aid and broke up the international aid consortium IGGI (Inter Government Group on Indonesia), which the Netherlands chaired, after repeated offensive remarks by Dutch officials about the human rights situation in Indonesia.

As it turned out, the strain proved to be not only limited in scope, but temporary in nature. At present, according to the Indonesian ambassador to The Hague, Soedarmanto Kadarisman, relations between the two countries have not only recovered, but are even stronger than before the 1992 incident. Reciprocal visits by top government personalities have lately gathered momentum. And today, Dutch Prime Minister Ruud Lubbers and his entourage are expected to arrive for a state visit.

What we find particularly heartening in this case is not so much that old wounds seem to have healed. Rather, it is the fact that a greater maturity appears to have evolved governing the country's bilateral relations. As new generations of citizens emerge, both in Indonesia and in the Netherlands, it is inevitable that the old emotional ties, in so far as they ever existed, will weaken and a new bond of understanding will have to be nurtured.

A new world order is emerging in which countries can no longer live in isolation and all must contribute to the promotion of peace and stability. The old bond between Holland and Indonesia may be no more. Yet, there is one legacy of the colonial period that may help bridge greater understanding between the two nations. That is, the storehouse of amassed knowledge that is available to the present generation, both in Holland and in Indonesia.

We feel that the visit beginning today by Prime Minister Lubbers can make a valuable contribution to that end.