Remembering victims of Indonesian amnesia
I would like to say something in the context of the commentary by Kornelius Purba published in The Jakarta Post on Aug. 8, titled Dutch treat: Who pays for the pain?
On Aug. 15 we, in the Netherlands, remember the victims of the Japanese occupation of the Netherlands Indies. This seems to be a category of victims of war that is highly neglected in Indonesia, even though there are many pure and good Indonesians in that number.
We also remember on Aug. 15 the victims of the Bersiap-period; A time of terror that, in Indonesia, is swept under the carpet totally.
And then on Aug. 17 we celebrate the proclamation of the independence of Indonesia. Only Indonesia is responsible for the content of the history books used in your country. But the fact is that until the handing over of sovereignty in 1949, according to international law the Netherlands maintained responsibility for the country and its population.
It is deeply to be deplored that a war was needed to get to this point. But it is very much a lie to hold only the Dutch responsible for this fact.
The same outcome could have been reached in a peaceful manner. This would have taken more time, but it would have saved many lives, and avoided much distress and economic damage. Even today, Indonesia is still afflicted with a violent way of thinking about social problems, from Aceh to the eastern frontier of Papua.
One of the victims of the Japanese occupation that we remember these days, as every day, is my father-in-law. An Indonesian nationalist of the first order, a friend of Soekarno (mentioned in books about the later first president of the new state). He was, before the war, many times punished in one way or another by the Dutch authorities. He continued to be an Indonesian nationalist and an opponent of injustice under the Japanese occupation. He was arrested. And after some months of torture, he was killed by the Kempetai.
His wife and children were arrested and put in a concentration camp. After the war, they could not go back to their home. They were threatened by overzealous republicans and had to be protected and evacuated by British-Indian troops.
After some forced wandering around, the family landed in the Netherlands, where the mother of his wife lived. Plans to return permanently to Indonesia were never realized.
After the war his grave, together with the entire cemetery, was destroyed by the municipality. Nothing is to be heard any more about his social and political activities before and during the war. This is, unfortunately, the way Indonesia deals with pre-republican times.
My wife is still an Indonesian nationalist, but maintains a good memory of history.
JOHAN SMIT Wassenaar, the Netherlands