Remembering victims of RI amnesia

Remembering victims of RI 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