Students press demand for apology from Dutch
Students press demand for apology from Dutch
JAKARTA (JP): As Queen Beatrix reveled in a tour of the
Yogyakarta Palace, students here in the capital held another
demonstration calling on the Dutch to apologize for the colonial
past.
On the fifth day of her visit to Indonesia, Beatrix toured
yesterday the grounds and museums of the royal palace of the
Sultan of Yogyakarta, which contain many colonial artifacts.
Antara reported that, on seeing the many Dutch exhibits,
Beatrix remarked: "This all demonstrates the closeness of the
kingdoms in the past."
Beatrix is currently on an 11-day visit to Indonesia which
will take her to no less than six provinces.
Earlier in the day, Beatrix went to the Prambanan temple and
visited a family welfare center in Caturhardjo village.
She left Yogyakarta yesterday afternoon, traveling to Manado,
North Sulawesi.
Meanwhile in Jakarta, about 50 students from the University of
Indonesia staged a demonstration demanding that Queen Beatrix, on
behalf of the Netherlands government, apologize to Indonesia for
the Dutch colonization of Indonesia and recognize Indonesia's
independence as dating from Aug. 17, 1945.
After being a Dutch colony for nearly 350 years, Indonesia
declared independence in 1945. However the Netherlands did not
formally concede Indonesia's sovereignty until 1949.
Yesterday's demonstration, held in front of the university's
School of Social and Political Sciences in Depok, South Jakarta,
was a continuation of Monday's protest, held near the
Presidential Palace.
Ahmad Rivai, one of four students detained by police for
several hours during Monday's protest, said at yesterday's
demonstration he did not understand the government's reluctance
to demand an apology for Dutch colonial oppression.
"It's very naive to forget and forgive the Netherlands only
because they are helping us financially," he said
Rivai also criticized a statement by legislator Aminullah
Ibrahim of the Armed Forces faction at the House of
Representatives saying it was odd to demand a recognition of 1945
as the date of independence after receiving Dutch aid.
"Even if the Netherlands keeps giving us aid, it won't cover
all the things they took from us," Rivai remarked.
The students also demanded the government repeal all colonial
laws still in force in Indonesia, including the unpopular haatzai
artikelen, which is being used to detain members of the
underground Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI).
Many colonial laws have been adopted and refined by the
government as the basis of state law in Indonesia.
"We have to oppose any colonial practices including old laws
that are colonizing our own people," said Sugianto, a student
from the School of Letters who also was apprehended during
Monday's protest.
Yesterday's demonstration ended with the reading of a petition
signed by 50 students demanding cessation of colonial practices
which contradict the spirit of the 1945 proclamation of
independence. (23/mds)