Top Dutch diplomat gets RI honor

JAKARTA (JP): Former Dutch ambassador to Indonesia, Jan Herman Robert Dudley van Roijen, received on Wednesday the Jasa Utama Star from the Indonesian government in recognition of his meritorious services during his term in Jakarta from 1992 to 1994.

The award was presented on behalf of President Soeharto by Indonesia's ambassador to the Netherlands, Soedarmanto Kadarisman, at his office in The Hague, on Wednesday night, Antara reported yesterday.

Soedarmanto said at the ceremony that Van Roijen's ambassadorship helped put relations between Indonesia and the Netherlands on a new, "more natural" footing, following a brief row in 1992.

Relations between the two countries were shaken in that year when Indonesia decided to reject further offers of Dutch financial assistance, citing The Hague's continuous interference in its domestic affairs as the main reason.

Kadarisman said bilateral relations were restored quickly afterwards, thanks to the hard work of various people to rebuild the ties based on mutual respect for each other's sovereignty and more mutually beneficial cooperation.

"Van Roijen is regarded by the Indonesian government as one of those individuals who played an important role in starting a new era in Indonesia-Netherlands relations," he said.

He added that the planned visit by Queen Beatrix to Indonesia next month is the culmination of the improving relations.

Van Roijen served twice in the Dutch embassy in Jakarta. His first was from 1965 to 1967 as third secretary.

The ambassador is the son of Dr. Van Roijen, the Dutch chief negotiator in the roundtable talks with Indonesian republican leaders in 1949 that ended a four-year bloody war between the two countries that was started when the Dutch tried to reimpose its colonial rule after the World War II.

The award presentation ceremony was attended by a number of Dutch top officials, including Piet Bukman, a former cabinet minister who now serves in the Dutch lower House. Dutch parliamentary speaker Hd. Tjeenk Willink also attended the reception, Antara reported. (emb)