Dutch quarrel over Indonesian independence day

NRC International, 28 December 2009 13:38, by our news staff

Should the Dutch retroactively recognise Indonesia's independence was established in 1945, not 1949, is a question currently being debated in the Netherlands. The 60th anniversary of Indonesia's independence came and went in silence on Sunday. While the official day in Dutch history books may be December 27, 1949, Indonesians celebrate their independence on August 17. On that day in 1945 nationalist leaders Sukarno and Mohammad Hatta proclaimed Indonesian independence.

Indonesian Vice-president Hatta and Dutch Queen Juliana at the signing ceremony in The Hague at which the Dutch recognized Indonesian sovereignty. (27 December 1949)

Colonial rule over the Dutch East Indies had been suspended during the Second World War, when Japan invaded and occupied the Indonesian territories. Sukarno and Hatta declared independence of the Republic of Indonesia days after Japan surrendered in August 1945, but the Dutch refused to recognise the newborn nation. The Netherlands tried to reestablish its rule, but finally relinquished under international pressure four years later.

In a letter published in NRC Handelsblad last week, 22 prominent writers, historians and lawyers asked the Dutch government to finally recognise the proclamation in 1945 was a legitimate act. "The Indonesian people themselves decided on their independence," they wrote.

The Dutch foreign ministry, however, immediately responded by saying the independence only became official after sovereignty was handed over. "The actual transfer of sovereignty took place on December 27, 1949 (...). This is an established historical fact that can not be changed 60 years later," a statement issued by the ministry read.

Not only do the authors of the letter want the Dutch government to retroactively recognise Indonesia’s independence, they say it needs to render account of its armed and political actions between 1945 and 1949. "The lack of full political recognition by the Netherlands is a historic failure we consider unjust towards the people of Indonesia."

The foreign ministry responded saying the Netherlands had "politically and morally" accepted the historic date of August 17, 1945, when then foreign minister Ben Bot attended the independence celebrations in Jakarta in 2005.

The authors say the Indonesian people did see Bot's apology there as an implicit recognition, but they are still waiting for an official one.

Related Articles:

Indonesian call for Dutch gateway to Europe

Afscheid van 'Indië'

"Change Indonesian independence to 1945"

RI, Netherlands ink accord

Minister Bernard Bot to visit Indonesia (Aug 15th, 2005)

Indonesian independence day: Netherlands accepts 1945 (Aug 17th, 2005)

“With the support of the Dutch government I will impress upon the Indonesian people that the Netherlands understands that de facto independence started on August 17, 1945 and that we – 60 years after the fact – accept this fact generously in a moral and political sense.”
Foreign Minister Ben Bot

(Aug 17th, 2005)

Indonesian honorary medal for NIMD governors

Indonesia, Netherlands tailoring taut bilateral relations

Indonesian Ambassador to the Netherlands,
Junus Effendi Habibie (Interview: March 05, 2007)