Dutch PM apologises for Moluccan soldiers’ mistreatment after Indonesian independence
Rob Jetten acknowledges grief and pain of Moluccan families as crowdfunded monument unveiled in Rotterdam
TL;DR
- Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten issued a formal apology for the "heartless and dishonourable discharge" and subsequent mistreatment of Moluccan soldiers.
- Around 12,500 Moluccan soldiers and their families were evacuated to the Netherlands in 1951 after Indonesia's independence, expecting a temporary stay.
- Instead, they were involuntarily discharged, denied work and voting rights, and housed in inadequate conditions, including the former Nazi transit camp Westerbork.
- The apology was made at the unveiling of a crowdfunded national monument in Rotterdam, the arrival point for their last boat.
- Descendants of the Moluccan families have long advocated for formal recognition of the injustices, with activism in the 1970s including hostage-taking and a train hijacking.
- A forthcoming parliamentary investigation involving the Moluccan community is considered vital by the government.
- While some welcome the apology, others feel it has come too late for many who lived through the exclusion and injustice.