Dutch Government Officially Apologized For Rawagede Massacre

Posted on Dec 12, 2011

The Dutch government officially apologized to the families of victims killed in 1947 massacre by the Dutch army in Java. Dutch ambassador to Indonesia, Tjeerd de Zwan on Friday (09/12/2011) issued a formal apology in the village Rawagede, where the Dutch troops had captured and killed around 430 men in 1947 during a bitter struggle for the independence of Indonesia.

Dutch soldiers, who fought to maintain Indonesia as a colony, stormed the Rawagede village in West Java and perform large-scale executions. Dutch officials reported 150 people were killed, but unofficial reports say that the actual death toll reached as many as 431 people.

The Dutch government however, did not prosecute any soldiers for the massacre, despite a 1948 UN report condemned the attacks as “deliberate and cruel”.

Tjeerd de Zwaan the Dutch Ambassador to Indonesia

Although no one has ever been indicted, International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague in September has ordered the Dutch government to pay compensation amounting to USD 27 thousand dollars to the nine affected families.

The Hague decided to rule in favor of the demands of seven widows and other survivors in a village east of Jakarta, which is now known as Balongsari. Widow no 8 were already passed away before the case was brought to the court which was started in 2005.

Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs, Djoko Suyanto, welcomed the decision of the Hague Tribunal, which he deems just and proper.

“Fair verdict should be welcome anywhere, and it does not involve the governments, right, in this case, the government of the Republic of Indonesia. So long as the government’s decision was through a fair court, we should respect. I do not follow the process from the beginning, because I just join in the Cabinet in the last two years” said Djoko Suyanto.

This formal apology by the Ambassador of the Netherlands is a historic decision and a breakthrough that shows the Dutch willingness to take responsibility for the disaster caused by their colonialism policies.