‘Bersiap’ exposes Dutch, Indonesia historical divide

During a visit to Indonesia in 2020, Dutch King Willem-Alexander offered a formal apology for “excessive violence” during the war of independence, but not for colonisation. He also did not recognise Indonesia’s 1945 declaration of independence. - AFP

JAKARTA (The Jakarta Post/Asia News Network): An Indonesian historian and two officials from a Dutch museum have been reported to the Dutch police over conflicting historical perspectives, which have forced the two nations to confront the violent end of Dutch colonialism in Indonesia.

Historical grudges are a mainstay in the Dutch-Indonesian relationship, due in part to the Netherlands’ ongoing refusal to recognise Indonesia’s 1945 declaration of independence, which underpins legal efforts to demand accountability for descendants of victims of war crimes, especially in the period immediately after independence.