Violent history: Young men from the Laskar Bambu Runcing stand ready with spears to fight against the Dutch forces in Indonesia in 1946. – ANRI/IPPHOS/Handout via Reuters
AS a second-generation free Indonesian, ever since the beginning of my professional life in the Netherlands some 30 years ago, I have felt blessed to have gained new insights into history when searching for explanations for surprises in my encounters with the Dutch people.
“During my vacation, I visited Fort Vredeburg museum in Yogyakarta. What a terrible exhibition. The Dutch were presented like the Germans occupying Holland. Look at our legacy! Railroads, plantations, buildings, bridges, irrigation!” a Dutch acquaintance once complained to me.
