The Jakarta Post
The Dutch Ambassador to Indonesia Nikolaos van Dam expressed regret Tuesday over the Rawagede massacre 61 years ago in Karawang, West Java, which saw Dutch soldiers execute 431 Indonesians. "I am here not only because of the willingness of the Dutch Government but also the willingness of the majority of members in the Parliament," he said in Karawang on Tuesday. "The Dutch Government regrets the actions of Dutch soldiers in Rawagede in 1947. This incident was one of the worst examples of the painful and violent relationship between the Netherlands and Indonesia at that time," he said. On Dec. 9, 1947, Dutch soldiers executed 431 Rawagede villagers without trial when they did not reveal the whereabouts of an Indonesian military quarter and its leader. The massacre occurred during the 1945-1950 Dutch military re-occupation to counter the In...