V

isiting Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte managed a politically and historically sensitive issue smartly and sensibly during his bilateral meeting with his host President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo in Jakarta on Wednesday.

The prime minister achieved his goal without causing unnecessary uproar because he avoided the use of “megaphone” diplomacy and chose “quiet” but effective diplomacy.

Rutte appeared fully aware that the disappearance of six Dutch and British shipwrecks sunk during the Battle of the Java Sea during World War II was a delicate issue for both his country and its former colony Indonesia. Bilateral ties between the two countries remain positive despite several issues over the years.

In the early 1990s, Indonesia shocked The Hague with its decision to dissolve a Dutch-led international consortium to provide loans and grants for the country.

It is natural for Indonesia to sometimes overreact about matters involving its former colonial master, while the Dutch sometimes neglect historical facts. But overall, the two countries realize they need each other as equal partners.

As reported by several international media outlets, amateur divers discovered the wrecks of three Dutch warships in 2002. An international expedition later found that the wrecks were no longer there. Scavengers apparently had illegally taken the scrap metals.

As next year will mark the 75th anniversary of the battle, the Dutch remain shocked by the facts. The Dutch government was quoted by the media as demanding that Indonesia take responsibility for neglecting the site. Britain also expressed its deep disappointment.

For the Netherlands and its allies, the battle and its ensuing defeat to the Japanese was historic because hundreds of sailors lost their lives in the clash. The shipwrecks, which lay on the seabed, should be protected and honored as war graves.

But like it or not, many Indonesians look at the issue from a totally different perspective. The Netherlands is its former colonial master, having occupied Indonesia for more than three centuries and refusing to concede Indonesia’s independence until recently.

Indonesia denied any wrongdoing because the Dutch side had never informed Indonesia about the finding and the missing shipwrecks. However, it also offers full cooperation.

Rutte thanked Indonesia for offering full cooperation in investigating the case. “I would also like to thank Indonesia for its offer to cooperate after we learned about the sad news on the shipwrecks,” Rutte said after meeting with Jokowi. “We’ll work together to find clarity about what happened and we will coordinate in the future.”

The Indonesian government should now do its part in the search for the truth.

We thank Rutte for his understanding in regard to the sensitivity of the issue. His mission to strengthen ties was accomplished.