I remember back then former foreign minister Hassan Wirajuda challenged – probably mocking — the Dutch government to follow the courageous decision of Germany, which agreed to provide more than 1.3 billion euros (US$1.44 billion) in aid to its former colony Namibia and the offspring of victims of German occupation in the past.

According to Hassan, if the Dutch were really sincere and serious in making peace with their dark history in Indonesia, they should have apologized for 350 years of their colonization here, rather than a short period between 1945 and 1949 when they tried to regain their control over Indonesia post-World War II.

Commenting on Rutte’s recent apology, Hassan said the Netherlands had made admission of guilt three times, but all referred to the atrocities committed during the revolutionary war in 1945-1949.

“The apologies are just in bits and pieces, and they did not respond to all disasters caused by the Dutch colonialism for 350 years,” said Hassan during a virtual discussion on Rutte’s apology last month.

But most people, unlike Hassan, would not make a big fuss about Rutte’s remarks. They simply are not interested in talking about the past. (Their memory is short, which is why they tend to easily forgive).

Rutte offered yet another apology to Indonesia last month after a historical review found the Dutch had used "excessive violence" in a vain attempt to restore their control over their former colony after World War II.

According to the study, the Dutch military had engaged in systematic, excessive and unethical violence during Indonesia's 1945-1949 struggle for independence. Both the Dutch government and society condoned such acts of violence.

“For the systematic and widespread extreme violence from the Dutch side in those years and the consistent looking the other way by previous governments, I apologize to the people of Indonesia,” said Rutte. “They are harsh, but unavoidable.”

He added that “the government takes full responsibility for the collective failure”.

On Aug. 15, 2006, then Dutch foreign minister Bernard Bot became the first Dutch official to apologize to Indonesia. Then on March 10, 2020, in front of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, visiting Dutch King Willem Alexander expressed his apology.

“I would like to express my regret and apologize for excessive violence on the part of the Dutch in those years,” the King said in his official speech at the Bogor Presidential Palace. He then looked at President Jokowi who was standing next to him. Jokowi broadly smiled and nodded his head, but did not make any statement in response.

Jokowi’s sincere body language reflected the attitude of most Indonesian people toward their former colonial master. At that time, the national media also did not pay any special attention to King Alexander’s apology either. All eyes were on the surging number of COVID-19 infections.

Anyway, in my view, Indonesian people do not want to become a prisoner of the bitter past. To be honest, we often envy Malaysia and Singapore, which were colonialized by the British Empire. At least they could inherit English. In comparison, during the colonial era Dutch language was spoken by a limited circle of educated indigenous people or those who worked for the Dutch.

In welcoming King Alexander, I wrote a column calling on the Dutch king to openly recognize Aug. 17, 1945 as Indonesia’s independence day, arguing that it would be a pleasant courtesy for Indonesia, which was to celebrate its 75^th anniversary of independence, and would help the Dutch make peace with their own past. 

Whether it was because of my column or not, King Alexander said his country recognized Aug. 17, 1945 as the birthday of an independent Indonesia. It took the Dutch nearly 60 years to finally accept the fact. For decades they had insisted that the sovereign state Indonesia only emerged on Dec. 27, 1949 following a negotiation that involved the United Nations in The Hague.

Unlike his mother and grandmother who visited Indonesia around Independence Day, King Alexander intentionally came to Jakarta five months before Indonesia celebrated its 75^th anniversary of independence. The Indonesian visit took King Alexander and Queen Maxima to Jakarta, Yogyakarta, North Sumatra and Kalimantan.

The king’s grandmother, Queen Juliana, and grandfather, Prince Bernhard, surprisingly received a warm welcome from a huge crowd during their historic visit in 1971. The royal couple arrived in Jakarta on Aug. 26, or nine days after Indonesia commemorated its 26^th anniversary of independence.

The Dutch had previously anticipated demonstrations would greet their queen during her Indonesian outing, but the fear was proven wrong. The queen, however, avoided official talks with then-president Soeharto, perhaps to brush aside the impression that she recognized Aug. 17, 1945 as Indonesian independence day.

In 1995, Queen Beatrix emulated her mother’s bid to forge a good relationship with Indonesia. She visited Jakarta four days after the golden jubilee of Indonesian independence.

The findings of excessive violence the Dutch forces committed in Indonesia during the revolutionary war will not however change the amicable relationship the two countries have enjoyed so far. The study could be expanded to the whole period of Dutch colonialism in Indonesia in order for the young and future generations in the Netherlands to not forget the checkered past of their country.

Indonesia has forgiven its former colonial master because the nation wants to move on and put the history of colonialization behind itself, however painful it was.

 ***

 The writer is a senior editor at The Jakarta Post.