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| Relatives of survivors broke down in tears when the ambassador apologised |
The Dutch
government has apologised for a massacre committed by its soldiers in Indonesia
in 1947, as the country fought for independence.
Dutch
ambassador Tjeerd de Zwaan spoke at a ceremony in Balongsari village, formerly
known as Rawagede, where at least 150 people were killed.
He said the
massacre was a tragedy and apologised in English and Indonesian.
Earlier
this year, a court in the Netherlands ordered the government to pay
compensation over the killings.
The case
was brought by relatives of those who were killed.
Reports
said the Netherlands would pay 20,000 euros to the relatives, but lawyers say
the exact figure is still being negotiated.
The BBC's
Karishma Vaswani in Balongsari says the ruling is expected to lead to more
claims from Indonesians who were mistreated during the Netherlands' colonial
rule.
Mr de Zwaan
said he hoped the formal apology would allow the families of the victims of the
tragedy to close an exceedingly difficult chapter of their lives.
"On
behalf of the Dutch government, I apologise for the tragedy that took place in
Rawagede on the 9th of December, 1947," he said.
When he
repeated the apology in Indonesian, some relatives of the victims broke down in
tears.
The
Netherlands had previously expressed regret over the killings, but never
formally apologised.
Most of
current-day Indonesia was ruled by the Netherlands from the 19th Century until
World War II, when the Japanese army forced out the Dutch.
When the
Dutch attempted to reassert control after the defeat of the Japanese, they met
fierce resistance.
The
Netherlands finally recognised Indonesia's independence in 1949.
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The Dutch
ambassador to Indonesia, Tjeerd de Zwaan (left),
meets widows of Rawagede
massacre victims.Photograph:
Romeo Gacad/AFP/Getty Images |
Related Articles:
Slowly but Surely, Dutch Are Coming to Terms With the Colonial Past
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| Widows of Rawagede massacre victims (Photo: RNW/Michel Maas) |
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