26 November 2008
 
Netherlands’ dirty guerrilla war
Trouw writes about the “dirty guerrilla war” which the Netherlands fought in its former colony of Indonesia between 1945 and 1949. The most well-known example of Dutch “excesses” is the village of Rawagede, where according to the Indonesians 431 unarmed men and boys were shot dead by Dutch soldiers on 7 December 1947.

Not a single Dutch soldier was killed or injured. Rawagede has recently been in the news because nine widows and a man who escaped the executions are demanding compensation as well as an apology from the Dutch government.
 
“International observers who carried out an investigation at the scene at the start of 1948 described the Dutch action as deliberate and ruthless.”

 Trouw adds that “many dozens of such events” took place during the “dirty guerrilla war”. The Westerling campaign in South Celebes is mentioned, which led to thousands of Indonesian deaths.

The Dutch government’s Excesses Memorandum from 1969 lists many such events, though according to a government official who helped prepare the memorandum, the list is far from complete.

Trouw argues that the Netherlands has a “moral obligation” to pay the families of the victims some form of compensation.
 
In an editorial, NRC Handelsblad writes “The Netherlands wants to be the place of law. Which is one of the reasons the International Criminal Court is in The Hague. However, if its own history is mentioned, the Netherlands has trouble accepting the consequences…Less fear of cold water on the Dutch side would be a moral boost to the perpetrators and victims on both sides of the war.”
 
Scientists fed up with Dutch’s fascination with the paranormal
De Volkskrant reviews a new book entitled What a bunch of nonsense! Alongside the review is a photograph of members of the Life Foundation leaning against and hugging trees in an attempt to gain spiritual contact with their leafy friends.

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