Why We Fight?

The Dutch soldiers charged a republican basic during politionele actie II on 1948. In the picture appears, a Dutch soldier killed in action during the fight

Revolution, is always costly and has a dark side. Likewise, the revolution for independence in Indonesia. Soon after the proclamation of Independence on August 17, 1945, a lots of people questioned the meaning of independence. Traumatic by the Japanese occupation which causing the worst condition of life, and chaos caused by the vacuum of power soon after the Japanese surenderred, that often taken as a propaganda by the Dutch, that East Indie still required an intervention. On the other hand, Soekarno with others national leaders with confidence and optimism, take a significant step to become masters in their own land, who really   vast and rich.

The Dutch Soldier military parade, on
Bodjong Straat (Now Jalan Pemuda)
in front of Nambie Shop on 1947.
Source : beeldbankwo2.nl

This time I will see the revolution of independence of Indonesia from the Dutch army side. Not because I'm an anti-nationalist, OF COURSE NOT!!! But just because I believe likely Germany Wehrmacht, they were just innocent people who keep the commandments of the country, but their leaders, if in this case is like van Heutz, van Mook, or perhaps the very cruel ones, Raymond Westerling, the slaughter of more than 4000 Celebes people, forced them into a terrible and exhausting war. Indonesia at that time, become the Netherlands Vietnam, long, exhausting and deadly battlefield.

As a state who were in war condition, the Dutch government implemented the conscription to face the revolution in Indonesia in the late 1946's. They are trained in Ede, they taught on how to fight a war in the East Indies, alse a knowledge about the tropical nature which the nature itself are very different from Europe. They were also told about the outbreak of revolution in the country and in East Indies as many troops are needed to restore the Dutch rule. Chaos has happened everywhere because of the vacum of power and the KNIL (Koninklijke Nederlands Indie Leger, Army of East Indie) troops is not in good condition after the Japanese occupation. 

A dead bodies of civillian after the
executie by the Dutch Soldier during
the Dutch military operations in
Indonesia. source: Volksrant

Generally, many of the young Dutch complained and objected. Just after the second world war ended, not many young people who have a willingness to fight, to joined as regular army, but refusing conscription is an against the state behaviour and its could be sentenced to jail. However, for the opportunists, it is seen as an opportunity to go adventuring, going from the Netherlands who were stuffy and chaos, after the World War II, and going to the fertille land that have plenty of natural resource: East Indie!

Finally mid-1947, this young soldiers were sent to the East Indies, and soon, face the fierce guerrilla warfare soldiers of the republican army as well as the pro-independence militias. The war was very tiring because of almost the majority of the indigenous people in East Indies which has now become Indonesia atfer the proclamation of independence, fully supports the revolution, support the independence of Indonesia. Things that they don't realized before cause on their minds, the people are getting suffer and hate the revolution, also presuming that the republican army and those militia are no more than a terorist group. As a result, many  of them become stressed and perform several actions beyond the military ethics, like the burnt to the ground the villages and kampoong who were accused as republican based, also civillian killings, since they are no longer able to distinguish who were soldiers or civillians.

Ereveld Tjandi, on 2012. The resting place for both
mercenaries and regular army of Dutch Regiments.

On an evening, ight after tennis practice, near the tennis courts, there is an Ereveld, the placed were Dutch soldiers casualties during the revolution are buried. The Ereveld Tjandi, is one of the Ereveld established in Indonesia by the Dutch government as the resting place for thousand of Dutch soldiers, both the mercenaries or regular army who died during military operations in Indonesia. As I observed the graves, it is likely that many of them are still as young as me, 21 years old, even some of them are still in 18 years old! They have dreams, they kept a lots of expectation on their mind, they waits for their future but soon, dispossessed by  war which initiated only by a few of people. 

Someday, when you were a leader. Beware of taking a decision, caused ur decission are impacted the lifes of others people under your command.

Long Road to Justice, Rawagede Massacre

Douglas C-47 Skytrain or known as Dakota. This kind of plane owned by Koninklijke Nederladsch Indisch Leger (KNIL) who were crashed in Rawagede triggered the offensive that resulted massacre of 431 civillians in Rawagede. Inset: KNIL insignia (source: wikipedia) 

This September the people of Indonesia, especially the people of Rawagede gained a victory over the International Court of Justice, for the first time. On September, 14th 2011, the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands, recognize Rawagede Massacre as the crimes against humanity, and blamed Netherlands Governments for it. The Courts demanded Netherlands to pay compensation over the victims. Its good for the victims that already 60 years without any justice, but then what about the others war crimes involved the Royal Army of Netherlands during 1945-1949? Also the rebellion involved the desertion army of KNIL( Koninklijk Nederlandsch Indische Leger) to disturb the rise of Republic Indonesia during Soekarno period? Well, for me, Rawagede Massacre is just one’s of the massacre that happened during the politionele actie that held by Netherlands between 1945-1949. So what is Rawagede Massacre itself?

The people of Rawagede mourning the destruction.
(source: 60 tahun Indonesia Merdeka)

It begun when West Java, before the Renville Agreement was signed, the Dutch army from Division 1, also known as December 7th Division troops launched a cleaning unit and Indonesia militias who are still held against the Dutch. In the area of ​​operations in Karawang, small city 50km to the west of Batavia (Jakarta), the Dutch army, hunt the Indonesia Regular Army and also the militia who was believed to responsible to shooting down the C-47(Dakota) Plane that carries 19 of Dutch Army officers from Semarang to Batavia. In fact the plane itself suffered engine failures, Nobody was injured and all the occupants were seen by a Thunderbolt pilot to leave the plane. When a rescue party of the RAF Regiment arrived, a howling mob surrounded the plane and there was no sign of the occupants, the rescue team believed that the officers was already kidnapped or murdered by the militia. The Dutch army inspect all over the village, door to door. But they did not found any Indonesia Regular Army nor militia over there. Then forced the entire population out of their homes and gather them in a field. Male population was ordered to stand side by side, then they were asked about the existence of the militia or regular army. But none of the people who say fighters are hiding. Then the brutality was start. The leader then ordered the Dutch army to shoot to death all the male population, including young teens. Some people managed to escape to the forest, although wounded shot. The worst one is there’s a popular stories that Dutch Army, let the villagers run out to the forestall area, but then from behind, they shoot them repatedly with machine guns.

Aftermath the Dutch troops burnt down the entire village of
Rawagede. (source: 60 tahun Indonesia Merdeka)

That day the Dutch soldiers massacred 431 people of Rawagede. Before the Dutch army leaves, they burned over the villages. This form of field executions (standrechtelijke excecuties) are an action that is clearly a war crime and its happened many times. It is estimated that victims of the massacre of more than 431 people, because many are swept away in flood to the river because of heavy rain after the massacre over. The rain which flushed resulting in a pool of blood soaked the village. The next day, after the Dutch troops to leave the village, the women tried to bury the bodies with crude equipment. As the witness said, mother buried her husband and two sons aged 12 and 15 years. They can not dig a hole too deep, only about 50 cm only, not too deep, so the smell of corpses still smelled for several days. This event later immortalized by Chairil Anwar, a famous poet at that times into a poem titled, Karawang - Bekasi.

The Rawagede victims now will felt a lil bit satisfied following this resolution. But not with the Republic of Indonesia government I think. Maybe, the government just feared of, if they concerned to this resolution, which is strong related again human right, maybe next day, the government itself must be preapared to the court also for the systematical crimes like Massacre of Communist Followers in 1965-1966, Massacre of Tanjung Priok, Petrus, Santa Cruz Massacre (Timor Leste), and 1998 Riots.

Sources: Metro Files, "Cerita Kelabu di Rawagede"

Pict Sources: http://www.flickr.com/photos/atom-uk/page132/ ( Dakota )