Every government has its own way of doing business and so does the Dutch Governent ! It’s most likely known by many of us Indos what’s happening to our omas, opas, parents and ooms and tantes who were born in the DEI, Japanese occupation, the Bersiap, how they were welcomed by the Dutch etc…But did you know that about 82,000 former military people and civilians employed by the Dutch Governent never got paid during the Japanese occupation between 1942-1945…

For decades it’s been a cat and mouse game to claim those funds what belongs to those mentioned above and up to today the Dutch Government owes them €5,7 billion which equals €70,500 per victim if I may describe it like this.

The Dutch Governent refuses to be responsible for this and thinks it’s the responsibility of the Republic of Indonesia.

During the negotiations in 1949 between the Dutch Government and the Republic of Indonesia it has never been stated that the Republic of Indonesia would take over all the debts and is only responsible for the debts that play in the advance of the new Republic. And that being said, it gave the Dutch Government the opportunity to claim that all the debts were not their responsibility and that’s deceit in the first degree…

Until now only 577 of those still alive or their offspring received only €25,000 instead of what they really derserved…

For 350 years the Dutch Government used the fruits of the archipelago and the sweat of its people… 

And FYI before you eat your “brood met muisjes” the Dutch Government is the only country in the world that still hasn’t paid back the overdue debts/salaries from this period of war in the Dutch East Indies…

Isn’t it about time to call ourselves Indos and leave the Dutch out of it, PERIOD ? 

My close friends Griselda Molemans and Anneke van de Casteele deserve all the credit for their hard work at Task Force Indisch Rechtsherstel because without their help those 577 wouldn’t have gotten that little amount of €25,000, little in comparison to €70,500…