. Nog extra toevallig is dat je haar op die plaats tegenkwam.Een jaar of vier geleden heb ik Adep en [...]
The place is called Balongsari today because Rawagade is history. A history though which is not over yet. In that village an atrocity which happened in 1947 continued to haunt the lives of many. And the conscience of a nation that was a colonial power once as well.
Rawagade is a bloodstained name forever both for Indonesians and Dutchmen.
In ’47 the Dutch military, we, murdered over 400 men and boys of the village ( official Dutch documents of that day mention a different, considerably smaller number). Yet till this week the Dutch authorities denied legal responsibility. Which contributed to the fact that the mental scars and open wounds this war crime has caused, didn’t, could not, heal.
In September, after a foundation on behalf of nine surviving relatives fought a legal battle, at long last a Dutch court ordered the Dutch state to pay compensation. The government didn’t appeal fortunately, ultimately admitted responsibility and choose for a (modest) settlement of € 20.000 each.
