VVD



Nieuws

21 okt 2005 - 'Relatie Indonesië moet gebaseerd
zijn op respect voor elkaars veteranen'

Van Baalen: "Nieuwe relatie met Indonesië moet gebaseerd zijn op respect voor elkaars veteranen"

VVD-Kamerlid Hans van Baalen sprak, op uitnodiging van de Indonesische President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, op 20 oktober de herdenking van de 77e verjaardag van het Indonesische Jeugdcongres te Jakarta toe.

Het Jeugdcongres had zich in 1928 voor de onafhankelijkheid van Indonesië uitgesproken. Van Baalen onderstreepte de eenheid van de Republik Indonesia als rechtsopvolger van Nederlandsch-Indië en verwelkomde de politiek van decentralisatie en regionale autonomie van de President voor Atjeh, Irian Jaya (het voormalige Nederlandsch-Nieuw-Guinea), de Molukken en andere gebieden in de archipel.

Van Baalen ziet een nieuwe, onbelaste relatie ontstaan tussen Nederland en Indonesië, die gericht is op het nastreven van gemeenschappelijke belangen binnen de EU en ASEAN, VN en WTO en de krachtige bevordering van de wederzijdse handel, economische en culturele en politieke samenwerking. Co-operatie tussen de parlementen van Nederland en Indonesie is in dit kader een belangrijke aanvulling op de samenwerking op regeringsniveau.

Deze nieuwe relatie dient gebaseerd te zijn op respect voor elkaars veteranen en oorlogsgetroffenen. Van Baalen memoreerde in het bijzonder de KNIL-kapitein Jack Boer, de vergeten held van Soerabaja, die vele honderden onschuldige burgers, in de geweldadige Bersiap-periode volgend op de Japanse capitulatie, het leven redde, maar daarvoor nooit door Nederland is onderscheiden of erkend.

Hans van Baalen legde mede als Deputy President van de Liberale Internationale een bezoek af aan de Democratische Partij van Indonesië en had ontmoetingen met diverse vertegenwoordigers van de Indonesische regering en de strijdkrachten. Het bezoek trok aanzienlijke mediabelangstelling in Indonesië.

Hieronder treft u de Engelstalige speech die Van Baalen uitsprak tijden zijn bezoek aan Indonesië

Dutch-Indonesian relations: accept the histroic developments of the past and let us go forward together! A contribution to the 77th commemoration of the Indonesian Youth Pledge to a united Indonesia, Jakarta october 20th 2005 by Hans van Baalen, member of the Netherlands parliament for the party for freedom and democracy (VVD), Deputy President of Liberal International

Dear friends,

It is a great honour for me as Member of the Netherlands Parliament to address you at the occasion of the 77th Commemoration of the Indonesian Youth Congress Pledge to a United Indonesia. At the Indonesian Youth Congress in 1928 young Indonesian leaders laid the foundations for the future Republic of Indonesia and its Pancasila principles.

Their pledge for a free and united Indonesia with one language and one people was not understood by the Dutch Government of those days. Neither was the moderate Mas Sutardjo Kartohadikusumo understood when he issued a petition which asked that the Dutch East Indies would be granted the status of dominion within the Kingdom within 10 years. This Sutardjo petition was adopted in 1936 by the Volksraad, the consultative body of the Dutch colonial administration, but rejected by the Dutch government in 1938. History took its course.

After the end of the Japanese occupation, on August 17th 1945 Sukarno and Hatta made their Proklamasi which can be seen as the date of birth of the Republik Indonesia. Dutch Parliament welcomed that the Dutch Foreign Minister Bernard Bot recognized the significance of August 17th 1945 and was present at the celebrations of the 60th birthday of the Republik Indonesia. In the Dutch media, on behalf of my political party VVD, I made clear that we should also recognize the efforts of the Dutch veterans who tried to restore order and protect innocent lives in the period after the capitulation of Japan on August 15th 1945 and the official transfer of sovereignty to the Republik Indonesia on December 27th 1949. I especially recall the name of Captain Jack Boer, the forgotten hero of Surabaya, who saved many innocent lives and was never honoured by those Dutch officials who wanted to close the Indonesian chapter of Dutch history as soon as possible. Let us equally recognize the Indonesian veterans of TNI and its predecessors who fought in the open for a independent and free Indonesia. Let us remember the innocent people on both sides who died in these violent days.

On December 27th 1949, Her Majesty Queen Juliana, at the ceremony in the Royal Palace in Amsterdam, referred to the transfer of sovereignty as "a privilege in the face of history, or better said, in the face of God who knows why this joining in freedom had not been established earlier." Indeed, let us accept the history as it is, let God judge and let us mortal souls build a common basis for co-operation and let us not look back in anger. Our joint historic past should not divide the Netherlands and Indonesia but should unite us as free and independent nations which work together in our mutual interest.

Let me, therefore, set the record straight. The Republik Indonesia is the single heir to the Dutch East Indies. The Republik is the legal successor of the Dutch East Indies which was united under Dutch colonial rule. All parts of the Dutch East Indies form therefore an integral part of the Republik. This has been fully established under international law. Therefore, it is up to the people of Indonesia themselves to decide through their democratic institutions in which way their territorial sovereignty should be administered. Decentralisation and regional autonomy are an internal matter of Indonesia. It is not a responsibility of the international community. Human rights are enshrined in international law. They form a heritage and a responsibility of mankind not contained by state borders and they form an inherent right of every individual. The international community, therefore, welcomed the fact that Indonesia has just ratified the UN Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Let me now turn to a matter which has brought about misconceptions in the Dutch-Indonesian bilateral relations, that is the so-called Drooglever study regarding the transfer of sovereignty over Dutch New Guinea from the Netherlands through the United Nations to the Republik Indonesia and the so-called Act of Free Choice. This academic study commissioned to Professor Drooglever by the Dutch Government on a request of Dutch Parliament has the sole purpose to establish historic facts in the Dutch historic context and has no role to play in the Dutch-Indonesian relations. It has no political or legal significance. Neither does the Drooglever study affect in any way the recognition by The Netherlands of the territorial sovereignty of the Republik Indonesia. Irian Jaya is an integral part of Indonesia like Maluku, Aceh and the other territories of the Indonesian Archipelago. The Netherlands, therefore, will not support any separatist movements. As we have seen recently in the case of Aceh, Indonesia takes decentralisation and autonomy seriously. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has made clear that this approach will not be limited to Aceh. The President has expressed that within the five principles of Pancasila, which form the foundations of the Republik Indonesia, regional diversification is possible. History is a matter for historians. The future should be addressed by the citizens and their political representatives.

Let us now turn to that future in which the Netherlands and the Republik Indonesia can work together to the interest of both nations. That means, the Netherlands as a founding member of the European Union and Indonesia as a founding member of ASEAN. We should support each others interests. The Netherlands can lobby for the abolishment of EU import duties and quota on Indonesian products. Indonesia can open its markets and support Dutch trade with Asia. We appreciate the fact that Indonesia has opened co-operation with the Netherlands on naval materiel by ordering military vessels in the Netherlands. We can look for joint political initiatives to bring peace and stability to the troubled regions of our world. We can co-operate in the United Nations and the World Trade Organisation. We hope that Indonesia can lift visa restrictions concerning the Netherlands which hamper closer economic ties, the promotion of tourism, cultural and educational exchange and agricultural co-operation. Let us take initiatives to fight international terrorism which has such a devastating effect on our societies and the world community at large. The extremists which use the veil of religion are insulting religion it self. I am fully convinced that Indonesia's democracy will in the end be able to claim victory over intolerance and extremism. We should fight terrorists in a common effort. East and West have a common interest in making the world safe for democracy, peace and economic growth.

Apart from all rational reasons to work firmly together, there is another reason and that is a matter of sentiment. In the Netherlands, 60 years after its independence, Indonesia has left important marks. Indonesia, its culture, its national language, its cuisine, its landscapes form part of the Dutch heritage and the Dutch mindset. When the former President of the French Republic, François Mitterand, brought a state visit to the Netherlands, Indonesian dishes were served in his honour. In the Netherlands, the Indonesian cuisine is considered to be as Dutch as our native dishes which is a great compliment to Indonesia. In the city where I live, The Hague, Indonesia is present with many Indonesian restaurants, toko's, cultural events and a vivid Dutch-Indonesian community. The Hague is called the "Widow of Indonesia". For us Indonesia is not just a country in Asia, it is a very special country. I know that this is less apparent in Indonesia but elements of the Dutch legal system, architecture and customs can be found in Indonesia, just as many Indonesian words have become part of our Dutch vocabulary. Let us cherish these cultural and historic ties.

For all the reasons mentioned above, Dutch Parliament considers Indonesia to be a special country. An intensified Dutch-Indonesian parliament-to-parliament dialogue would be the right way to further develop this special relationship. Special relationships between the parliaments of Indonesia, the Republic of Suriname, the Netherlands Antilles, Aruba and the Netherlands would, for me and the Dutch Party for Freedom and Democracy, revitalise the ties which exist between these grand independent nations which respect each others territorial sovereignty and independence and on the basis of this respect promote mutual interests.

Again, it is an honour to address you at the 77th Commemoration of the Indonesian Youth Congress Pledge. Let go forward together!