Key facts
- Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten issued a formal apology for the mistreatment of Moluccan soldiers.
- Approximately 12,500 Moluccan soldiers and their families were relocated to the Netherlands in 1951.
- They faced involuntary discharge, bans from work and voting, and inadequate housing.
- The apology was delivered at the unveiling of a national monument in Rotterdam.
- A parliamentary investigation into the community's history is planned.
Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten has issued a formal apology for the "heartless" mistreatment of thousands of Moluccan soldiers and their families who were brought to the Netherlands in 1951 after serving the Royal Dutch East Indies army during Indonesia's independence struggle. Many were given no choice and believed their relocation would be temporary.
Upon arrival, they faced involuntary discharge from military service, were banned from working and voting, and were housed in inadequate conditions, including the former Nazi transit camp Westerbork. The promised Moluccan republic never materialized, and some families lived with their belongings unpacked for years.
The apology was delivered at the unveiling ceremony for a crowdfunded national monument in Rotterdam, commemorating the arrival of their last boat. Jetten stated the apology was necessary for their dishonorable discharge, inadequate reception, and for being unseen and abandoned, acknowledging the unfulfilled longing for home and the resulting grief.
Activism by descendants in the 1970s, including hostage-taking and a train hijack, led to a bloody raid by Dutch special forces. While a 1986 agreement provided some cultural funding and job schemes, pressure for formal recognition of the wrongs persisted. Jetten emphasized the importance of a forthcoming parliamentary investigation involving the community, which now numbers 70,000 descendants.
Rotterdam Mayor Carola Schouten expressed hope that the monument would foster open storytelling, noting the coldness with which the Moluccans were treated and the silent sorrow they endured. The monument, designed by artists Jaïr Pattipeilohy and Maurice den Boer, represents the prow of a traditional ship and was the result of a decade-long effort.
Some criticism emerged that the government's apology came too late for many survivors, with Eduard Latuheri, a 98-year-old surviving soldier, expressing gratitude but mixed feelings, noting that the first generation is largely gone. Fred Roos, who lived in Westerbork, recalled his father's lifelong anger over the broken promise of return and the inability to work. Historian Fridus Steijlen commented that the temporary nature of the stay and the paternalistic attitude of the Dutch government affected integration for generations.