They were forbidden at the time by the Dutch colonial government in what was then called Batavia (now Jakarta) because it wanted to present a positive picture of the Dutch Colonial War in Indonesia. Today, 8 December, sees the publication of a book of photos from the period 1945-1949, put together by a team of three authors: Erik Somers, René Kok and Louis Zweers. The nearly 200 photos show scenes of wounded soldiers and of Indonesians being intimidated – pictures that have never before appeared in the Dutch media.
The three authors have already spent a long time researching photos from the Second World War in various archives. They also have a large collection of photos from the decolonisation period in Indonesia (1945-1949). A large number of the photographers were ‘embedded’ and working for the Dutch colonial government. They were obliged to hand over their photos to the authorities in Batavia, who then made a selection to send to the Dutch media. Pictures considered too shocking - of wounded soldiers, for example - were not selected, as they might have caused distress to relatives of the Dutch soldiers at home.
Selective
The book shows just how selective was the choice of reports and photos at the time. The government, intelligence service and the armed forces censored everything that was published. The truth was a well-kept secret.
Now, 60 years later, a selection of photos that have survived in various archives and collections has been put together and published, giving a true picture of the terror and violence that took place during the Colonial War.
After their return home, the some 120,000 Dutch soldiers found that people didn’t want to hear their stories about the brutal reality. They didn’t tally with the picture that had been presented in the media. What’s more, the loss of "our East Indies" still had to get through to the national consciousness.
Even before publication of the book, the three authors had numerous reactions, especially from former soldiers, but also from their children. This book will help them to understand why their fathers didn’t want to talk about the war.
Koloniale Oorlog: 1945-1949
René Kok, Erik Somers, Louis Zweers
Carrera Publishing
ISBN: 978 90 488 0320 0
Some photos from the book
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hoe doe je dit te bereiken overtreding, zo noem je ons een hoop van schending van de mensenrechten. V.O.C kwamen we kwijnen, V.O.C is wie? Nederlandse overheid stooge is het niet?
how do you accomplish this offense, so you call us a lot of violating human rights
Londo jancok,asu pincang
Where we can get this book ?" KOLONIALE OORLOG " pls info for address & e-mail address, Tks
Dutch says never occupation of indonesia just VOC to do these.......very idiot statement..
Your country was in under attack at nazi era and the idiot japan.But now,It's afghanistan and irak who are under attack.Is there any Irak soldier in united states but there are lots of your soldiers in their country
German Nazi and the idiot japans are differennt case with Afghanistan and Irak
There is no difference in crimes against humanity.In Afghanistan and Iraq crimes against humanity were perpetrated for sure. In Afghanistan Alqaida was active and might still be a force to be reckoned with. To hell with the extreme Islamists!.
Although the man behinds the bomb are and were malaysian.We don't use that as a reason of invasion.Doesn't like your country that uses it as a reason of invasion
As your country wanted to catch the real culprits so has the United States the right to try to capture, sentence and punish the perpetrators of those craven, heartless and devilish acts in which many innocent people died. Were Nazi Germany and Japan not invaded in the Second World War to end their criminal acts against humanity?
Don't you think we face that? Jamaah Islamiyah has provoked people in ambon,bomb our tourism destination,bom australian embassy that most of the victims of the bomb in the embassy are Indonesian
The greatest mistakes, at this time, are made by extreme Islamists who destroy,bomb and kill and murder
many innocent victims to further their" devilish cause", that is why the Americans and their Allies are now in Iraq and Afghanistan. That is what I wanted to point out.
what did united states do when the confederate states declare it's independence?of course war happened.so with us.there are lots of rascism group in western country.but nothing your government do.war in afghanistan and irak have made many innocents died.so don't talk about our 'mistake' watch yourself
Many innocent people died also in the twin towers in New York on September 11th, 2001 and in the Pentagon. All these coward terrorist acts provoked war and revenge and the invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq.
About East Timor,We understand that it's our mistake.East Timor was Portuguese colony not dutch indies so I understand we should never invade them.About Ambon,and Sulawesi we understand that tolerance is still a major problem in eastern part and about Irian barat indeed it's our mistake we should be care and more concentrate to develop our eastern part,and Aceh we have to take a military reaction because GAM kill christan people and try to establish an islamic state,try to establish islamic laws that against our nationalists ideology, many churches were burnt,and priests were killed,of course it's no longer a secret in indonesia that they wouldn't tell any foreign.But that's before the tsunami after that we never heard any rebellion
We appreciate the fact that you admit that "mistakes" were and are made; however many innocent people died or were murdered due to those 'mistakes', that's the sad and regrettable fact related to those "mistakes".
I'm not trying to become a tyranny.They had given their sworn to our first presiden that they would become a provincie that belong to Indonesia.You just don' understand the situation.Btw I don't want to make a conflict with you.Merry Christmast and happy new year
We understand the situation better then you might think, because we have conferred and talked with people from Ambon, Sulawesi, Irian Barat, Aceh and East Timor. And we continue to contend that: those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves.
They can't be freed they are part of this country.Butterflies are not human
Any excuse will serve a tyrant. Tyranny is always better organized than freedom.
If one denies freedom to others, one does not deserve it himself/or herself.
What happens in ambon ,papua,and aceh is normal.We will never let our provence free .the government must have a control of this large country.About Christian.I'm a Christian and I live with moslem in my neighbourhood and everything is normal what happens is the christian in Ambon and sulawesi use religious as a weapon to declare their independence against government in Jakarta.The mans behind the bomb in Bali and jakarta are malaysian(Noordin M Top and Dr.Azhari).Fortunattely we have executed them in central Java.About Communist That is a betrayal against our ideology and constitution and they also killed our military commanders.They deserved to be punished
Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves. They(Ambon, Papua, Sulawesi and Aceh) only ask to be free. The butterflies are even free.
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