A court in The Hague has held the Netherlands accountable for damage caused by war crimes in the Java village of Rawagede in 1947. The court said on Wednesday that the case is not subject to any statute of limitations. Relatives of the victims had claimed damages for the suffering caused by the Dutch army.
The war crimes were committed by Dutch troops in a retaliatory exercise in the village. In the massacre 431 villagers were killed. The Dutch government has never acknowledged guilt or responsibility for the crimes.
At the time the Dutch army was attempting to counter revolutionary forces which were striving for Indonesian independence from the Netherlands.
(rk)
© Radio Netherlands Worldwide
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