Dutch Prime Minister Apologizes for Mistreatment of Moluccan Soldiers

The Dutch prime minister apologized for the treatment of thousands of Moluccan soldiers who fought for the Dutch colonial army during Indonesia's struggle for independence. About 12,500 men from the Moluccan islands arrived in the Netherlands in 1951 with their families after Indonesia gained independence.

They had expected a temporary stay and later a Moluccan republic but were instead discharged, barred from work and voting, and housed in sites including the former Nazi transit camp Westerbork.

At the unveiling of a crowdfunded monument on the Rotterdam waterfront, the prime minister said the government offered apologies for the soldiers' discharge, inadequate housing, and the unfulfilled promise of return. The monument, designed by two artists and shaped like the prow of a traditional ship, marks the site where the last boat carrying the families arrived.

Activism by descendants in the 1970s included a school hostage-taking and a train hijack that ended in a raid by Dutch special forces. A 1986 agreement provided cultural funding and jobs programs, but calls continued for formal recognition of past treatment.

A parliamentary investigation involving the community of about 70,000 descendants is scheduled. Some descendants said the apology came too late for many who lived through the events. One 98-year-old veteran attended the ceremony; his grandson said the first generation largely did not survive to hear the statement.

A historian noted that the assumption of a temporary stay affected integration across generations despite the community's own efforts.