The Dutch government has issued a formal apology for the massacre of villagers in Java in 1947.
On the 64th anniversary of the killings, Dutch Ambassador to Indonesia, Tjeerd de Zwaan, attended a memorial event at the Heroe’s Cemetery in Rawagede, the site of the massacre.
"In this context and on behalf of the Dutch government, I apologise for the tragedy that took place in Rawagede on the 9th of December, 1947," de Zwaan said.
According to local community groups, 431 men and boys were dragged out of their homes and executed in front of villagers during the country’s war of independence from the Netherlands.
Dutch officials deny that figure, claiming 150 people were killed during the massacre.
In September a court in The Hague found the Dutch state responsible for the killings, ordering the payment of compensation to relatives of the victims.
The Dutch government argued that the claim was inadmissible due to the expiry of a five-year statute of limitations, however the court found this to be ‘unacceptable’.
See related article:
Dutch state responsible for 1947 Indonesian massacre (16 Sep 2011)
