Press Release
13 February 2014
Zegveld and Foundation Committee of Dutch Honorary Debts research new war crimes.
The Foundation Committee of Dutch Honorary Debts alongside lawyer Prof. Mrs. Liesbeth Zegveld are going to visit Sumatra, South-Sulawesi and Centre-and-East Java in March. The Foundation in cooperation with Zegveld will conduct a research concerning war crimes committed by the Dutch army/KNIL during the “Politionele Acties” (i.e. Military actions by the Dutch army against Indonesia). They will contact the families of the thousands of civilian victims who lost their lives in Sumatra – Rengat – Indragiri and Riau.
In cooperation with jurist Zegveld, the Foundation has already brought forth the cases of Rawagade and South-Sulawesi which resulted into reimbursements and formal apologies by the Dutch Authorities to the families of the victims.
In the coming visit, a variety of cases shall be examined:
- The fifth of January 1949: 2600 civilians including children lost their lives as result of an attack on Rengat and Air Molek on the island of Sumatra. The bodies were disposed in the Indragiri River, where currently close next to the river a memorial is situated.
- On the 18th of January 1947 bombardments took place on a pasar (market) in Bandar Buat, resulting in civil casualties.
- The Dutch army completely destroyed the village of Cupak in Solok by burning it down as an act of retaliation as a result of a defeat by liberation forces.
- In Makassar, South-Sulawesi a gathering will take place between the Foundation and the widows and children of victims who come from places where war crimes were committed, the places include: Batua, Kalukuang, Panakukang, Tanjung, Bunga, Barombong, Kariango, Padakalawa, Sempang, Bulukumba, Pinrang and Suppa.
- In the predominantly Christian city of Peniwen on Java a hospital of the Red Cross was attacked in February 1949. In this attack twelve nurses and five civilians lost their lives, furthermore one of the women was raped and injured.
- In Sutojayan three Dutch Royal Marines refused to torch villages. Here the foundation will speak with eye-witnesses to demand atonement to the honor of the marines, since they were imprisoned and disengaged from the army.
CONTACT
For more information regarding the visit, please contact Jeffry M. Pondaag
tel. +31638613795, The Netherlands.
K.U.K.B. stichting gevestigd te Vroegeling 3 1964 KP Heemskerk, Nederland. www.kukb.nl T. +31 (0) 6 38613795 jeffry@kukb.nl Rekeningnummer 13.19.28.341 Heemskerk (Rabobank). IBAN NL57 RABO 0131 9283 41. BIC (Swift) RABONL2U. Handelsregister K.v.K. Amsterdam, nr. 34271716