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END OF THE V.O.C. AND AN OLD ERA
De schadeclaims op Indonesie
1
Spotlight on Dutch-Indonesian History (XI)
Many historians consider the year 1800 the starting point of an entirely new era in
the history of Indonesia. In the first place because the Charter of the V.O.C. which
expired on December 31, 1799, was not renewed, and possessions and duties of the
Company were taken over by the Sate. This brought Indonesia under direct rule of
State of The Netherlands. An era of Indonesia as a market ended and a new one with
Indonesia as a "colonial possession" began (though nobody was conscious of this fact
at that time).
The V.O.C. was so deeply in debt by now,
that the Directors did not care very much
really. In fact the State of The Netherlands
was itself in an awful mess. In a nearly fatal
war with France The Netherlands only could
be saved by inundations. Several wars with
England brought nearly disaster for Dutch
Trading. The Peace Treaty of Paris of 1784
already broke the monopoly of Dutch ship
ping to the East Indian Seas. The treaty
openend all seas of the archipelago to Brit
ish shipping. The consequences of this act
were not fully realized in Holland, but for
the Dutch in Indonesia this was more or less
the end of everything. British ships were
roaming the Indonesian seas, often with far
better warships than the Dutch. Trading
(and smuggling) with the British caused
great losses. The British acted fast. After
occupying Penang (and by doing so domi
nating the Street of Malacca) they began to
explore the coasts of New Guinea (opposite
the Spice Islands!) to find a suitable place
for a settlement. They could easily do so,
because the Dutch in Indonesia did not
know who their real masters were in Europe.
Europe at this time as we know was in a
terrible turmoil. The French Revolution had
made an end to the French Kingdom. King,
Queen and the greater part of the nobility
were put to death on the guillotine. The
Citoyens took over in the name of Liberté,
Egalité et Fraternité. A wave of confusion
ran through Europe. In Holland, the patri
ots chased the Stadhouder, William V, away
All people were alike and danced around
the Tree of Freedom.
The "Committee for East Indian Affairs,"
preparing the assignment of the VOC to the
State, ordered the Governor General in
Batavia that the introduction of the New
Principles must be prepared and that the
system of Liberty and Rights of the People
must be introduced into the Indies. Again
an example of the stupid idea that what is
considered good for Plolland, should be good
for Indonesia! Understandable this order
caused great consternation in Batavia. How
was that? Should the Masters and the Slaves
be alike? The High Commissionars of the
Company on the same level as the lowest
Clpennisten" (clerks) The white ruling class
lose its dominance over Indo's and Pariahs?
Should Tuan Besar and Babu dance around
the Tree of Freedom as equals? That was
impossible and intolerable!
On the other hand there were British
battleships at the ports with urgent letters
from Prince William to resist the Patriots
and take sides with the British, the noble
protectors, who would give Indonesia back
to Holland as soon as the Patriots were
driven out again. The Dutch in Indonesia
despised the New Principles of Freedom,
but despised the British even more. But
what to do now? Two groups fought for
power, the conservatives, headed by Mr.
Nederburgh, and the Liberals headed by
Dirk van Hogendorp. Lower clerks, Indo's,
Blijvers and the groups outside Batavia saw
chances to win more rights. More or less a
civil war was threatening. Mr. Nederburg
acted fast, as Governor General Alting (an
old and weak man) hesitated. He got the
army on his hand by ordering pay raises
and promotions arrested the most quarrel
some Liberals and put them in jail. Dirk
van Hogendorp was expelled from Indo
nesia.
Together with a Navy officer, Frijkenius,
Governor General Alting and Director Van
Stockhum he installed a Gecombineerde
Vergadering (Combined Council) to govern
the Dutch possessions in Indonesia during
this critical period. Alting was soon moved
out of this Council in favor of his son in
law Siberg. In these two names we recog
nize a great and well known Indo family:
the Alting-Sibergs.
In fact in all this turmoil Indo's and
Dutch clung closer together, the Indo's all
the time hoping for more togetherness with
the Dutch and better living standards. This
Indo attitude was dominant during the next
century, even in the darkest hours, and
caused at the very last the expulsion of the
Indo's together with the Dutch at the birth
of Free Indonesia.
During this years an "insignificant
event" took place, asking for special at
tention. In 1786 an American ship, the
Hopeequipped by Sears of New York,
visited Batavia and sold its cargo at great
profits. For the first time since Coen it oc
curred to the Dutch that new and wider
and more independent trading possibilities
might be found in the Pacific and its sur
rounding countries. The Directors in Am
sterdam however rejected the idea, as it
might turn out disastrous for the interest in
Europe. Connections with America were
stopped right away.
Actually this selfish attitude towards the
Dutch possibilities in Indonesia over
emphasizing the interests in Europe and un
derrating he interests in the Pacific and
East Asia was maintained throughout
the coming century, by the Dutch as well as
by the British and French. This caused in
the long run a fatal neglect of the com
mercial, social and political interests in the
Far East, resulting in sharp anti-European
feelings and the final fall of the British,
French and Dutch empires. The good ship
Hope brought a hope indeed, but the faint
voice of this hope got lost in the thunder of
revolutionary struggles in Indonesia, soon to
be followed by the thunder of a great dic
tator to come: Tuan Besar Guntur Herman
Willem Daendels. {To be continued
Naar ons in diverse gesprekken en cor
respondenties gebleken is, weten vele Indi-
schgasten in de U.S. niet goed hoe het
precies gesteld is met de schadeclaims-Indo-
vnesie. Sommigen stelle n de ongeduldige
vraag wanner nu eindelijk de eerste dub
beltjes af komen.
Zoals gewoonlijk luisteren en lezen veel
mensen niet zorgvuldig. We zullen de diverse
vragen successievelijk bespreken.
1. Het betreft uitsluitend registratie van
schaden, ontstaan als gevolg van de op 3
december 1957 en daarna door Indonesie
genomen maatregelen (de z.g. annexatie van
bezittingen van Nederlanders). Hier vallen
dus niet onder de schaden vóór 3 December
1957. dus ontstaan door de oorlog met
Japan, de politionele acties daarna en de
Souvereiniteitsoverdracht.
2. Rechthebbenden kunnen een aanvraag
voor invulformulieren indienen bij het Min
isterie van Buitenlandse Zaken, Bureau
Schadeclaims Indonesië, Hooftskade 1. 's
Gravenhage. Men krijgt dan zo'n invulformu-
lier in drievoud toegestuurd, dat dus in
drievoud teruggestuurd moet worden aan
dit adres.
3. Wie echter de "Toelichting" op dit
formulier goed leest (de z.g. "fine print"),
kan met eigen ogen goed lezen dat:
a. de registratie uitsluitend het doel
heeft de Ned. Regering mogelijk te maken
een inzicht te krijgen in de totale finan
ciële claim.
b. indiening van het formulier bete
kent dus niet, dat de aanvraag erkend is,
c. dat zal pas het geval zijn als de
onderhandelingen met Indonesië worden
geopend en als deze zullen leiden tot de
vaststelling van een bedrag en onder criteria
zoals dan zouden kunnen worden vastgelegd.
d. nog niet eens kan worden voorzien
óf de claims een onderwerp van bespreking
zullen zijn,
e. aan de registratie kan geen enkele
aansprakelijkheid van Nederlandse Regering
worden ontleend (cursivering van de Reger-
ing)
Kort gezegd is de situatie dus zo dat bij
de besprekingen met Indonesië de schade
claims misschien onderwerp van gesprek
zullen zijn. Het is mogelijk dat Indonesië
er niet over wil praten en clan is er dus
geen kans op welke schadevergoeding ook.
Mócht erover gepraat worden, dan is het
best mogelijk dat Indonesië "tawart" en dat
Nederland zal moeten inwilligen, zodat alleen
maar een beperkt percentage van de claim
wordt uitbetaald.
Indonesiëdat is zekerzal Nederland
namelijk een groot aantal bijzondere nieuwe
kansen bieden om in Indonesië goed te
verdienen. Nederland kan zelf beoordelen
of die kansen goed genoeg zijn om het ge
leden verlies "terug te verdienen". Of en in
hoeverre deze beschouwing goed is, willen en
kurtnen wij hier niet beoordelen. Een ding
is echter zeker: hij die zich nu alvast een
nieuwe auto of een huis aanschaft omdat
"de ping al onderweg is", vergist zich lelijk!
Tenslotte: ook al klinkt dit alles pessimi
stisch (al is het een som van onwrikbaar
vast staande feiten), dit hoeft de lezer er
niet van te weerhouden zijn verzoek om
invulformulieren voor schadeclaims in Den
Haag in te dienen. De redactie van dit blad
zal heel graag "duimen" voor succes. De
Indo heeft de afgelopen jaren zoveel klappen
gehad, er mag best ook een gelukje op
overschieten, menen wij.
The Only Independent
Dutch-Indonesian Magazine
in America
le Jaargang No. 18
Verschijnt
de 15e en 30ste elke maand
Samen met Tong-Tong (zeepost)
Prijs: per nummer.50
per half jr5.00
per jaar $10.00
ABONN E MEvlT
[W ED A C 77
Lilian Ducelle
Tjalie Robinson
telf. 699-6837
Roy J. Steevensz
Marijke Steevensz
telf. 693-5659
P. O. Box 137, Whittier
^^Cable Address: Tong-Tong Whittier
