15 OCT. 1963 2e JAARGANG No. 4
A BRIDGE BETWEEN EAST AND WEST
What is true about the "Harmonie-oproer"?
Spotlight on Dutch Indonesian History (XVII)
Many Indo's know vaguely something about a "revolt oproerof the Indo," "very long
ago," culminating in streetfights around the Dutch Community Center "Harmonie" in
Batavia, in which fights many Indo's are supposed to be killed. What is true about that
legend and what is it all about?
The legend refers to a nervous mass-meet
ing in the building De Harmoniein Ba
tavia on May 22nd, 1848, that could have
ended in a bloody clash, but finished rather
peacefully. Nobody was killed. It is a very
unpleasant story though and it is under
standable that very little is written or told
about.
The year 1848 as we know was a crucial
year for the history of Europe: a sudden
wave of revolts went through many coun
tries. There were street-fights in Paris, Nap-
oly, Vienna, Berlin. The French King, Louis-
Philippe, fled from France. Many countries
got far more liberal constitutions: more civi)i
rights and more freedom for the people.
The echo's of these revolts also reverberated
in Holland, where King William II "turned
from conservative to liberal in 24 hours,"
and in the Dutch East Indies, particularly
in Batavia, where a revolt of the Indo's and
Indo-Chinese seemed to be threatening and
a nervous Governor-General Rochussen or
dered an alert for a half battalion infantry,
a detachment cavalry and several pieces of
canon.
What was happening?
A popular and very liberal dominee (pro
testant clergyman), Wolter Robert van Hoë-
vell, had organized with a few liberal friends
a gathering in the "Harmonie" with the
intention to draft three petitions lor H.M.
the King. Word got out that in these pe
titions would be asked for abolishing of the
"Delfts prerogatief" (by which higher ranks
in the Government were exceptionally re
served for students of the "Konnklijke In
dische Academie" in Delft the so called
uitgezonden krachten"), for a free press,
for direct representation of the people in
the Dutch East Indies in the Parliament in
Holland, for abolishing all of Dutch trade
monopolies, etc. etc.
Two petitions came from the liberal
Totoksin the Dutch East Indies; the third
petition from a group of representants of
the Indo's. As rumours about these peti
tions went by "kabar angin" through Ba
tavia, a wave of excitement went through
the groups of Indo's and Indo-Chinese. By
thousands and thousands they came to the
"Harmonie" and soon all the streets around
this building, Rijswijk, Noordwijk, Molen
vliet, Djagamonjet, Petodjo and the so
called Franse Buurt(French Quarter),
the street alongside the Harmonie, were
crowded by nervously expecting, but orderly
people.
From his palace at Rijswijk, a few hun
dred yards from the Harmony, the Gover
nor-General could see these crowds and
afraid for possible streetfights he ordered
the above mentioned military movements.
In the "Nwe. Rott. Crt." from August 9,
1848, we may read that already at half past
six the building was crammed to overflow
ing, Indo's forming by far the greater part.
The chairman got more and more nervous;
he openend the meeting hastily at 6,30,
informed the gathering that three petitions
should be presented to H.M. the King, and
closed the meeting at once. But nobody
would go. Therupon mr. Mijer, vice-presi
dent of the "Hoog Geregtshof" (High Court
of Justice) tried to calm down the masses,
imploring them to go home quietly. But
again nobody would go home. One of the
fiercest opponents was mr. P. C. Ardesch,
president of the "Raad van Justitie," a con
vinced liberal. Again and again he protested
against the "Delfts prerogatief," against the
trade-monopolies, against slavery (still ex
isting in the Dutch East Indies up to that
year), enthousiastically applauded by the
Indo's. The situation became dangerous.
What if the masses outside the building got
excited? What in the future when too much
freedom would give the Indo-grouD (and
thereafter the Indonesian people) too much
power?
The more cautious friends of Van Hoë-
vell at least succeeded in appeasing Ardesch
and the Indo's and could persuade them
with sweet promises to go home ("met een
zoet lijntje weg krijgen")At nine o'clock
the "revolt" was over. No shot was fired.
Only silly optimists could expect any re
sult from the petitions. In the first place
only two petitions (from the "Totoks") got
any attention. The third petition from
the Indo's got "lost" for good. Never
more anything about it was heard ever
since. (It is strange, but documents of any
importance for the Indo group always get
Continued on page 2)
Memorial for Schelling Marien and Sosemito at Gugar Malintang see The Am. Tong-Tong No. 24)