Home » News » Unrecognized South Moluccas government requests De Punt hostage-taking flag back | NOW

Unrecognized South Moluccas government requests De Punt hostage-taking flag back | NOW

The government of the unofficially recognized Republic of the South Moluccas (RMS) wants to return the South Moluccan flag that hung on the hijacked train at De Punt in 1977. The flag is said to have been captured by Dutch marines at the end of the hijacking. The RMS will submit the request for restitution on Monday in a letter to the Dutch cabinet, which is in the hands of NU.nl.

In 1977, nine armed South Moluccans hijacked a train near the Drenthe village of De Punt. When the Dutch armed forces ended the hostage situation after nineteen days, two train passengers and six hijackers were killed. The Moluccan community in the Netherlands sees the hijacking as part of its struggle for independence.

The hijackers had the flag on loan from the RMS during the hostage situation, she says in a letter to outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte. The canvas is now hanging in the Marine Museum in Rotterdam. “After the hostage action ended, the flag was ‘captured’ by the marines and does not belong in the museum.”

According to RMS president John Wattilete, the South Moluccan flag symbolizes the South Moluccas’ struggle for independence. Therefore, the RMS lent the flag to the hijackers at their request. “The flag is linked to the hostage situation in De Punt”, Wattilete said in conversation with NU.nl.

What led to the train hijacking in De Punt?

  • In 1949 the Dutch colony of Indonesia became independent after a bloody battle.
  • The Netherlands obliged the Moluccans who had fought on the side of the Netherlands against Indonesia to flee to the Netherlands.
  • The stay turned out to be permanent, while the Moluccans believed they had been promised an independent state.
  • Out of anger at the lack of an independent state and what they saw as bad treatment by the Netherlands, Moluccans hijacked a train at Wijster in Drenthe and two years later one at De Punt.



‘Important emotional value’

“This flag has an important emotional value for us: the aftermath of the hostage-taking action continues until today.” The Court of Appeal of The Hague is still considering the legality of the violence used in ending the hijacking. On April 20, the Court will decide when to rule on the case.

The RMS proclaimed in 1950 does not have the country status or authority that, for example, Indonesia and the Netherlands have. Wattilete, for example, works in daily life as a social lawyer in Amsterdam.

The foundation under which the museum falls, informs NU.nl that “due to the complexity of such a return request” it is still too early to decide whether it will comply with the request.

Moluccan cultural goods must be returned via Indonesia

In October, the Culture Council advised outgoing Minister Ingrid van Engelshoven (Culture) to remove cultural objects from former Dutch colonies. unconditionally to give back. The country of origin must then ask for this. The caretaker cabinet promised this advice in January to follow.

In February, the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science answered questions from NU.nl that the return of Moluccan cultural objects, such as looted works of art, utensils and human remains, via Indonesia must expire, because the RMS is not officially a state. However, the RMS sees Indonesia as the occupier.

Rutte has not yet responded to the letter from the RMS.

Graf executed RMS president still not located

In the letter to Rutte, the RMS also draws attention to RMS president Chris Soumokil, who was executed on April 12, 1966. His death anniversary has since been a day of Moluccan National Commemoration.

Soumokil was executed by Indonesia despite a request for clemency from the Netherlands. The former Dutch colony refuses to reveal where Soumokil is buried.

The Netherlands promised in 2010 to mediate in finding out the location of Soumokil’s grave, reported Faithful at the time. However, the RMS doubts whether that promise has been kept.

“We are now nearly eleven years on and it has not emerged that the issue of President Soumokil’s grave has actually been raised,” the RMS said in the letter. “Let alone lead to any result.” The RMS asks the Dutch cabinet in the letter whether the promise to raise Soumokil’s grave is still standing.

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