He's one of many men who chose to came to the Netherlands after Indonesia declared its independence. The Dutch wanted to retain its former colony and tried with the K.N.I.L. to regain the old grip in Indonesia. The collaboration of the Moluccans with the Dutch was seen as treason by the Indonesian people and the Moluccans were equally scaled by the Dutch government, the occupiers. In 1949 the Dutch succumbed to international pressure and recognized it as an independent country Indonesia. In 1950 the Indonesian army invaded the Moluccas.The Dutch could not leave the 3000 Moluccan soldiers who had served in the K.N.I.L. behind. The Moluccan K.N.I.L. soldiers were appointed to become members of the Dutch Royal Army who had given the service order for a temporary resettlement in the Netherlands together with their relatives. A total of 12,000 Moluccans were transported by boat to the Netherlands.
In the Netherlands, however, there was talk of a post-war housing shortage. The Moluccans were therefore housed in camps, for the most part in former WWII concentration camps such as Camp Vught and Westerbork. Initially it was intended that the Moluccan people would eventually go back within six months, but it soon became clear that a return to the Moluccas would be too dangerous. The Moluccan continued to live in the Netherlands, but harbored a grudge because of the way they were treated. Moluccans are living already for 62 years in the Netherlands and I've portrait many of them in a photobook (including stories and poems) named TROTS! (PRIDE!).
The book is available in all Dutch Bookstores, it's possible to order a copy (free shipping) in Montréal until Saturday June 22nd. (Price is 35 Canadian Dollars)
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