Yogyakarta – Extreme violence committed by the Dutch in Indonesia in the past has still left an impression on the Indonesian people. Extreme violence perpetrated by Dutch structural and systematic defense. Remy Limpach from the Dutch Military History Institute (NIMH) at the International Seminar on “Decolonialisation & Political Violence in Indonesia: Reflections on the Past,” Tuesday (8/10) in the Postgraduate Seminar Room of the Integrated Campus of the University of Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta (UMY).
The event was organized by UMY’s Governmental Science Study Program (IP) organized by UMY’s International Government and Administration Affairs (IGOV) Program, UMY’s Masters of Government Science, and UMY’s Political-Political Doctoral Program. Participants who attended were not only from UMY but also students from other campuses who were interested in the seminar.
At the seminar, Limpach explained 14 reasons underlying the Dutch to commit crimes in Indonesia, including the Dutch military underestimating the Indonesian army, inadequate leadership, poor policy staff, and problematic role models, the prison system, suspicion of Indonesian civilians , the struggle to counter Indonesian resistance, racism, regarded Indonesian violence as extremist, criminal and barbaric, its morality and fatalism, decreased discipline, its military safety, the engagement of freedom, the opportunity to mobilize Dutch troops, the failure of military justice and the elimination of law enforcement, and colonial paternalistic ideology in make decisions.
Besides Limpach, Dr. Zuli Qodir, M.Ag. (Head of the UMY Islamic Politics Study Program) and David Efendi, M.A (UMY IP Lecturer) were also present as speakers at this seminar.
On that occasion, Zuly Qodir explained what was questioned by political violence, “Political violence is violence that is carried out to carry out attacks as well as to defend,” he said. He also noted that it was Dutch in Indonesia, which could still be found today, for example, how, how to think, and how to speak.
Meanwhile, David Efendi explained that currently, the Netherlands is conducting ethical politics to improve the dark history that was once carried out in Indonesia. David also criticized research conducted by Limpach, who said that extreme mass violence was also carried out by Indonesia.
“I am a bit suing the sentence because what Indonesian people do is an effort to defend their country. How can the status of the person pronounced as a war criminal? I think this needs to be discussed, “he said.