Rawa Gede, A War Crime Finally Revealed
By ludi71, 27th Jun 2012 | Follow this author
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Posted in WikinutGuidesHistory
This true story took place in December 1947, in which hundreds of the common people brutally slain by the Dutch colonial army .....
Prolog
Krawang Bekasi
by Chairil Anwar (1947)
(free translation)
We are now lying between Karawang-Bekasi
Can not shout "Merdeka" and take up arms again
But who can no longer hear the roar of us
Imagine when we ahead and beat your heart?
We talked to you in the lonely silence in the night
If your chest feel hollow and a ticking clock
We die young. Living bone covered with dust
Remembered, Remembers us
We've tried what us could
But work has not finished, yet nothing
We've given our life
But work has not finished yet,
Can not account for the meaning of 4-5 thousands of lives
We just scattered bones
But its are yours
You're more to determine the values of the scattered bones
Or our life fly to freedom, victory and hope
Or not for nothing
We do not know, we can no longer say
Now you're the one who speak
We talked to you in the lonely silence in the night
If there is a sense of emptiness and the clock is ticking
Remembers, remembers us
Remembers, remembers us
Go on, go on our spirit
To take care Bung Karno
To take care Bung Hatta
To take care Bung Sjahrir
Remembers, remembers us
living bones covered with dust
thousands of us lying between Krawang-Bekasi
A poem by Chairil Anwar, supposedly dedicated to the people Rawa Gede[/link]/b] who were massacred by Dutch Colonial Army. A brutal act that could only done by Hitler. Even cruelty also received the blessing of the leaders of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Queen Julianna, as part of security measures in the colonies.
Chronology
Rawa Gede really did hold a tragic story. When the Dutch occupying military forces killed in cold blood hundreds of innocent people. Rawa Gede incident stems from an effort Major Alphons Wijman, a commander of the Division I (7 December Divisie) Dutch Colonial Army, to capture Captain Lukas Kustario, commander of the Division of Siliwangi, who repeatedly attacked outposts and patrols the Dutch troops.
Chronology
The massacre in the Rawa Gede began with the arrival of Captain Luke troops after attacked the Dutch post on December 8, 1947. The arrival of the troops of the republic was known by the Dutch spy who then reported to the commander of Dutch troops. Rawa Gede village it has become a target of the Dutch troops. In addition to its strategic position (there are railroad tracks and the station, sources of supplies to freedom fighters), also a gathering place for paramilitary fighters such as Macan Citarung, Barisan Banteng, SP 88, MPHS, and Hezbollah.
Around 15:00, Captain Lukas and his troops were out of Rawagede and walked to. Around 16.00, Commander of Dutch Army gave that Rawa Gede should be burned. Approximately midnight, the Dutch army had arrived at Station Pataruman, Kalangsari Village, adjacent to the Village Rawagede. Lapse of about half an hour, as many as 300 soldiers led by Major Alphons Wijnen Dutch troops began to enter the village Rawa Gede.
On December 9, 1947, a day after negotiations Renville. Dutch troops surrounded the Village Rawagede and searched every house. But they did not find any guns there. Then the Dutch army is gathering all the people in the open field. Male population aged over 14 years were told to line up, and asked where the fighters and the Indonesian Army. But none of people who say where they were.
Then from the silence of the people, the leader of the Dutch soldiers ordered to shoot down the entire male population, both old and young people. Some people managed to escape to the forest, although many are hurt badly due to hit the shot. Dutch soldiers shot dead with machine guns strafed with merciless. Because the event was about 431 people were killed Rawagede. Actually, more than 431 deaths, as many bodies into the river swept away by floods and heavy rains.
The next day the Dutch troops left the village. The women who are still alive to bury the bodies of the male population with simple equipment. Since it was not able to dig too deep, the body covered with pieces of wood and some use of land covering, doors and sober, as a result still smell the dead bodies for several days.
When That Crimes Started to Reveal
Rawa Gede incident considered as normal operation in a military effort to quell the rebellion in the Netherlands in Indonesia. Various measures of the government of the Republic of Indonesia to prosecute these war crimes, but always failed.
Under the rules of civilized warfare outlined in the Geneva Conventions of 1949, which generally includes two things: (1) the protection of all persons not or no longer involved in the war, and (2) prohibition of the use of weapons and methods of warfare that can not be controlled . A total of 194 countries have ratified this convention, though not all of the additional protocol and supporting co-ratified conventions. Recent developments mainstreaming (mainstreaming) of international humanitarian law is the International Criminal Court (International Criminal Crime, ICC) which was formed on July 1, 2002 as the implementation of the Rome Statute in 1998. ICC jurisdiction covers crimes against peace (crime against peace), war crimes (war crime), and crimes against humanity (crime against humanity). As of May 2008 a new statute was ratified by 106 countries.
Finally massacre victim's family filed suit in District Court in Den Haag Wednesday, December 9, 2009. Represented by Liesbeth Zegveld, the families of the victims asked the Dutch government acknowledged that the atrocities they did in Rawagede. They also demanded compensation.
As the page loaded Earth Times, plaintiff's attorney, Liesbeth Zegveld said the victim's family also asked the Dutch government acknowledged that the atrocities they did in Rawagede. They also demanded compensation.
On December 9, 1947, on the fateful day, the Dutch colonial forces under the pretext of looking for Rawagede mob entered the village. Based on the results of the investigation in 1969, colonial troops killed 150 male villagers.
Rawagede massacre is believed to be the most violent crimes, the most brutal and bloodiest of the Dutch in the period 1945 to 1949. However, in the Netherlands, for decades, the massacre Rawagede only considered the consequences of police action to catch the vandals.
The Hague court Wednesday, September 14, 2011 to grant the demands of the families of the victims of war crimes in Rawagede Village, West Java, in 1947 for replacement of losses suffered.
As quoted from the pages of Radio Broadcasting Netherland Indonesia, the court refused to excuse the Kingdom of the Netherlands who stated that this case has expired. However, a note given by the court the right to indemnity is intended only immediate families of the victims of the massacre.
Conclussion
As was said in the decision of the Court in the Netherlands, that crimes against humanity has no time limit. Rawa Gede massacre might have passed for 64 years. But for the families of victims of the incident as it was yesterday. Not only that for the perpetrators as feeling guilty for killing the innocent civilians. As an anonymous letter that was sent to Radio Netherlands,
Wamel Rawa Gedeh
(Free Translation)
I can not mention my name, but I can tell you
what really happened in the village of Rawa Gedeh.
You know, between the years 1945 - 1949, we tried to retake our colonies in Southeast Asia. For that from 1945 to 1949, about 130,000 Dutch soldiers were sent to the former Dutch East Indies, now Indonesia. There occurs the following:
In West Java, east of Batavia, in the Krawang, there is the village of Rawa Gedeh. From the Rawa Gedeh Dutch troops were fired upon. So it was decided to beat up the village to be a lesson to other villages.
Rawa Gedeh.at night surrounded Those who tried to leave the village, killed without sound (attack, pressed into the water to drown; their head was hit with rifle butts, etc.)
At half six in the morning, when the day began, we attack the village with mortar fire. Men, women and children who would otherwise escape should be killed: all of them were shot dead. Hundreds of them.
After the village was burned, the Dutch troops occupied the region. The remaining villagers were then gathered, squat, with hands folded behind his neck. Only a few left. Rawa Gedeh has received 'learning'.
All the men were shot dead - we named 'Royal Army'.
All the women were shot to death - even though we come from democratic countries.
All children were shot to death - even though we are Christian soldiers
Week of Advent 1947
Now I remembered the day or night Rawa Gedeh, and it makes my head hurt and my tears burned my eyes, especially when I think of the children whose hands are still too short to fold his hands behind his neck, and their eyes widened, fear and do not understand.
I can not call my name, because this information is not favored certain peoples.(Radionederland)
Comments
11th Jul 2012 (#)
Very interesting story.
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