Former Dutch PM urged King to apologize to Molukkan community for historical injustice
It has become known that back in 2021, former Dutch Prime Minister Dries van Agt asked King Willem-Alexander to apologize to the Molukkan community, originally from the Molukken islands in Indonesia, many of whom were former Royal Netherlands East Indies Army (KNIL) soldiers and their families.
According to NOS, the letter, confirmed by the Netherlands Government Information Service, was sent three years before Van Agt’s death and only recently came to public attention. The story has surfaced as the Netherlands marks the 75th anniversary of the first Molukkan families’ arrival.
The Molukkans were brought to the Netherlands in 1951 for what was intended as a six-month stay. Upon arrival, the soldiers were immediately discharged, many families were housed in the former transit camp Westerbork, and most were never able to return to the Molukken islands, which remain part of Indonesia.
Antis Maryanan, whose parents were among those families, told Nu.nl, “My father was discharged immediately, which was very painful. There is still back pay that was never restored. Apologies would be appropriate. And precisely from the king, because our parents were very loyal to the monarchy.”
Van Agt, who served as Minister of Justice in the late 1970s, was in office when a group of Molukkan youths turned to violent protests to highlight their political demands. These included the 1977 school hostage crisis in Bovensmilde and the train hijacking at De Punt, both ended under military supervision, resulting in the deaths of six hijackers and two hostages.
The letter followed a 2021 meeting between Van Agt and Molukkan community members, including Maryanan. He described the meeting as “a good encounter” and said Van Agt had “later in life learned more about that history and thereby gained more understanding of our situation.”
Van Agt reportedly told Maryanan afterward that he had sent a letter to the king requesting an apology. Van Agt also told NRC that “great injustice has been done to the Molukkers” and that apologies were warranted. No royal apology has been issued.
Not all members of the community feel the same way. Maryanan’s niece, Rachelle Houtman, said, “Since it has taken so long, I no longer feel it necessary. We must recognize ourselves. But the government still has responsibility—for example, to include this history in education and support the preservation of Molukse neighborhoods.”
March 21, 2026, marks 75 years since the first Molukkan ship arrived in Rotterdam. Events marking the milestone include the opening of the In Eigen Woorden exhibition at Museum Maluku, where visitors can share their own memories and stories, as well as displays in Het Noordbrabants Museum and Herinneringscentrum Kamp Westerbork. A national monument will be unveiled this summer on the Lloydkade in Rotterdam, the original arrival site of the first Molukkan ships.
