For the first time in history,photos surfaced of executions, which were most likely carried out by the Dutch army during the police actions in the former Dutch East Indies.
The photographs come from the private album of a soldier who served as a conscript in the Dutch East Indies. In the pictures to see the liquidation of three Indonesians. They stand with their backs to the firing squad at the edge of a ditch when they are fired. The trench is filled with corpses of executed, according to a second photo. On the outskirts are two Dutch soldiers, recognizable by their uniform.
© ALBUM JACOBUS R.. Drie Indonesiërs worden beschoten.
Never before Experts from the institute NIOD war and the Dutch Institute for Military History (NIMH) say such photographs never before seen. "They are not pictures everyday and it is certainly not every Indies Military these pictures brought home," said an employee of the NIMH. Even when similar pictures are NIOD unknown, said René Cook. "We have lots of albums here. You're waiting for the moment the picture pops up and it is now. Previously I have never seen. "
© Album Jacobus R.. Doden in een greppel, twee Nederlandse soldaten kijken toe.
The consulted historians do not doubt the authenticity. The exact location nor the circumstances of the execution is known. Possible further research provides more details.
The author is a soldier from Enschede. He is now deceased. It was broadcast in 1947, shortly before the first police action, and he is only retrieved in 1950, after the handover. He served in the artillery. In the Corps are part of history makes no mention of executions. Supposedly, the only artillery assistance to the infantry or Special Forces, who have executions.
Known executions in the Javanese kampong Rawagede and South Sulawesi. The families of the victims of Rawagede was last year awarded damages. The state should respond to the lawsuit filed against the extrajudicial killings in South Sulawesi. How many Indonesians in both actions just died is not known.
The soldier has never publicized the existence of the photos. His albums would never have noticed if she had not recently found in a Dumpster in Enschede. Who has thrown them there, is not known. The owner of the albums was childless and would have lived only in recent years.
Dumpster An employee of the Municipal Enschede saw the old albums are in the dumpster and decided to fish them out. The municipality of Enschede collects more pictures to the life of its own citizens to illustrate. The albums would still have been laid aside, as the archivists were not alarmed by pictures of a prison transport. At that time the album they decided to take it again where they met with the pictures of the executions.
Recently three historical institutes called on the government to re-investigate the police actions between 1945 and 1950, to understand what war is conducted in Indonesia. The government has not yet responded.
