116-801: Raymond Pierre Paul Westerling (31 August 1919 – 26 November 1987) was a Dutch military officer of the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army . He orchestrated a counter-guerrilla operation in Sulawesi during the Indonesian National Revolution after World War II and participated in a coup attempt against the Government of Indonesia in January 1950, a month after the official transfer of sovereignty. Both actions were denounced as war crimes by
232-424: A deep impression on the population (Conclusion VI). Dutch historian Lou de Jong commented in his publication on Westerling's action: "There may have been guilty ones among those indicated as having aided the T.R.I.S. or other resistance groups, but surely there were innocent ones among them. Besides that: there was no judicial basis for these summary judicial bloodbaths – even in a state of war they did not exist." In
348-622: A detention camp on St. John's Island , off the coast of Singapore. Previously, a Dutch cabinet meeting on August 7 had decided that upon his arrival in the Netherlands, Westerling would be immediately detained, though it was uncertain for the situation of Westerling in Singapore. Thus, on 15 August 1950, at the High Court hearing in Singapore, Judge Evans ruled that Westerling as a Dutch citizen could not be extradited to Indonesia and that
464-737: A false passport was made at the High Commissioner's office (without an official report). The name on the passport was Willem Ruitenbeek, born in Manila. On Wednesday 22 February, one month after the failed "coup", Westerling, wearing the uniform of a KNIL sergeant, was picked up by van der Veen and taken by car to the MLD base at Tanjung Priok Port . The Catalina aircraft only made a stopover in Tanjung Pinang and then continued its flight to Singapore. They arrived in Singapore waters late in
580-539: A few months, he was notable for his sense of intelligence, which laid the foundations for some important successes for the British forces. He had built a reputation for decisive and heavy-handed action where necessary by successfully rooting out enemies classified as rogue elements by the Dutch, which those most involved legitimized by referring to the brutal methods of the opposing side. With methods such as his elimination of
696-611: A first lieutenant, Westerling took over the Depot Special Forces (DST) commando unit. Westerling's training of his unit was primarily based on his experiences with the British commandos. In September 1946, the DST, stationed at Batavia (modern-day Jakarta), numbered about 130 soldiers, a mix of Dutch war volunteers , and Indonesians. In December 1946, he received the instruction to eliminate the insurgency and to restore Dutch control in Sulawesi . That island - like other parts of
812-607: A free man aboard the Australian Quantas aircraft and was accompanied by the Dutch Consul General to Singapore, Mr. R. van der Gaag, a Westerling supporter. After a brief stop to Tangiers and then Paris , It turned out that Westerling himself was not immediately taken to the Netherlands, but – with van der Gaag's permission – he got off in Brussels , Belgium. He was soon visited by representatives of
928-555: A gang leader who went by the name of Terakan and who was said to be responsible for attacks against European and Indonesian civilians in North Sumatra. In his memoirs he described his action as follows: “We planted a stake in the middle of the village and on it we impaled the head of Terakan. Beneath it we nailed a polite warning to the members of his band that if they persisted in their evildoing, their heads would join his own.” In July 1946, Having completed his first assignment as
1044-544: A hero. It was considered, among other things, to bring Westerling to western Papua . But the day after, on 9 February, Hatta stated that if the Dutch managed to capture Westerling, the Republic would demand that Westerling be handed over to the Indonesians. Hirschfeld recognised that they could not help Westerling as this would bring shame to the Dutch government. Therefore, he told the Dutch military leadership to abandon
1160-459: A myth that this so-called 'Bandung coup' was solely the work of the ousted commander and his faithful. Rather, Westerling served as a forward post. On 5 January 1950, Westerling sent an ultimatum to the government of Jakarta. His demands were the recognition of the APRA as the official army of the state of Pasundan and unconditional respect for the autonomy of the federal states. Westerling added that if
1276-517: A new village leader and set up a village police force. All present would have to swear on the Koran that they would not follow in the path of the “terrorists". Finally, Westerling organised a new police force and appointed kampong boards that were made responsible for maintaining order. In 1954, the Van Rij/Stam committee characterised Westerling's actions as a "solemn" method, which would have made
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#17327978318551392-718: A precursor in the Korps Insulinde (' Insulindia Corps') that conducted clandestine operations during the Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies . In June 1949, 250 men of the 1st Parachute Company were integrated into the Corps. The KST, which would reach a maximum strength of 1250 men, was composed of Dutch war volunteers (OVWs), Eurasians and native soldiers , including Moluccans . The present day Korps Commandotroepen (KCT; 'Commando Corps') of
1508-797: A prelude to the Dutch capture of the city and the imprisonment of the Indonesian leadership, including President Sukarno . Exemplary of the qualitative advantage of the KST/RST over the fighters of the Tentara Nasional Indonesia (TNI; 'Indonesian National Military') was the final operation of the RST prior to the Dutch–Indonesian Round Table Conference in August 1949. The TNI made a last-ditch attempt before
1624-767: A ruthless soldier. He maintained his reputation as a fire-eater; as recently as 1977, he was mentioned in connection with possible kidnapping of war crimes suspect Pieter Menten . In 1979, he campaigned for the payment of overdue salaries to former KNIL soldiers, using strong language. Westerling was married three times. From one of the first two marriages, he had a daughter. He also had a daughter, named Palmyra Westerling, from his third marriage. Around 1955, he lived in Marssum . Westerling later divorced and remarried. He moved to Amsterdam, where he ran an antiquarian bookshop in Amsterdam. He died in his hometown of Purmerend at
1740-538: A separate military arm specifically formed for service in the Netherlands East Indies . Its establishment coincided with the Dutch drive to expand colonial rule from the 17th century area of control to the far larger territories constituting the Dutch East Indies seventy years later. The KNIL was involved in many campaigns against indigenous groups in the area including the Padri War (1821–1845),
1856-405: A small town in the province of Friesland . After his release from detention, Westerling was often asked to speak at meetings, which were often packed with his devotees. At one meeting, he was asked why Sukarno had not been shot. Westerling replied, The Dutch are very calculating, a bullet costs 35 cents, Soekarno costs less than 5 cents, meaning an unaccountable loss of 30 cents. A few days later,
1972-556: A special staff study in order to merge the First Para Company with the Special Forces Corps and, at the same time, carry out a selection for quality among its cadre and men. General Spoor had some special assignments in mind for Westerling. However, based on this new approach and because of the negative publicity surrounding Westerling and the 'old' KST, the army command decided to appoint another commander for
2088-466: A spokesman for the former underground stated. In the process, Westerling was outlined as the ideal leader for the intended armed struggle in the Moluccas . Westerling, reportedly still on his way to Ambon, subsequently distanced himself from the new party, after which his comrades brought him before an 'honour council' on suspicion of embezzlement. However, he denied all allegations and the public tribunal
2204-610: A village, nor did I take the hut of innocent under fire. I had executed some criminals, but nobody had died needlessly or wrongly by my doing. Westerling's actions were investigated by the Enthoven Commission at the behest of the Lieutenant Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies, H.J. van Mook . That Enthoven Report was presented to the Drees cabinet in 1948. It was not made public and nothing
2320-486: The Ambonese from The Hague, who founded the " Stichting Door de Eeuwen Trouw - DDET " (Foundation of Perpetual Faithfulness). They planned to return to Maluku to stir up rebellion there. In the Netherlands itself, Westerling in absentia became a most respected person. Early April 1952, Westerling secretly entered the Netherlands. His whereabouts could not be hidden and were soon discovered, and on 16 April, Westerling
2436-598: The Amsterdam conservatory . His début as a tenor in Puccini's Tosca in the city of Breda in 1958, however, proved unsuccessful. After that, Westerling led a seemingly unremarkable life. He said he wrote some military reports, including for a foreign oil company, but turned down offers to work as a mercenary . Yet not a year went by that the newspapers did not write about him; he was regularly mentioned in connection with foreign conflicts and planned attacks; several times he
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#17327978318552552-583: The Hatta cabinet during one of its government meetings. An interim-federal government, presided over by Sultan Hamid II of Pontianak , would take control. Despite their numerical inferiority to the Siliwangi Division , Westerling's men captured Bandung. However, they failed to take over Jakarta. Law and order were quickly restored by the Republican army and the Indonesian police force. In spite of
2668-757: The Japanese occupation , most of the Dutch and Ambonese personnel were interned in POW camps. During the Indonesian National Revolution , the KNIL's officers were still largely Dutch and Eurasians although most of its troops were recruited from predominantly Indonesian Christian ethnicities, particularly Batak, Moluccas, Timor and Manado. Although there were smaller numbers of Javanese, Sundanese , Sumatran and other Muslim troops in Dutch service, these received comparatively lower rates of pay than their Christian counterparts, leading to resentment and distrust. The Dutch sought to take advantage of these ethnic tensions by claiming that
2784-595: The Java War (1825–1830), crushing the final resistance of Bali inhabitants to colonial rule in 1849, and the prolonged Aceh War (1873–1904). In 1894, Lombok and Karangasem were annexed in response to reports of the local Balinese aristocracy oppressing the native Sasak people. Bali was finally taken under full control with the Dutch intervention in Bali (1906) and the final Dutch intervention in Bali (1908) . In
2900-872: The Kingdom of the Netherlands in its colony of the Dutch East Indies , in areas that are now part of Indonesia . The KNIL's air arm was the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force . Elements of the Royal Netherlands Navy and Government Navy were also stationed in the Netherlands East Indies. The KNIL was formed by royal decree on 14 September 1814. It was not part of the Royal Netherlands Army , but
3016-478: The Pao An Tui . He immediately made plans to return to Indonesia. After arriving to port, Westerling had been staying at Chia Piet Kay house in the centre of Singapore. After a visit by special branch officer Mr. A.R. McEwan, it was found that Westerling had entered the colony without the correct papers, mainly the false passport. Alerted by this, McEwan followed by arresting Westerling without any resistance. He
3132-761: The Puncak Pass area. Here he put together an armed movement from groups opposed to the impending transfer of official power from the Dutch to the Indonesian Republic with the aim of preserving the autonomy of the Dutch-created state of Pasundan in western Java. Westerling named his movement the Legion of the Just Ruler (APRA) from the Javanese myth that a messianic figure would come to save
3248-543: The Royal Netherlands Army is considered a continuation of the RST. The forces wore the green beret , which was the official headdress of the British Commandos of World War II. Under the name No. 2 (Dutch) Troop , the first Dutch commandos were trained in Achnacarry , Scotland , as part of No. 10 (Inter-Allied) Commando . After the war, members of No. 2 Dutch troop served in DST. The paratrooper wing of
3364-539: The United Kingdom and United States were forbidden from serving. Other foreigners who could not prove fluency in either Dutch or German were also not accepted for service. It was against the law to send Dutch conscripts from the Netherlands to the East Indies but Dutch volunteers continued to enlist for colonial service in the KNIL. In 1890 a Colonial Reserve Corps (Koloniale Reserve) was established in
3480-575: The 19th century. During the protracted Aceh War the numbers of European troops were kept to 12,000 but continued Achenese resistance necessitated the deployment of up to 23,000 indigenous soldiers (mainly from Java , Ambon , and Manado ). Even slaves of the Ashanti ( Ivory Coast and Ghana ) were recruited in limited numbers for service in the East Indies (see Belanda Hitam ). The ratio of foreign and indigenous troops to those of Dutch origin
3596-692: The APRA counted 22,000 men. However, Dutch historian Jaap de Moor says that such an extensive organization only existed in the fantasy of Westerling. He stated that APRA hardly had any size and Westerling was hoping for help from soldiers of the KNIL and in particular the Regiment Speciale Troepen (the successor to the DST/KST), of which he had been commander. These Special Forces soldiers would still have had Westerling on their hands. There are strong indications that senior Indonesian officials, and top Dutch military officers were also involved in
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3712-526: The Ambonese would lose their special privileges and pensions under a Javanese-dominated government. As noted above, these factors contributed to clashes between demobilised KNIL units and the Republic of Indonesia 's military throughout 1950. Korps Speciale Troepen Korps Speciale Troepen (KST; 'Special Forces Corps') was a Royal Netherlands East Indies Army (KNIL) special forces unit that
3828-749: The Corps wore the red beret . At the end of 1946, the DST under Captain Raymond Westerling was deployed to South Celebes to restore Dutch authority in the area. The local Indonesian nationalists , utilizing terror tactics , tried to prevent the return of Dutch rule. Westerling led a controversial counterterrorism campaign that would become known as the " South Celebes Affair ," in which thousands of suspected nationalists were killed. The DST/KST then focused on anti-guerrilla operations, capture or kill high-value targets, counterinsurgency, irregular warfare, operating in difficult to access and dangerous areas, and special operations. The rich tradition of
3944-717: The Dutch Army. Van Vreeden himself relayed these developments to Secretary of State Andreae Fockema. Thus, with the exception of Hirschfeld, the Dutch High Commissioner, all of the highest Dutch ranks in Jakarta, both military and civilian, were aware of and involved in the conspiracy to hide Westerling and his escape from Indonesia. Andreae Fockema stated that he would take over all responsibility. On 17 February Lieutenant Colonel Borghouts and Major van der Veen were tasked with drawing up an evacuation plan. A plan
4060-506: The Dutch East Indies - was in the grip of a violent uprising that was characterised by the Dutch government and in the media as 'red-white terror'. Government authority had all but collapsed, economic life was paralysed, while people in doubt were pressurised to turn away from colonial authority. Guerilla fighters from Java had joined the local groups and government officials and members of the pro-Dutch Eurasian and Indo-Chinese community, were attacked and killed. The KNIL garrisons, stationed on
4176-658: The Dutch East Indies, both from a Hague and local perspective. That research needed to take an integrated approach and delve deeper into issues that had been addressed in Limpach's study. The spiral of violence of the Bersiap needed to be systematically examined. Political decision-making in The Hague on decolonisation was the subject of that study. The aftermath after 1949 and veteran care also needed further investigation. The Royal Institute for Language, Land and Ethnology (KITLV),
4292-553: The Dutch military intelligence service, the members of the DST surrounded one or more suspected villages during night, after which they drove the population to a central location. At daybreak, the operation began, often led by Westerling. Men would be separated from women and children. From information obtained through spying and the local people, Westerling deemed certain people as terrorists and murderers. Based on this information they were shot. Persons who offered armed resistance were immediately killed. Afterwards, Westerling would install
4408-421: The Dutch military leadership's assistance to Westerling in escaping to Singapore. On February 25, Hirschfeld realized that all the reports were true and it turned out that he and Admiral Kist were the only ones who were not informed by van Vreeden, van Langen, and Fockema about the existence of a Dutch conspiracy to save Westerling from being arrested by the Indonesians. Following his word, Fockema immediately took
4524-501: The Dutch soldiers in that battalion interned and imprisoned 500 of their Indonesian native comrades within the camp. Harsh treatment and penalties were issued out by the Dutch on any independence seeking soldiers. This led to the deaths of two KNIL native soldiers; one was a possible suicide and the other was a protest leader. This brought about condemnation from Australian locals, who forced the Australian authorities to repatriate all
4640-697: The Indonesian High Commissioner protested to the Dutch cabinet against the insult. In 1953, he founded the S.O.S. Foundation (Steunt Ontredderde Staten) in Sneek , which called for extra-parliamentary actions to force compliance with the peace agreement reached at the Round Table Conference (1949). In 1955, he co-founded the Dutch Conservative Party (renamed to Dutch Opposition Union), a continuation of
4756-571: The Indonesian authorities. Born in the Ottoman Empire , despite his nickname, The Turk , Westerling was of mixed Dutch and Greek descent. Raymond "The Turk" Westerling was born on 31 August 1919 in Istanbul . He was the second son of a Greek mother, Sophia Moutzou, and a Dutch dealer in antiques, Paul Westerling, whose family had lived there for three generations. He grew up speaking Greek, Turkish, French and English, and later wrote: "One of
Raymond Westerling - Misplaced Pages Continue
4872-632: The Japanese as POWs . 25% of the POWs did not survive their internment. A handful of soldiers, mostly indigenous personnel, mounted guerrilla campaigns against the Japanese. These were usually unknown to, and unassisted by, the Allies until the end of the war. During early 1942, some KNIL personnel escaped to Australia. Some indigenous personnel were interned in Australia under suspicion of sympathies with
4988-669: The Japanese. The remainder began a long process of re-grouping. In late 1942, a failed attempt to land in East Timor , to reinforce Australian commandos waging a guerrilla campaign ended with the loss of 60 Dutch personnel. Four "Netherlands East Indies" squadrons (the RAAF-NEI squadrons ) were formed from ML-KNIL personnel, under the auspices of the Royal Australian Air Force , with Australian ground staff. KNIL infantry forces (much like their counterparts in
5104-412: The KNIL ceased to exist but its traditions are maintained by the Regiment Van Heutsz of the modern Royal Netherlands Army . At the time of disbandment the KNIL numbered 65,000, of whom 26,000 were incorporated into the new Indonesian Army and should be received with the same rank. Some of them later in the 70s reached the rank of Major General in Indonesian Army. It is estimated that around 39,000 of
5220-406: The KNIL in this field, combined with the skills of the modern commando, turned out to be a recipe for success. When the Indonesian nationalists turned to guerrilla warfare, the special forces were increasingly called upon and the revolutionaries learned to avoid confrontations with units of the KST as much as possible. This was not only a matter of survival, as the Indonesian fighters were no match for
5336-458: The KNIL was mainly involved with military policing tasks. To ensure a sizeable European military segment in the KNIL and reduce costly recruitment in Europe, the colonial government introduced obligatory military service for all resident male conscripts in the European legal class in 1917. In 1922 a supplemental legal enactment introduced the creation of the Home Guard ( Dutch : Landstorm ) for European conscripts older than 32. Dutch forces in
5452-477: The KNIL were involved in an abortive coup in Bandung planned by Raymond Westerling and Sultan Hamid II . The coup failed and only accelerated the dissolution of the federal Republic of the United States of Indonesia . The KNIL was disbanded by 26 July 1950 with its indigenous personnel being given the option of demobilising or joining the newly formed Indonesian military . However, efforts to integrate former KNIL units were impeded by mutual distrust between
5568-440: The KNIL. Conditions there, as in much of Indonesia, were tense and chaotic after the end of the Japanese occupation. Since the end of World War II, parts of the Indonesian people were in an armed and diplomatic struggle against the Dutch for independence. To restore Dutch control in Medan, Westerling set up an intelligence network and a police force. Formally, Westerling was under British command, but he mostly went his own way. Within
5684-448: The Lieutenant-Governor-General, and the Military Authority, as well as in its opinions the Mr Procurator-General were at fault". Any legal prosecution of the perpetrators of atrocities would have to "bring up the whole background and all responsibilities will have to be checked". In the late 1960s, following revelations by psychologist Joop Hueting , the Dutch government had archival research conducted by historians led by Cees Fasseur into
5800-428: The MLD and relayed the plan. Vroon informed Admiral Kist that there was a request from the KNIL to use Catalina for a special task. Kist gave his approval, although at the time he was not informed of the actual use. General van Langen, in his letter to Admiral Kist, only explained that one Catalina aircraft was needed for the visit of a high-ranking officer to the Riau Islands, and not a word about Westerling. Subsequently,
5916-817: The Netherlands East Indies were severely weakened by the defeat and occupation of the Netherlands itself, by Nazi Germany , in 1940. The KNIL was cut off from external Dutch assistance, except by Royal Netherlands Navy units. The KNIL, hastily and inadequately, attempted to transform into a modern military force able to protect the Dutch East Indies from foreign invasion. By December 1941, Dutch forces in Indonesia numbered around 85,000 personnel: regular troops consisted of about 1,000 officers and 34,000 enlisted soldiers, of whom 28,000 were indigenous. The remainder were made up of locally organised militia, territorial guard units and civilian auxiliaries. The KNIL air force, Militaire Luchtvaart KNIL ( Royal Netherlands East Indies Air Force ; ML-KNIL) numbered 389 planes of all types, but
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#17327978318556032-467: The Netherlands Institute for Military History (NIMH) and the Netherlands Institute for War, Holocaust and Genocide Studies (NIOD) have been commissioned by the cabinet to conduct the research. The Dutch military operations in the Dutch East Indies continue to cause a stir in the Netherlands. The Dutch Honorary Debts Committee Foundation is working to ensure that the relatives of victims of the purges in South Celebes receive compensation and recognition from
6148-441: The Netherlands itself to recruit and train these volunteers and to re-integrate them into Dutch society upon the conclusion of their overseas service. On the eve of the Japanese invasion in December 1941, Dutch regular troops in the East Indies consisted of about 1,000 officers and 34,000 men, of whom 28,000 were indigenous. The largest proportion of these "native troops" had always consisted of Javanese and Sundanese soldiers. During
6264-413: The Netherlands. In 1969, together with cameraman Hans van der Busken and journalist Joop Buddinghausen , they managed to interview Westerling. It was Westerling's first recorded appearance on television, but unfortunately, fearing threats and repercussions, not a single Dutch broadcaster dared to broadcast it. After the footage was donated, it was finally broadcast on Dutch television for the first time on
6380-424: The Netherlands. While the Dutch government had officially condemned the coup, they helped smuggle Westerling out of Indonesia to Singapore . Since the failure of 23 January, Westerling had been in hiding in Jakarta, where he brought his wife and children. He moved from place to place, among others at Kebon Sirih 62A, with the De Nijs family. On 8 February 1950 Westerling's wife met Major General van Langen , who
6496-446: The Republican banner. This, according to Westerling's sympathisers, justified the crackdown. This reading is endorsed by Mr B.J. Lambers , then the attorney-general's representative on South Celebes. Historians Rémy Limpach ("De brandende kampongs van generaal Spoor", 2016) and Gert Oostindie ("Soldaat in Indonesië", 2016) also give the impression that Westerling's actions, if not directly ordered from on high, were at least condoned by
6612-447: The Schnellboot Seeadler in Wilhelmshaven , which, however, was detained by the Dutch government. Another try was made with the Evipan , but it was seized on the Ems river and Westerling had to surrender his passport. The Dutch government refused any support to the movement, after which a protest rally in November 1955 openly threatened a coup of the Dutch government if they would not cooperate. "We have sufficiently filled arms depots,"
6728-399: The UK ), were augmented by recruitment among Dutch expatriates around the world and by colonial troops from as far away as the Dutch West Indies . During 1944–45, some small units saw action in the New Guinea campaign and Borneo campaign . Just south of Casino, New South Wales , a camp was established in 1942 for a KNIL Technical Battalion. Upon the declaration of the Indonesian Republic,
6844-505: The actions of the DST cost about 1,500 Indonesian lives. About 400 of them were executed during actions led by Westerling himself, while the remaining 1,100 were killed during actions of his second in command. The responsibility for these executions was this second in command, as was stated by the Enthoven investigational committee (1948). Another 1,500 deaths could be added as a result of actions of other KNIL units. Approximately 900 Indonesians were killed by pro-Dutch police units and members of
6960-449: The age of 68 in his sleep from cardiac arrest and was buried at Nieuwe Ooster Cemetery in Amsterdam. Westerling's life in the Netherlands was dominated by allegations of atrocities over his actions in South Celebes. Westerling continued to defend his purges and denied accusations of atrocities. That, when he saw fit, he acted ruthlessly, he never contradicted. In interviews, however, he stated "The introduction of martial law in South Celebes
7076-457: The answer was not positive, he could not be held responsible for the outbreak of large-scale fighting by the APRA. With no reply to his ultimatum, Westerling started the coup in the night of 22–23 January, a month after international recognition of the Republic of Indonesia. His plan was to attack Bandung and Jakarta at the same time, concentrating on garrisons, police stations, media centres and other key positions. The APRA would raid and eliminate
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#17327978318557192-476: The army consisted of European soldiers, while the other half was made up of indigenous soldiers. However, starting from the late 1830s the ratio between European soldiers and indigenous soldiers went from 1:1 to 1:3. The reason for this was that there were not enough European volunteers to keep up with the recruitment of indigenous soldiers. Besides European volunteers and indigenous recruits the KNIL also recruited foreign mercenaries of several nationalities during
7308-481: The banned Nazi party National European Social Movement . The new grouping - an amalgamation of far-right politicians, adventurers and handy businessmen - made headlines for plans for armed action against Indonesia. With financial support from ex-NSB Mr Jan Wolthuis and Groningen businessman and former Sicherheitspolizei and SD officer Pieter Gaillard , the armoured yacht Evipan was purchased to sail to Ambon . The ship proved unseaworthy, after which they purchased
7424-448: The blame and stated that he was responsible and informed the Government of the United States of Indonesia that Hirschfeld had absolutely no knowledge of this matter. According to Moor's indications, since the scandal which was very embarrassing to the Dutch Government was uncovered, the relationship between Hirschfeld and the top Dutch military leadership in Indonesia has reached the lowest point. On 21 August, Westerling left Singapore as
7540-434: The ceasefire to infiltrate Surakarta in Central Java . 325 men from the RST were hastily flown in to repel the TNI from the city. The Siege of Surakarta was resolved in a few days with the TNI losing around 400 men, while the RST only suffered three injuries. It cannot be ruled out that a number of civilian casualties were included in the losses of the TNI. After the transfer of sovereignty and official end of hostilities,
7656-407: The close circle around Westerling in 1969. Meanwhile, the Indonesian Foreign Ministry issued a 'White Paper' in early 1957, stating that investigations into far-right networks supporting the armed uprisings in the Moluccas had been ongoing since the early 1950s. Dutch government circles were also allegedly involved in the plotting, according to the Indonesians. Thereafter, Westerling studied voice at
7772-424: The commandos of the RST sprung into action one last time, albeit without the consent of their superiors. A number of them were involved in an attempted coup d'état against the regime of Sukarno in January 1950, as part of the Angkatan Perang Ratu Adil (APRA; 'Just Ruler Legion') led by former Captain Raymond Westerling. After World War II, the School Opleiding Parachutisten (SOP; 'Paratrooper Training School')
7888-592: The coup's relative brevity, it claimed dozens of lives on both sides. The captured APRA soldiers, including some 125 from the Special Troops Regiment, were handed over to the Dutch troops still remaining on Java. A Dutch court-martial sentenced them to prison terms ranging from six to twelve months. Lieutenant P.E.D. Titaley , who had acted as a liaison with Westerling, received a sentence of one year and eight months. All were transferred to Dutch New Guinea to serve their sentences there. After their imprisonment (1951-'52) many former APRA soldiers went directly from New Guinea to
8004-451: The coup. For instance, it is certain that Sultan Syarif Hamid II of Pontianak, minister in Sukarno's cabinet at the time, played an active role in it. The sultan was a former KNIL colonel, former adjutant of the queen and a friend of Prince Bernhard. He favoured a federal form of state, different from the unitary state Sukarno pursued. Because of his involvement in the coup, he was later convicted. Consequently, supporters of Westerling call it
8120-399: The end of 1949 the situation there was relatively quiet and under control. However, the Netherlands East Indies government and the Dutch army command soon realised that Westerling's actions led to growing public criticism. There was an official inquiry by the Dutch government in April 1947 and Raymond Westerling's actions were justified by this committee. In 1948 he decided to leave the army. He
8236-472: The entire Cabinet was ultimately responsible for this. Even the top of the judiciary, in the person of Attorney General H.J. Felderhof, endorsed that military action was necessary and warranted by emergency law. Geersing therefore concludes that Westerling's action was in line with the political and social morals of the time and the legal and military frameworks in place at the time. Westerling's actions temporarily restored Dutch control in Southern Celebes. Until
8352-432: The evening. Approximately one kilometre from the coast of Singapore the plane landed in the sea and the rubber boat was lowered. In his book De Eenling , Westerling explained that his rubber boat was leaking and taking on water. Luckily he was rescued by a Chinese fishing boat that took him to Singapore. On arrival in Singapore, he immediately contacted his Chinese friend Chia Piet Kay, who had helped when buying weapons for
8468-685: The excesses committed by Dutch troops in Indonesia: this led to the publication of Excessennota in June 1969. This paper highlights the failure of administrative and political accountability. On 2 December 2016, in response to Rémy Limpach's study, The Burning Campongs of General Spoor, the Rutte cabinet decided that a broad, independent investigation should be conducted into the broad context of post-war decolonisation (including society) and political, administrative, judicial and military action in 1945–1949 in
8584-474: The fact that Westerling had still not received an award, even though he was a "rare brave, sturdy and handsome commander". Bernhard inquired from General Spoor the same month whether or not Westerling would be awarded a decoration. Spoor informed the prince that he would make efforts to obtain an award. However, there was no feeling for this in The Hague. When Westerling's departure from the Special Forces
8700-465: The few Western European languages that I didn't speak a word of was my mother tongue: Dutch." When World War II engulfed Europe in 1941, he went to the Dutch consulate in Istanbul and enlisted in the Royal Netherlands Army , much to his father's dismay. At the age of 22, in 1941, Westerling reported to the Dutch consulate in Istanbul as a volunteer for the Allies. He made his way to England, where he
8816-506: The imprisoned soldiers, despite being reluctant to heed earlier requests for assistance. Following World War II, the KNIL was used in two large military campaigns in 1947 and 1948 to re-establish Dutch control of Indonesia. The KNIL and its Ambonese auxiliaries have been accused of committing war crimes during this "police action". Dutch efforts to re-establish their colony failed and Netherlands recognition of Indonesian sovereignty came on 27 December 1949. On 26 January 1950, elements of
8932-558: The instructor for "Unarmed Combat" and "Silent Killing", in No. 2 Dutch Troop, No. 10 (Inter-Allied) Commando . Within a year, he was teaching these skills to 10 Commando as a whole, and was also instructing in "Toughness Training". At his own request, he left this staff position and, in December 1943, he rejoined No. 2 Dutch Troop in India. In Ceylon , he underwent jungle training. In 1944, he
9048-533: The island, were not able to provide protection. Criminal gangs had free rein. This period of disorder entered the history books as the Bersiap era. All this thwarted the Dutch plan to prepare the state of eastern Indonesia for independence. Though according to the Enthoven Commission (1948), There was no organised rebellion against Dutch authority at the time. After intensive consultations between
9164-734: The military and political authorities in Batavia. Bauke Geersing , in his 2019 study Captain Raymond Westerling and the South Celebes Affair, argues that Westerling's actions in South Celebes were the result of deliberate decisions taken by the military and political top brass in the Dutch East Indies. Through the General Commission, the representation of the Dutch government in the Dutch East Indies,
9280-565: The newly formed Republic of Indonesia had no extradition treaty with the British. The coverage in the mass media deeply hit and humiliated the Dutch civil and military leadership in Indonesia. The RIS Cabinet flooded the Dutch High Commissioner Hirschfeld with questions. Hirschfeld himself did not believe in the mass media at first, while Jend. Buurman van Vreeden and Gen. van Langen denied that they knew about
9396-493: The newly formed military unit. On 16 November 1948, Westerling handed over the command of his unit to Lieutenant Colonel W.C.A. van Beek, who was tasked with transforming the Special Forces into a unit suitable for airborne operations in Djokja. Although Westerling was nominated for an award several times, he was not awarded one. In August 1948, in an open letter to Prince Bernhard , his then adjutant Henk Ulrici drew attention to
9512-410: The nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the KNIL resumed the conquest of the Indonesian archipelago. After 1904 the Netherlands East Indies were considered pacified, with no large-scale armed opposition to Dutch rule until World War II , and the KNIL served a mainly defensive role protecting the Dutch East Indies from the possibility of foreign invasion. Once the archipelago was considered pacified
9628-445: The number of Africans much higher ) and at least 1,666 Eurasian recruits. The officer corps was wholly European and was probably close to 1,300. There were also about 1,300 horses. Recruitment was carried out in the Netherlands and Indonesia, with over 1,000 Dutch subjects and 500 foreigners enlisting annually. The foreign troops consisted of Flemish , German , Swiss , and French volunteers. Walloons , Arabs , and nationals of both
9744-648: The officers' mess where KL Adjutant H.J. van Bessem lived at Kebon Sirih 66 a meeting took place with Westerling, where Westerling was then hiding. Borghouts reported the meeting to KNIL Lieutenant Colonel Pereira, an officer on the General Staff, who then forwarded the results of this meeting to MayJend. van Langen. Westerling moved to another hiding place and stayed for a few days at the place of KNIL Sergeant Major L.A. Savalle, who then reported to van der Veen. Van der Veen himself then reported to General van Langen and General Buurman van Vreeden, Commander-in-Chief of
9860-501: The people of Celebes by fire and sword and exposed all those, who in the interest of Indonesia's national independence resisted Dutch rule, to a merciless campaign of repression". Westerling stated he had based his tactics on the premise that he performed the role of policeman, combating terror: "I arrested terrorists, not because they acted as instigators of the Republican government... but because they made themselves guilty of open and unmistaken crimes...I never had them [his troops] bombard
9976-497: The people of Java and establish universal peace and justice. Supporters were recruited from several social, cultural, and political groups. Even with the name, most were Sundanese who wanted an independent Pasundan not ruled by Javanese, defectors from the Indonesian Republican Army , soldiers of the DST and other KNIL units, who opposed the creation of the Indonesian republic. Raymond Westerling claimed that
10092-472: The plan to rescue Westerling. However, unbeknownst to Hirschfeld, on 10 February Major General van Langen ordered the Chief of Intelligence of the General Staff, Major F. van der Veen to contact Westerling and make arrangements for his escape from Indonesia. With the help of Lieutenant Colonel Johannes Josephus Franciscus Borghouts - Westerling's successor as commander of the elite KST troops - on 16 February at
10208-512: The political leadership in Batavia and the Dutch army command, it was decided to deploy an extra battalion of troops and the DST led by Raymond Westerling. He was given a clear mandate and instructions to organise a counterguerrilla operation against the 'red-white terror'. Part of the mandate Westerling received from Colonel Henk de Vries , the operational commander on South Celebes, was the authority to exercise summary execution . In doing so, he
10324-507: The predominantly Ambonese KNIL troops and the Javanese -dominated Republican military, leading to clashes at Makassar in April and the attempted secession of an independent Republic of South Maluku (RMS) in July. These revolts were suppressed by November 1950 and approximately 12,500 Ambonese KNIL personnel and their families opted for temporary resettlement in the Netherlands. Following this,
10440-417: The program "Altijd Wat" (There's Just) on NCRV television on 14 August 2012, at 21.10. In the unseen interview, Westerling denied that atrocities were committed in the Dutch East Indies under his responsibility, saying in the interview: "I am responsible and not the troops who have been under my orders. I personally take responsibility for the acts." He further said, "I stand firmly behind my actions, with
10556-634: The recent publication of Geersing, he claimed that the actions of Westerling were in conformity with the existing and applicable legal and military principles and regulations in those days. The counter-insurgency operation started in December 1946 and ended in February 1947. According to Indonesian accounts, all this came at the cost of large numbers of casualties. In his book De Zuid-Celebes Affaire: Kapitein Westerling en de standrechtelijke executies , Dutch revisionist historian Willem IJzereef claims that
10672-611: The remaining KNIL troops who majority of whom came from Ambon , took the option of retiring or joining the Royal Dutch Armed Forces and serving in Papua or Suriname. Some of them were involved in the Dutch contingent in Korean War (1950–1953). During its formation, it was stated that the KNIL would include both European and indigenous soldiers. In the beginning the KNIL was equally divided, which meant that half
10788-459: The seasoned commandos of the KST, but also a matter of tactics. When the troops of the KST left an area for operations elsewhere, the nationalists simply returned to resume their guerrilla actions against Dutch regulars. The KST paratroopers performed a number of airborne operations. At the beginning of Operation Kraai in late 1948, they captured the airport of the Republican capital of Yogyakarta as
10904-575: The task of commander of a newly formed military unit due to the ongoing negative publicity about his performance in South Celebes and criticism of the violent actions of the DST. The DST then consisted of about 1,200 men. General Simon Spoor toyed with the idea of carrying out an airborne landing in the Javanese province of Yokyakarta (Djokja) during the Second Police Action . Lieutenant Colonel van Beek had been commissioned to carry out
11020-412: The understanding that one must distinguish between war crimes and severe measures, consistent and just under very difficult circumstances." Royal Netherlands East Indies Army The Royal Netherlands East Indies Army ( Dutch : Koninklijk Nederlands Indisch Leger ; KNIL , pronounced [knɪl] ; Indonesian : Tentara Kerajaan Hindia Belanda ) was the military force maintained by
11136-405: The use of summary executions. To De Tijd , he complained about the "Westerling myth" perpetuated by the lack of an official investigation. Just hours before his death in 1987, he is said to have announced his intention to file summary proceedings against the historian Loe de Jong for accusing the Dutch forces in the Dutch East Indies of atrocities in a draft chapter and for portraying Westerling as
11252-474: The village police. IJzereef believes that Indonesian resistance caused around 1,500 victims. In the report of the Enthoven Committee (1948) the 'red and white terror' is also held responsible for 2,661 cases of rampok (robbery) and 555 cases of arson. The violent period prior to Westerling's crackdown saw 1,200 Indonesian casualties in South Celebes from rival gangs, crime and political terror under
11368-465: Was Chief of Staff, at his residence. Westerling's wife told van Langen about the situation her husband was facing. That same day van Langen contacted General Dirk Cornelis Buurman van Vreeden , Hirschfeld and Mr W.H. Andreae Fockema , State Secretary of the Dutch Cabinet who was also in Jakarta. The subject of the conversation was the rescue of Westerling, who in the eyes of many Dutch people was
11484-399: Was a Dutch citizen and therefore would not be extradited to Indonesia. After protracted wanderings, with constant threats of extradition to Indonesia, Westerling eventually arrived in the Netherlands and published his memoirs. With the help of John Thiessen , in preventing his extradition to Indonesia and the escorting of his Indonesian-French wife, Yvonne Fournier, Westerling settled down in
11600-540: Was accountable to the operational commander on site and to the Allied Command Officer (CDO) Major General Eduard Engles . Westerling claimed that “pacifying” Southern Celebes without losing thousands of innocent lives could only be accomplished by instituting summary execution, on the spot, for suspected enemy fighters, who were generally executed. This became known as part of the "Westerling Method". Based on information received from his own informants or
11716-469: Was already certain, Colonel Reemer made one last attempt. He proposed to give Westerling a Military Order of William for his work in Sumatra, Celebes and Java. Reemer's request was also rejected. In the end, Westerling received only a special certificate of satisfaction at his demobilisation on 14 January 1949. Raymond Westerling settled down in western Java, married and started a transportation company in
11832-563: Was appointed sergeant for special services and was placed at the disposal of the Office of Special Assignments (BBO), an organization that trained agents for covert actions in the occupied Netherlands . To his disappointment, Westerling was never sent to the front line. Instead, he was appointed sergeant major instructor of the Binnenlandse Strijdkrachten in the liberated southern Netherlands. On 10 March 1945 Westerling
11948-602: Was arrested at the home of Graaf A.S.H. van Rechteren. Hearing the news of Westerling's arrest in the Netherlands, on 12 May 1952 the Indonesian High Commissioner in the Netherlands Susanto requested that Westerling be extradited to Indonesia, but was refused by the Dutch government. Even the day after the extradition request, on 13 May, Westerling was released from custody. The decision of the Dutch Supreme Court on 31 October 1952 stated that Westerling
12064-508: Was cancelled for unclear reasons. In December 1956, Westerling's confidant Ton Schilling (1919-1984), a freelance journalist and founder of the Veterans Legion of the Netherlands , was arrested by the state police. Schilling was sentenced to one year in prison for swindling and embezzling substantial sums of money collected for sabotage operations in Indonesia, while Westerling was acquitted of involvement. Schilling still belonged to
12180-631: Was conscripted into the Princess Irene Brigade in Wolverhampton , but was unhappy with garrison life. Westerling was among the first 48 Dutch soldiers to receive special training at the Commando Basic Training Centre in Achnacarry , on the barren, cold and uninhabited Scottish coast. He completed this training under William E. Fairbairn in July 1942. After his promotion to corporal, Westerling became
12296-671: Was done with it. In that report, this committee concluded that Westerling's actions were warranted. After a revealing publication in 1949 in De Groene Amsterdammer about Dutch atrocities in Java, the Van Rij and Stam committee was set up, using the Enthoven report. Their report was submitted to ministers Donker (Justice) and Staf (War) of the third Drees cabinet in 1954. Van Rij and Stam concluded, among other things, "Both
12412-523: Was drawn up to take Westerling out of Indonesia on a Catalina aircraft belonging to the " Marineluchtvaartdienst - MLD " (Naval Aviation Service) under the authority of Vice Admiral J.W. Kist. This plan was approved by Van Langen and the same day Westerling was informed of this plan. Van der Veen discussed further details with Van Langen regarding the need for money, rubber boats and fake passports. On 18 February van Langen conveyed this to General van Vreeden. Van der Veen contacted Captain (Sea) P. Vroon, Chief of
12528-708: Was established for deployment against the Indonesian revolutionaries during the Indonesian National Revolution . It was formed in 1948 with the Depot Speciale Troepen (DST; 'Special Forces Depot') at its core and disbanded alongside the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army in 1950, by which time it had been renamed to the Regiment Speciale Troepen (RST; 'Special Forces Regiment'). The DST consisted of about 570 men at its establishment in 1945 and had
12644-502: Was largely outclassed by superior Japanese planes. The Royal Netherlands Navy Air Service, or MLD, also had significant forces in the NEI. During the Dutch East Indies campaign of 1941–42, by forces of the Empire of Japan, most of the KNIL and other Allied forces were quickly defeated. Most European soldiers, which in practice included all able bodied Indo-European males, were interned by
12760-630: Was on his way to Singapore, to then continue on to Europe. After hearing that Westerling had been arrested by the British Police in Singapore, the RIS Government submitted a request to the authorities in Singapore via the British Embassy in Jakarta concerning the extradition of Westerling "on the grounds of crimes perpetrated by him in Indonesia". With this communiqué, the authorities had intended to momentarily hold Westerling in
12876-666: Was refused entry to the country at foreign airports. When former prime minister Willem Drees spoke in 1969 about the "misdeeds" committed under Westerling's command, he unsuccessfully filed a libel complaint. A government committee concluded in 1969, partly on the basis of an earlier 1954 report, that military excesses had indeed taken place on Celebes. Van Rij and Stam's report held Westerling, along with Captain Rijborz , responsible for some of these excesses. Westerling responded with an interview in Vrij Nederland , where he defended
12992-464: Was relieved of his duties in November 1948. The aftermath of the South Celebes affair has left deep marks, both in Indonesia and the Netherlands. On 12 September 2013, the Dutch government, through its ambassador in Jakarta, Tjeerd de Zwaan, apologised to all victims of the massacre. Ten widows who were still alive received compensation. The Dutch army command did not consider Westerling suitable for
13108-478: Was reported to be 60% to 40%. After the Aceh War, the enlistment of non-Dutch European troops ceased and the KNIL came to consist of Dutch regulars recruited in the Netherlands itself, Indonesians, Indos (Eurasians), and Dutch colonists living in the East Indies and undertaking their military service. In 1884 personnel strength was numbered at 13,492 European, 14,982 Indonesian, 96 African (though some sources put
13224-643: Was seriously injured by a German attack with a V-1 Rocket . He was then taken to London. After healing, he was promoted to lieutenant by the head of BBO, General Van Oorschot, and sent to the Korps Insulinde on Malacca. From that corps he was deployed to Medan (Sumatra) to act together with the British against Indonesian insurgents in and around Medan. Westerling first came to Indonesia in September 1945, landing in Medan , North Sumatra , as an officer of
13340-415: Was the result of purely human reasoning, although for many people it was a bestial act. But go deeper into the reasoning of why I was forced to do it - I put myself aside, I risked martial law and public opinion - then it is the only way to restore peace and order on Celebes with a minimum of bloodshed." His memoirs devote a chapter to his self-defense. "They painted me as a bloodthirsty monster, who attacked
13456-531: Was then incarcerated in Changi Prison having to enter the territory illegally. Westerling explained to the Singaporean authorities, that he had come to Malaya in an attempt to garner financial support and arms for his organization in Indonesia. Previously, on February 20 when Westerling was still in Jakarta, Hugh Laming, a journalist from Reuters , sent a telegram to London and reported that Westerling
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