| ★阿修羅♪ > アジア2 > 579.html ★阿修羅♪ |
|
| Tweet |
(回答先: インドネシアに謝罪 オランダ ６０年ぶり『独立』認める 【東京新聞】 投稿者 愚民党 日時 2005 年 8 月 17 日 18:15:50)
Dutch withhold apology in Indonesia
The Associated Press
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2005
JAKARTA The Netherlands' foreign minister on Tuesday refused to apologize for the violence in Indonesia before its independence from Dutch colonial rule in the late 1940s, saying only that his expressions of regret had been "clearly received" and come "straight from the heart."
Ben Bot, who is on a three-day visit to Indonesia, said that the large-scale deployment of military forces in 1947 had put the Netherlands "on the wrong side of history."
He also said that he wished to express "my profound regret for all that suffering" caused by the fighting.
But he refused to apologize and sidestepped the issue when pressed by reporters. The embassy said his comments were not to be construed as an apology, which some Indonesian lawmakers have demanded.
"Between friends, what matters first and foremost is the tone of the dialogue, tone we approach each other" with, and the way "we look forward and close certain chapters," he told reporters.
"We should not go into semantics. What is important is that we delivered a message that has been very clearly received in this country and comes straight from the heart."
Bot also reaffirmed comments he made Monday that the Netherlands for the first time recognizes that de facto independence began on Aug. 17, 1945, after insisting it was on Dec. 27, 1949, for the past six decades.
The Indonesian foreign minister, Hassan Wirayuda, said his government had never requested an apology and welcomed Bot's comments.
"We think this is a historical moment when we reconcile our past history," he said. "It will be much easier to move forward and strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries."
Rosihan Anwar, an 83-year-old Indonesian journalist, said Bot's comments were symbolic of a new generation in the Netherlands.
"I think the recognition is a natural thing since the old generations, politicians and veterans have died or are dying," Anwar said.
"In this case, Bot represents the new generation who naturally want to have better relations and cooperation with Indonesia," its biggest former colony.
The debate over the independence date and Dutch actions in the late 1940s have stirred little controversy in Indonesia, where history is overshadowed by the modern problems of terrorist attacks, poverty and the country's difficult transition to democracy.
"It's more a Dutch issue. It's a long time ago," said Bambang Harymurti, chief editor of the country's leading newsmagazine, Tempo. "For an editor, it's boring because it doesn't say anything. You ask Indonesians here, they don't care about this."
Japan's surrender on Aug. 15, 1945, ended the war in Asia and the occupation of Indonesia. But it opened another conflict as the Dutch sought to reclaim sovereignty over the colony they had held for 350 years.
During the so-called police actions in 1947 and 1948, Dutch troops tried to prevent Indonesia from gaining independence by occupying most of the Asian country's islands.
About 5,000 Dutch soldiers and tens of thousands of Indonesians, including women and children, are believed to have died.
The Netherlands did not recognize Indonesia's independence until Dec. 27, 1949, maintaining that the area it knew as the Dutch East Indies remained under its control.
Bot will become the first Dutch cabinet member to attend Indonesia's Independence Day celebrations on Wednesday, partly because of the early dispute over the date.
題名には必ず「阿修羅さんへ」と記述してください。