Republic of South Maluku: a short-lived

state
From Wikipedia.
Republic of South Maluku
Republic of the South Moluccas
Republik Maluku Selatan
Republiek der Zuid-Molukken
Unrecognized state

19501963

Flag Coat of arms
Territory claimed by the Republic of South Maluku
Capital !mbon
Capital-in-exile Unspecified"#etherlands$
Goven!ent Republic
"esi#ent
a
% !pril&May '()* +ohanis Manuhutu
% '()*&'(,, Chris Soumokil
% '(,,&'((- +ohan Manusama
% '((.&-*'* Frans Tutuhatune/a
% -*'*&present +ohn 0attilete
$isto%
% 1stablished !pril -)2 '()*
% 3isestablished 3ecember '(,.
a4n e5ile since '(,,
The Republic of South Maluku (Indonesian: Republik Maluku Selatan,
(RMS) Dutch: Republiek der Zuid-Molukken), also known as the Republic of the South
Moluccas, was a self-proclaimed republic in the aluku Islands founded on !" #pril $%"&.
The main islands were 'eram, #mbon, and (uru.
)citation needed*
The +' on #mbon was
defeated b, Indonesian forces in -o.ember $%"&, howe.er, armed stru//le continued on
the island of 'eram until December $%01. The defeat on #mbon resulted in the fli/ht of the
self-declared +' /o.ernment to the island 'eram, and later on the formation of
a /o.ernment in e2ile in the -etherlands in $%00. When resistance leader Dr. 3hris
'oumokil was captured b, Indonesian forces on 'eram and e2ecuted in $%00, a president
in e2ile was inau/urated. The /o.ernment-in-e2ile continues to e2ist, with 4ohn Wattilete, a
""-,ear old law,er, inau/urated as head of state in #pril !&$&.
The Indonesian archipela/o consists of o.er $",&&& islands. Dutch con5uest e2erted
colonial control across the archipela/o in the $%th centur, establishin/ a unitar,
administration. The borders of present da, Indonesia were formed throu/h colonial
e2pansion finalised in the !&th centur,. #fter the occupation b, the 4apanese 6mpire durin/
WWII ended in $%7", nationalist leaders on 4a.a unilaterall, declared Indonesian
independence. -ot all re/ions and peoples of present da, Indonesia immediatel,
subscribed to the proclaimed 8nitar, 'tate of the +epublic of Indonesia.
)$*
6arl, or/anised
indi/enous resistance to the newl, declared Indonesian +epublic came from the 'outh
oluccas with support and aid from the Dutch 9o.ernment and ilitar,. The 'outh
oluccan rebels initiall, clun/ on to an earl, post-colonial treat, prescribin/ a federal form
of statehood. When that treat,, a/reed between the Dutch /o.ernment and the Indonesian
/o.ernment in December $%7%, was broken the, in turn unilaterall, declared a full,
independent Republic of the South Moluccas (#pril $%"&) hopin/ to achie.e an
autonomous state. In their decision the 'outh oluccan leaders based themsel.es on the
treat, which stipulated autonom, for each of the states of the federation.
Contents
$ +' histor,
o $.$ 6uropean con5uest of the 'outh oluccas
o $.! 'outh oluccan career soldiers of the colonial arm,
o $.1 Disbandin/ the colonial arm,
o $.7 Demobilisation of the oluccan soldiers to the -etherlands
$.7.$ 'outh oluccan terrorist action in the -etherlands
o $." 'econd and third /eneration oluccans in the -etherlands
! +' in e2ile
1 +' :residents
7 +' fla/
" +' coat of arms
0 +' anthem
o 0.$ ;,rics
< 3ontemporar, +' de.elopments
o <.$ +ecent political de.elopments in the -etherlands
o <.! +ecent political de.elopments in Indonesia
= +eferences
RMS history
European conquest of the South Moluccas
The aluku Islands were the onl, place in the world that /rew the pri>ed spices of clo.e
and nutme/, makin/ it a prime destination for 6uropean traders durin/ the #/e of
62ploration. #t one point, clo.es were worth their wei/ht in /old and :ortu/uese, 'panish,
(ritish and Dutch traders all fou/ht to control the incredibl, profitable spice trade monopol,.
)citation needed*
6.entuall,, the traders of the Dutch 6ast Indies 3ompan, (?@3) emer/ed as the
dominant merchant power in aluku. Throu/h an effecti.e combination of force and
diplomac,, the ?@3 achie.ed a structure of indirect rule in northern aluku and direct rule
in southern aluku.
)!*
.
Throu/hout much of the ?@3 era ($<th and $=th centuries), the south alukans resisted
Dutch dominance. The (anda Islands were onl, subdued after the indi/enous power
structure and or/anisation of trade and politics was destro,ed with the e2termination and
forced e.acuation of the (andanese population ($0!$). To repress the autonomous traders
of 6ast 'eram, the ?@3 or/anised structural ABon/iC raidin/ e2peditions. To carr, out these
punati.e e2peditions, the Dutch allied with warrior bands from other south aluku islands.
Durin/ ABon/iC raids, houses and .essels were burnt, cash crops were uprooted and most
wealth was looted b, the ABon/iC warriors. 'ur.i.ors who escaped had to start from scratch
a/ain and, durin/ two centuries of resistance, the 6ast 'eramese increasin/l, suffered
impo.erishment. Bowe.er, their independent tradin/ network was ne.er terminated.
)!*
In the late $=th centur,, the people of 'eram Doined an alliance of -orth oluccan, :apua
and (ritish forces in a !&- ,ear lon/ combined re.olt ($<=&E$=&!). +esistance leader
prince -uku (the e2iled 'ultan of Tidore) established himself on 'eram and aimed at
unitin/ the -orth and 'outh oluccas under his leadership. Bis raiders tar/eted 'outh
oluccan islands under the Dutch sphere of influence.
)1*
When the (ritish left the arena in
$=&! his plans were foiled and the Dutch restored their dominance.
)!*
Durin/ the Dutch colonisation of the Indonesian archipela/o in the $%th centur,, followin/
the collapse of the ?@3, rebellions arose. In a famous re.olt on the south aluku
island'aparua, the Dutch fort was taken b, the rebel leader :attimura, a former ser/eant in
the (ritish colonial arm,. #fter reinforcements were sent from the colonial capital, the
insur/ents were captured and :attimura was e2ecuted in $=$<.
aluku was part of the Dutch 6ast Indies, a colon, of the -etherlands, since its inception in
the $=th centur,. Indonesian republicans included south aluku as part of the independent
Indonesia the, declared in $%7". IndonesiaFs stru//le to secure its independence lasted
from $%7" until $%7%. #fter international pressure, the Dutch acknowled/ed a federal
Indonesian republic on !< December $%7%. In the first instance, the -etherlands onl,
acknowled/ed the independence of Indonesia as a federation of autonomous states, of
which one was 'outh aluku.
@n !" #pril $%"&, demobili>ed e2-+o,al Dutch 6ast Indies #rm, (G-I;) soldiers and other
'outh oluccan men who remained lo,al to the Dutch crown, sta/ed a re.olt and
proclaimed an independent H+epublic of 'outh alukuH (Indonesian: Republik Maluku
Selatan). @n $< #u/ust $%"&, Indonesian :resident, 'ukarno, proclaimed the restoration of
the unitar, state of the +epublic of Indonesia. IndonesiaFs liberal democratic s,stem of
/o.ernment, whereb, the cabinet would be accountable to the Bouse of +epresentati.es
was retained. This was a source of political instabilit, in the ,oun/ republic with fre5uent
chan/es in /o.ernment until the rise of the -ew @rder.
South Moluccan career soldiers of the colonial army
Decorated G-I; soldiers, $%!<.
# relati.el, lar/e number of the professional soldiers ser.in/ in the +o,al Dutch 6ast Indies
#rm, (G-I;) were recruited amon/ the population of #mbon and the surroundin/ 'outh
oluccan islands. The 'outh oluccan islands were amon/ the first to come under
6uropean influence in the $0th centur,. The :rotestant mission had been more successful
there than elsewhere in the 6ast IndiesI half the #mbonese population adhered to
the 3al.inist branch of :rotestantism.
#s earl, as $0&" armed Dutch merchantmen of the ?@3 captured the alread, e2istin/
:ortu/uese fort at the location of #mbon cit, on the island of #mbon in the 'outh
oluccas. It was an area alread, stron/l, influenced b, the :ortu/uese (:ortu/uese famil,
names, reli/ion and lan/ua/e were common) and the Dutch de.eloped it into the first
secure base of the Dutch 6ast India 3ompan, (?@3).
G-I; recruits bein/ trained on #mbon.
Durin/ the era of the ?@3, the oluccans were not onl, forced to trade with the ?@3 onl,,
but also to focus solel, on the production of clo.es. #fter the downfall of the ?@3 and the
collapse of the trade in clo.es, the, were full, dependent on the colonial structure and
found occupation in the colonial arm,. The #mbonese were re/arded as fierce fi/hters,
reliable soldiers and absolutel, lo,al to the Dutch 3rown. It was precisel, this reputation
that made them unpopular with other Indonesian nationalities. The ala, nickname for
them was Belanda Hitam, which translates to H(lack DutchH in 6n/lish. #ll of this put them
in a difficult position durin/ both the 4apanese occupation and the Indonesian national
re.olution. Durin/ the 4apanese occupation in the 'econd World War, most of the
oluccan soldiers were onl, briefl, interned as prisoners of war (:@Ws). Initiall,, the
4apanese occupation force decided to release them from militar, dut, and send them
home. Bowe.er, the 4apanese 5uickl, disco.ered their miscalculation when the oluccans
became amon/ the most acti.e in the resistance mo.ement a/ainst them. Throu/hout the
occupied Dutch 6ast Indies, oluccan soldiers created under/round resistance cells aidin/
the #llied forces. 'ome of these cells were acti.e in /atherin/ intelli/enceI other sleeper
cells hid weapons in strate/ic locations waitin/ to take up arms durin/ an #llied in.asion.
The 4apanese secret police (Gempeitai) responded b, torturin/ and beheadin/ an,
suspect, which in /eneral did not deter the oluccans.
)7*
G-I; re/iment, $%71.
#fter the capitulation of the Imperial 4apanese #rm, to the #llied forces, the oluccan
soldiers acted e5uall, defiantl, towards the Indonesian re.olutionaries tr,in/ to fill the
power .acuum left b, the 4apanese. 'maller scale conflicts in the (ersiap period between
re/rouped oluccan fi/htin/ units and :ermuda /roups usuall, left the well-trained
oluccan militar, men .ictorious. In their efforts to subdue the counter re.olutionar, +'
mo.ement on #mbon, the newl, established Tentara -asional Indonesia (+epublican
Indonesian arm,, T-I) encountered the militar, prowess of the oluccan special troops.
The hea., fi/htin/ tri//ered them to create their own special troops.
)"*
#t that time the
oluccan special troops onl, found their contemporaries in the 9urkha units of the (ritish
Indian #rm,.
Disbanding the colonial army
Durin/ the Indonesian -ational +e.olution, the Dutch had to disband the reinstated
G-I;
)0*
and the nati.e soldiers had the choice of bein/ demobilised or Doinin/ the arm, of
the +epublic of Indonesia. Due to a deep distrust of the +epublican leadership, bein/
predominantl, 4a.anese uslim, this was an e2tremel, difficult choice for the :rotestant
#mbonese and onl, a minorit, chose to ser.e with the Indonesian #rm,. Disbandin/
pro.ed a complicated process and, in $%"$, two ,ears after the transfer of so.erei/nt,, not
all soldiers had been demobilised. The Dutch were under se.ere international pressure to
disband the colonial arm, and temporaril, made these men part of the re/ular Dutch arm,,
while tr,in/ to demobilise them in 4a.a. Berein la, the source of the discontent amon/ the
oluccan soldiers as, accordin/ to the G-I; polic,, soldiers had the ri/ht to choose the
place where the, were to be dischar/ed at the end of their contract. The political situation
in the new +epublic of Indonesia was initiall, unstable and, in particular, contro.ers, o.er a
federal or centralised form of the state resulted in armed conflicts in which #mbonese e2-
G-I; men were in.ol.ed. In $%"$ an independent+epublic of the 'outh
oluccas (Indonesian: +', +epublik aluku 'elatan) was proclaimed at #mbon. The
+' had stron/ support amon/ the #mbonese G-I; soldiers. #s a conse5uence the
oluccan soldiers located outside the 'outh oluccas demanded to be dischar/ed at
#mbon. (ut Indonesia refused to let the Dutch transport these soldiers to #mbon as lon/ as
the +' was not repressed, fearin/ prolon/ed militar, stru//le. When after hea., fi/htin/
the +' was repressed at #mbon, the soldiers refused to be dischar/ed there. The, now
demanded to be demobilised at 'eram, where counter re.olutionar, pockets of resistance
a/ainst Indonesia still e2isted. This was a/ain blocked b, Indonesia.
Demobilisation of the Moluccan soldiers to the Netherlands
'outh oluccans disembarkin/ the ship AGota IntenC, +otterdam, $%"$.
The Dutch /o.ernment finall, decided to transport the remainin/ men and their families to
the -etherlands. The, were dischar/ed on arri.al and Ftemporaril,F housed in camps until it
was possible for them to return to the oluccan islands.
)<*
In this wa, around $!,"&&
persons were settled in the -etherlands, more or less a/ainst their will and certainl, also
a/ainst the ori/inal plans of the Dutch /o.ernment. The reaction of the Dutch /o.ernment
to the settlement of the oluccan soldiers was e2actl, the opposite of the reaction to
the Indo repatriates.
)=*
Whereas the latter were defined as fellow-citi>ens who had to be
inte/rated as 5uickl, and as full, as possible, the oluccans were considered to be
temporar, residents who had to be repatriated to Indonesia.
)%*
The, were Ftemporaril,F
housed in camps, mostl, in rural areas and near small towns. # special a/enc, was set up
to mana/e all matters concernin/ these temporar, residents, the F3ommissariaat
#mbone>en>or/F (3#J). This included the former -a>i transit camp Westerbork.
To deal with all kinds of dail, matters the 3#J created Frepresentati.esF in the camps who
re/ulated the li.es of the inhabitants in accordance with the rules. These representati.es
were (mostl,) recruited from amon/ the non-commissioned officers, who were in this wa,
able, to a certain e2tent, to re-establish their status in the new circumstances. The housin/
situation in the camps resembled in man, wa,s the barracks of the colonial arm,, where
the soldiers were housed, to/ether with their families, under the direct super.ision of non-
commissioned officers. This specific housin/ situation contributed /reatl, to the isolation of
the oluccan population from Dutch societ,. The camps, and later the nei/hbourhoods,
became encla.es where the schools, thou/h officiall, Dutch in pro/ramme and lan/ua/e,
became e2clusi.el, oluccan and where access to the labour market was /eo/raphicall,
often restricted. 6.en when it became more and more ob.ious that there was no possibilit,
to repatriate the e2-ser.icemen to Indonesia, the Dutch /o.ernment did not formulate a
radicall, different polic,.
This situation dra//ed on until $%<& when the 3#J was finall, dissol.ed and normal
ministerial and other a/encies became responsible. The Dutch /o.ernment had at last
admitted that the oluccans were not temporar, residents and that their future la, in the
-etherlands. 'till, in $%0= more than =& percent of the oluccans were still without official
citi>enship, i.e. stateless. The e2-soldiers were deepl, frustrated b, the demise of the
colonial arm,. The G-I; had offered not onl, an income, but also a whole wa, of life in
which their status was secure. The, had alwa,s been lo,al to the Dutch 3rown and had felt
betra,ed when their ser.ices were no lon/er rewarded. In response the, had pinned their
hopes on an independent +' and had e2pected that the Dutch would help them to realise
it.
These feelin/s continued and were e.en stren/thened in the ,ears of isolated settlement in
the -etherlands. There seemed to be onl, one worthwhile ideal and that was the creation
of the +'. (ut whate.er the merits of this ideal, the oluccans in the -etherlands could
do nothin/ to brin/ its realisation an, nearer. oreo.er the isolated situation in the camps
and nei/hbourhoods had /i.en rise to a t,pe of e2pressi.e leadership that could onl,
manifest itself in opposin/ and confrontin/ the 3#J and the Dutch in /eneral.
South Moluccan terrorist action in the Netherlands
This situation led to /rowin/ tension and to splits within the +' mo.ement. The older
/eneration of leaders of the +' mo.ement saw their authorit, challen/ed. Finall, the
crisis in the #mbonese communities e2ploded in a decade of .iolence a/ainst internal ri.als
and Dutch societ,. # series of terrorist attacks started in $%<& with a raid on the residence
of the Indonesian ambassador in Wassenaar. The Dutch reaction to this attack was
restrained. The attackers recei.ed mild sentences and were still seen as
mis/uided idealists. Within the oluccan communit, the Fbo,s of actionF /ained /reat
presti/e. This fueled further terrorist actions in $%<" and $%<<. #s with the attack
in Wassenaar, the aims of these actions were not .er, clearI apart from restorin/ unit,
within the +' mo.ement, it is difficult to see an, concrete obDecti.es in the .a/ue rhetoric
and impossible political demands made b, the attackers.
)$&*
#ttacks on a train and on
a .illa/e school in $%<< led to a final escalation of the .iolence. The Dutch /o.ernment saw
no other wa, out than to use militar, force to end the action. eanwhile, support for this
kind of action within the oluccan communit, was ebbin/. Instead of reunitin/ the
oluccans in the -etherlands, this radicalism threatened to lead to more di.ision. When, in
$%<=, a /roup of ,oun/sters raided the seat of the pro.incial /o.ernment in #ssen, the,
recei.ed not the sli/htest support.
Second and third generation Moluccans in the Netherlands
Gio pla,in/ for the -ational Team of the -etherlands
Towards the end of this period of terrorist .iolence, the Dutch /o.ernment had alread,
dropped the idea that the oluccans were temporar, residents, but had not been able to
create a channel of communication throu/h which to discuss and implement polic,
measures that opened a wa, to the future. The social situation left much to be desired,
school attainments were low and unemplo,ment hi/h. 6arlier attempts to set up a
communal platform for the /o.ernment and oluccan representati.es had not been
successful, because of anta/onism within the oluccan communities and impossible
political demands made at the outset b, the oluccans. In $%<0 a platform was formed
where /o.ernment polic, measures could be discussed with representati.es of the
oluccan communit,, the IW (Dutch abbre.iation for: Inspraakor/aan Wel>iDn olukkers).
In $%<= a substantial White :aper (De :roblematiek .an de olukkers in -ederland) was
sent b, the /o.ernment to parliament. It offered measures to enhance oluccan
participation in Dutch societ,, in particular in the fields of education and the labour market.
The IW has pro.ed a .aluable communication channel for communal proDects. # case in
point was the plan to create thousands of Dobs for oluccans in /o.ernment ser.ice. The
primar, /oal was to combat hi/h unemplo,ment, but a secondar, /oal was to open up a
particular section of the labour market where oluccans were si/nificantl,
underrepresented. The reco/nition that emplo,ment, education and social welfare in
/eneral were important fields where the situation of the oluccan population, and
especiall, of the new /eneration, had to be impro.ed, was a positi.e de.elopment. :artl,
because the second /eneration was alread, much more oriented to Dutch societ,, partl, as
a result of the polic, of affirmati.e action, participation in the labour market and in the
school s,stem de.eloped positi.el, after $%=&. ;e.els of educational attainment rose,
unemplo,ment le.els were lower and the Dobs fulfilled were also somewhat hi/her in scale.
In /eneral the second-/eneration oluccans made a /reat leap forward in this period,
compared to the first Fsoldier /enerationF. The, are more and more at home in the
-etherlands.
)$$*
The situation of the oluccans in the -etherlands is at present remarkabl, different from
that in $%<&. :racticall, all oluccans are now Dutch citi>ens. This makes it more difficult to
/i.e the precise number of oluccans in the -etherlands, thou/h research shows that
there are to date about 7&,&&& persons who can be classified as oluccan.
)$!*
# maDorit, of
this population identifies itself to a certain e2tent with the oluccan islands where their
families once came from, but this identification seems less and less an impediment to
inte/ration in Dutch societ,. In this sense the oluccans ha.e at last become Fnormal
immi/rantsF.
)$1*
-otwithstandin/ oluccan inte/ration into modern Dutch societ, has halted terrorist
radicalisation, up to the $%%&s the -etherlands were reminded ,earl, of the traumatic side
of their colonial past, when celebrations of the +' independence declaration fre5uentl,
resulted in flared sentiments or e.en hea., riots in the streets of the capital.
)$7*)$"*
In the $%"&s and $%0&s oluccan musicians made their mark to/ether with artists from
the Indo communit,. In the $%=&s, bands like assada
)$0*
were popular. assadaFs hitson/
F'aDan/ eF is the onl, son/ in the ala, lan/ua/e to e.er reach number one rankin/ in the
-etherlands. @ne of the most talented artists to arise from the 'outh oluccan communit,
in the -etherlands is the internationall, acclaimed sin/er son/writer Daniel 'ahuleka.
)$<*
)$=*
6.en in Indonesia, man, famous musicians are ethnic oluccans, like popstar 9lenn
Fredl,, who toured the -etherlands in !&&= and acknowled/ed Daniel 'ahuleka as one of
his main inspirations. In the !$st centur, new /enerations of 'outh oluccans in the
-etherlands ha.e chosen cultural wa,s to manifest their herita/e and e2press themsel.es,
b, performin/ traditional Tifa music and 3akalele dances,
)$%*
but also b, e2pressin/
themsel.es with contemporar, music like Bip-hop.
)!&*
In addition, in Dutch football (soccer)
man, 'outh oluccans in the -etherlands ha.e made a name for themsel.es,
includin/: 'imon Tahamata and (obb, :etta as well as Denn, ;and>aat and 9io.anni .an
(ronckhorst, whose mothers are oluccan.
RMS in exile
The main stron/hold of the rebellious +' /roup on #mbon was defeated b, Indonesian
forces in -o.ember $%"&, while a smaller scale /uerilla stru//le continued on 3eram until
$%0!. The defeat on #mbon howe.er resulted in the fli/ht of the self-declared +'
/o.ernment from the islands, and the formation of a /o.ernment in e2ile in the
-etherlands.
)!$*
The followin/ ,ear some $!,&&& oluccan soldiers accompanied b, their
families went to the -etherlands, where the, established a H+epublic of the 'outh
oluccasH /o.ernment-in-e2ile.
Durin/ their e2ile parts of the +' mo.ement ha.e committed terror attacks in the
-etherlands. ost research ar/ues that the attacks were caused b, frustration o.er the
lack support from the Dutch /o.ernment.
)!!*
The first attack took place in $%<& at the Indonesian #mbassadorFs house at Wassenaar,
durin/ which a Dutch policeman was shot and killed. This attack was followed up in $%<"
with the hiDackin/ of a train at WiDster which was spontaneousl, supported b, another,
impro.ised, attack on the Indonesian consulate in #msterdam. Three hosta/es were
e2ecuted in the train and one Indonesian man was mortall, wounded while tr,in/ to escape
the consulate. In $%<< another train was hiDacked, this time at De :unt, supported b, a
primar, school hiDack at (o.ensmilde. These actions were ended with force b, marines of
the (iD>ondere (iDstands 6enheid (((6) in which si2 hiDackers and two hosta/es died. The
last action took place in $%<= when the pro.incial buildin/ in #ssen was occupied. This
action too was ended b, ((6 marines.
From the $%=&s to the present da, no such actions re-occurred.
RMS Presidents
The first president in e2ile was :rof. 4ohan anusama ($%00E$%%1).
Dr. 3hris 'oumokil 4.D. was the +' president in $%"7 who went into hidin/ and led the
armed /uerilla stru//le on 3eram island. Be was onl, captured b, the Indonesian #rm, in
3eram on December !, $%0!. (rou/ht to trial before a militar, tribunal in 4akarta, he was
sentenced to death and e2ecuted under :resident 'uhartoFs rule on #pril $!, $%00.
The /o.ernment-in-e2ile continues to e2ist, with Frans Tutuhatunewa .D. as head of state
($%%1E!&$&). Bowe.er does not proclaim an, .iolent action towards either the -etherlands
or Indonesia. The president in e2ile has said that the ,oun/ /enerations should focus on
their education and de.elopment opportunities in the -etherlands if the, want to potentiall,
support and de.elop the 'outh oluccas.
The current Indonesian ambassador to the -etherlands 4unus 6ffendi Babibie, brother to
the third president of Indonesia, has said that he would do all he can to facilitate the
repatriation of first /eneration oluccans to their homeland, if the, would stop aimin/ at an
independent state.
)!1*)!7*
4ohn Wattilete became +' president in #pril !&$&. Be is the first to come from the second
/eneration of oluccans in the -etherlands and is re/arded as more pra/matic than
pre.ious leaders. Bowe.er one da, before Indonesian :resident Kudho,onoFs planned
state .isit to the -etherlands, the first such .isit since $%<&,
)!"*
Wattilete issued le/al
proceedin/s to ha.e him arrested upon enterin/ the countr,. #lthou/h le/al e2perts called
this action senseless and without much chance of success, Kudho,ono conse5uentl,
canceled his .isit the ne2t da,.
)!0*
RMS flag
The +' fla/ is .ertical blue, white, /reen, red ($:$:$:0) and has proportions !:1. It was
first hoisted ! a, $%"& at $&.&& #. Two da,s later the /o.ernment /a.e the e2planation
of the fla/. (lue s,mbolises the sea and lo,alt,, white stands for purit,, peace and the white
beaches, /reen the .e/etation, and red the ancestors and blood of the people.
'eal of the +epublik aluku 'elatan
RMS coat of arms
The +' coat of arms depicts the white oluccan do.e called F:omboF. The white do.e is
seen as a s,mbol of positi.it, and a /ood omen. The F:omboF is shown, about to start
fl,in/, the win/s half opened and in its beak a peace branch, the chest tattooed with a
crossed Fparan/F, FsalawakuF and spear.
The bla>on of the +' coat of arms state the words Fena - oeriaF. This slo/an is deri.ed
from the ori/inal elanesian oluccan lan/ua/e. 'ince ancient times it is ,elled b, the
steerer and paddlers of the traditional oluccan rowin/ boats called FGora GoraF, to
s,nchronise their strokes durin/ off shore e2peditions. It literall, means FFront - (ackF, but is
also translated to FI /o - We followF or F@ne for all - #ll for @neF.
RMS anthem
The +' anthem is called Faluku tanah airkuF which translates in 6n/lish to Faluku m,
homelandF and is written b, 3hr. 'oumokil and @. 'ahaless, in the ala, lan/ua/e, also
usin/ latin and elanesian oluccan words.
)!<*
Lyrics[edit
&i'inal text (n'lish tanslation
Oh Maluku, tanah airku,
Tanah tumpah darahku.
Ku berbakti padamu
Slama hari hidupku.
Engkaulah pusaka raya
Yang leluhur dan teguh.
Aku unung selamanya
!ingga sampai aalku.
Aku ingat terlebih
Searahmu yang pedih.
Maluku2 my homeland2
My land of origin
4 de6ote my strength to thee
!s long as 4 may li6e
Thou art my great heritage
Uplifted abo6e all
4 /ill al/ays honor thee
Until my dying day
4 /ill recall in memory
!bo6e all thy harro/ing history
Oh Maluku, tanah airku,
Tanah datuk"datukku.
Atas #ia d$l$r$sa
Engkau hidup merdeka.
%utra"putri yang seati
Tumpah darah bagimu.
Ku bersumpah trus berbakti
Serta tanggung nasibmu.
Aku lindung terlebih
Searahmu yang pedih.
Maluku2 my homeland2
7and of my ancestors
Through this road of suffering
0ill /e reach liberty
Thy true sons and daughters
8a6e shed their blood for thee
4 am s/orn to dedication
To keep thy future safe
!bo6e all 4 /ill protect thee
!nd thy harro/ing history
Mena"Muria, printah
leluhur
Segenap i&aku seru.
'ersegralah membelamu
Seperti laskar yang uur.
(engan prisai dan imanku
'ehkan harap yang teguh.
Ku berkurban dan berasa
Karena dikaa ibuku
Ku d$akan terlebih
Mena"Muria, hiduplah)
Mena Muria2 the higher call
4 yell /holeheartedly
4 hasten to defend thee
!s an army 9ust and true
0ith shield and faith
!nd abo6e all in great resilience
4 /ill sacrifice and struggle
For thou art my cradle
!nd abo6e all 4 /ill pray
That Mena Muria may fore6er stay
Contemporary RMS developments
Recent political de!elopments in the Netherlands
The Indonesian ambassador to the -etherlands, Kunus 6ffendi Babibie has told +adio
-etherlands Worldwide that Indonesia is pleased that the e2iled oluccan /o.ernment is
no lon/er stri.in/ for an independent state. #ccordin/ to the ambassador oluccans
alread, ha.e autonom,, so the present situation need not be chan/ed. Be reDects full
oluccan independence. r BabibieFs comments come in response to a decision b, the
desi/nated new president of the oluccan /o.ernment-in-e2ile, 4ohn WattileteFs words that
an independent oluccan state is no lon/er its absolute priorit,. #lthou/h independence is
still the ultimate /oal, he sa,s he would be satisfied with a form of autonom, similar to that
introduced in #ceh. HThe most important thin/ is that oluccans themsel.es are in
char/e.H
)!!*)!=*
4ohn Wattilete became +' president in #pril !&$&. Be is the first to come from the second
/eneration of oluccans in the -etherlands and is re/arded as more pra/matic than
pre.ious leaders. Bowe.er one da, before Indonesian :resident Kudho,onoFs planned
state .isit to the -etherlands, the first such .isit since $%<&,
)!"*
Wattilete issued le/al
proceedin/s to ha.e him arrested upon enterin/ the countr,. #lthou/h le/al e2perts called
this action senseless and without much chance of success, Kudho,ono canceled his .isit
the ne2t da,.
)!0*)dead link*
Recent political de!elopments in "ndonesia
The 'outh oluccan people are predominantl, 3hristian, unlike most re/ions in Indonesia
which are o.erwhelmin/l, uslim. The 'outh oluccan +epublic, howe.er, was also
supported b, some oluccan uslims in the re/ion at that time. Toda,, while the maDorit,
of 3hristians on the oluccas do not support separatism,
)citation needed*
the memor, of the +'
and its separatist obDecti.es still resonates in Indonesia. oluccan 3hristians, durin/
the sectarian .iolence of $%%%-!&&! in oluccas, are accused b, uslim /roups of ha.in/
independence as their /oal. This accusation has been useful in /al.ani>in/ uslims to fi/ht
(;askar 4ihad), and the situation has not been aided b, the fact that some diaspora
oluccan 3hristian /roups ha.e taken up the +' banner.
In the oluccas, the alino II #ccord was si/ned to end conflict and create peace in the
oluccas, oluccans claimed Hto reDect and oppose all kinds of separatist mo.ements,
amon/ others the +epublic of 'outh oluccas (+'), that threaten the unit, and
so.erei/nt, of the 8nitar, 'tate of the +epublic of IndonesiaH. Bowe.er durin/ the .isit to
#mbon of the Indonesian president in the summer of !&&<, +' s,mpathisers disturbed
ceremonies b, performin/ the oluccan war dance and hoistin/ the +' fla/.
)!%*
'ince $%%%, a new or/ani>ation known as the aluku 'o.erei/nt, Front (FG) has
operated in #mbon, stockpilin/ weapons and fl,in/ the +' fla/ in public places. The
leader of the FG or/anisation #le2 anuputt, has fled to the 8nited 'tates, but continues
to support independence.
)1&*
References
$. #ump up $ World Recognition and Indonesia's Soereignt!, HThe 8nitar, 'tate
of the +epublic of IndonesiaH
!. L 4ump up to:
a

b

c
WidDoDo, uridan '. H3ross-3ultural #lliance-akin/ and
;ocal +esistance in the oluccas durin/ the +e.olt of :rince -uku, c. $<=&E$=$&H
:hD Dissertation, ;eiden 8ni.ersit,, !&&< (:ublisher: GIT;?, 4ournal of Indonesian
'ocial 'ciences and Bumanities ?ol. $, !&&=) :p. $7$E$7% I''-: $%<%-=71$
1. #ump up $ -ote: (oth the Bon/i and -uku raidin/ tactics were based on the
common practice of sla.e raiders that e2isted well before the arri.al of 6uropean
traders. WidDoDo, uridan '. H3ross-3ultural #lliance-akin/ and ;ocal +esistance in
the oluccas durin/ the +e.olt of :rince -uku, c. $<=&E$=$&H :hD Dissertation,
;eiden 8ni.ersit,, !&&< (:ublisher: GIT;?, 4ournal of Indonesian 'ocial 'ciences and
Bumanities ?ol. $, !&&=) :p. $7$E$7% I''-: $%<%-=71$
7. #ump up $ :ersonal stories collected b, the Dutch +esistance useum
". #ump up $ This initiati.e b, former G-I; officer 6.ert Gawilaran/ de.eloped
into the notoriousGopassus unit.
0. #ump up $ plechti/heden in DDakarta biD de opheffin/ .an het G-I; :ol,/oon
$%"& 1 min. !&IembedM$ %ideo footage sho&ing the official ceremony disbanding
the 'N"L
<. #ump up $ The complicated stor, of the disbandin/ of the G-I; is set out briefl,
here. For a more e2tended anal,sis see anuhutu ($%=<)I 'te,len ($%%0: 11-01)I .an
#mersfoort ($%=!: $&$-=). The ps,cholo/ical impact of the dissolution of the G-I; on
the #mbonese ser.icemen is described in Wittermans ($%%$).
=. #ump up $ The histor, of the Indos and their emi/ration from Indonesia after
World War II is also reflected in interestin/ wa,s in the Dutch literature: the
circumstances of the repatriation are, for instance, spiritedl, e.oked in the stories of
'prin/er (!&&$: $<%-!1%).
%. #ump up $ In this article the words #mbonese and oluccans are used
s,non,mousl,. This is strictl, speakin/ not correct. The :rotestant #mbonese form
about %& per cent of the oluccans in the -etherlands and ha.e pla,ed a decisi.e role.
There is also a small number of uslim #mbonese and of oluccans from the islands
of Gei and Tanimbar.
$&. #ump up $ 'iaha,a ($%<!) paints a /ood picture of the mind of a oluccan
terrorist.
$$. #ump up $ 'meets, B. and ?eenman, 4. (!&&&) Fore and more at home: three
/enerations of oluccans in the -etherlandsF, in ?ermeulen, B. and :ennin2, +. (eds)
Immi/rant Inte/ration. The Dutch 3ase. #msterdam: Bet 'pinhuis, 10-01.
$!. #ump up $ (eets, 9., Walhout, 6. and GoesoebDono, '. (!&&!) FDemo/rafische
ontwikkelin/ .an de olukse be.olkin/s/roep in -ederlandI aandstatistiek .an de
be.olkin/, "&(0): $1-$<.
$1. #ump up $ .an #mersfoort, B. (!&&7) FThe wa2in/ and wanin/ of a diaspora:
oluccans in the -etherlands, $%"&-!&&!F, 4ournal of 6thnic and i/ration 'tudies,
1&($): $"$-<7.
$7. #ump up $ ?ideo foota/e showin/ pro-+' demonstration in the -etherlands,
$%<$.
$". #ump up $ ?ideo foota/e showin/ pro-+' demonstration in the -etherlands,
$%%". Demonstrators chantin/: H?i.a +'H and Hena uriaH.
$0. #ump up $ @fficial website assada
$<. #ump up $ @fficial website Daniel 'ahuleka
$=. #ump up $ ;i.e foota/e Daniel 'ahuleka at the 4a.a 4a>> Festi.al
$%. #ump up $ ?ideo recordin/ of music and dance performance.
!&. #ump up $ ?ideo foota/e showin/ 'outh oluccan Biphop from the
-etherlands.
!$. #ump up $ -ote that its head of state remained 3.'oumokil who continued to
lead the armed stru//le on 3eram.
!!. L 4ump up to:
a

b
Holuccan e2iles will settle for autonom, N +adio -etherlands
WorldwideH. +nw.nl. !&&%-&=-$<.
!1. #ump up $ Dutch tele.ision inter.iew with 4unus Babibie
!7. #ump up $ Indonesian tele.ision inter.iew with 4unus Babibie
!". L 4ump up to:
a

b
Ima/es of $%<& state .isit b, former :resident 'uharto. )$*.
!0. L 4ump up to:
a

b
-ewspaper article. )!* +etrie.ed " @ctober !&$&.
!<. #ump up $ #nthem sun/ at official ceremon, in #peldoorn, the -etherlands on
!" #pril !&&%.
!=. #ump up $ HIndonesia appro.es oluccan chan/e of course N +adio
-etherlands WorldwideH. +nw.nl. !&&%-&=-$<.
!%. #ump up $ Dutch tele.ision report
1&. #ump up $ ;i.e .ideo foota/e inter.iew with #le2 anuputt, in e2ile, in the
8'#.