On the Wrong Side of History : The Dutch Apology to Indonesia for the Crimes of the War of Decolonization in Dutch Newspapers and Collective Memory

Abstract: Since the 1990s, it has become almost common practice for Western states to apologizefor the injustice they committed against other states or nations. This thesis investigatesthe debate surrounding such a political apology: the (possible) apology from theNetherlands to Indonesia for the crimes committed during the war of decolonization(1945–49). It examines whether Dutch national newspapers portrayed the apology, orthe possibility thereof, positively, negatively, neutrally or both positively andnegatively in the period between 1995 and 2013. Moreover, it examines whicharguments were used to support these evaluations. Using theories on political apologies,collective memory and the media’s relationship with the public, the findings from thenewspaper analysis are linked to the Dutch collective memory of the war ofdecolonization. The findings show that the examined newspapers changed theirevaluation of the (possible) apology from a negative to a positive one between 2005and 2011. Next, it was found that Indies-veterans and the violence perpetrated by theIndonesian side played important parts in the debate in all studied years. It is arguedthat the Dutch remembrance of the Indonesian war of decolonization switched from anunapologetic remembrance in 1995 and 2005 to an apologetic remembrance in 2011and 2013, indicating a re-appraisal of Dutch history within the public debate.