Dutch State Visit to Indonesia: March 10-13, 2020


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At the invitation of President Joko Widodo, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima will pay a state visit to Indonesia in the week of 9 March 2020.

https://www.royal-house.nl/latest/news/2019/12/03/state-visit-to-indonesia

The Program of the visit:


"At the invitation of President Joko Widodo, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima will pay a state visit to the Republic of Indonesia from Tuesday 10 March to Friday 13 March 2020"

https://www.royal-house.nl/latest/news/2020/02/07/state-visit-to-indonesia
 
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The State Visit will not have a gala banquet but a lunch, which is in line with standing practice under President Widodo.

This means: both the President and the King will make a public statement, 5 minutes maximum, after which there will be a lunch. No speeches during lunch and no press allowed.

It seems the Dutch Department of Foreign Affairs made no any problem, it even is seen as sort of handy by both countries, as a lunch without speeches avoids the King and the President to go to deep into Dutch colononial rule of the Netherlands East-Indies, now Indonesia (1609-1948).
 
Smart moves.

It can also be seen to be in terrible taste if the country is having poverty issues to have the colonials come and visit with all their fancy clothes and expensive jewelry.
 
Alisa said:
Smart moves.

It can also be seen to be in terrible taste if the country is having poverty issues to have the colonials come and visit with all their fancy clothes and expensive jewelry.
Click to expand...

Indonesia has more billionaires than the Netherlands and these are far more ostentatious in showing bling-bling than the average European rich. So that would never have been a problem. Look at Thailand, or Brunei, or Malaysia or Indonesian own royalty (the former reigning Sultans): crippling poverty paired with unbelievable wealth.

By the way: the King and Queen will visit the Sultan of Yogyakarta (the couple and their three daughters are befriended with the Sultan and his family) but also here only a lunch as the visit is a mid-day part of the overcrowded program.
 
King Willem Alexander and Queen Maxima at De Brakke Grond culture center today for the Indonesia and the Netherlands seminar: a joint future. The seminar is being organized in the run-up to the state visit to Indonesia in March


https://www.anpfoto.nl/royalimages/search.pp?eventid=6004221

https://www.gettyimages.com/search/...s=all&uiloc=view_all_more_from_this_event_adp

https://www.ppe-agency.com/show.php?zoektype=2&search=18-02-2020 Amsterdam

https://www.rexfeatures.com/livefee...herlands:_a_joint_future'_seminar,_amsterdam?
 
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Alisa said:
Smart moves.

It can also be seen to be in terrible taste if the country is having poverty issues to have the colonials come and visit with all their fancy clothes and expensive jewelry.
Click to expand...

There was a tiara banquet though when Queen Beatrix last visited Indonesia, wasn’t there ?

Indonesia was really a missed opportunity for the Dutch: 350 years of colonial presence/rule that were certainly very profitable for Dutch businesses , but left no lasting cultural impact on the local population ( at least, nothing comparable to what we see in former British, Spanish, French and Portuguese colonies).
 
King Willem Alexander and Queen Maxima arrived today 9 March in Indonesia

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ESqAkptX0AEL-FF?format=jpg&name=large
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ESqBJA_XYAcKLjz?format=png&name=900x900
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ESqAspSXsAIsjsD?format=jpg&name=large
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ESqCJVZUEAEAD8r?format=jpg&name=large

https://www.anpfoto.nl/royalimages/search.pp?eventid=6005087
https://www.ppe-agency.com/show.php?zoektype=2&search=09-03-2020 Indonesia
https://www.rexfeatures.com/livefeed/2020/03/09/dutch_royals_visit_to_indonesia,_day_1

https://twitter.com/x/status/1236946217675960320

Short Video
https://twitter.com/x/status/1236946795298566144

No shake hands for the King and Queen (aka coronavirus) but only with the President of Indonesia and the Sultan of Yogyokarta

https://3.t.cdn.belga.be/belgaimage:162355763:1800x650:w?v=5e5fe36c&m=hljemnla
https://0.t.cdn.belga.be/belgaimage:162356462:1800x650:w?v=5e5fe36c&m=oplbpphj
 
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This is not yet the State Visit, which begins tomorrow. The royal couple has one day for acclimatization and Máxima has an activity for the UN before the State Visit begins.
 
An accident happened with a boat. Eight people are still missing. The visit will now be simplified.

Eight missing after speedboat carrying Dutch royal visit advance team crashes in C. Kalimantan river

At least eight people are missing following a speedboat collision on the Sebangau River in Central Kalimantan involving members of an advance team preparing for a Dutch royal visit.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Teuku Faizasyah confirmed the incident on Monday.

The team was preparing for a visit by King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands and his delegation to the Sebangau National Park near Palangkaraya in Central Kalimantan scheduled for Thursday. The national park is one of several places the Dutch king plans to visit during his four-day stay in the archipelago.


“The accident occurred when the boat owned by the area’s military command hit a boat owned by the Sebangau National Park that was sailing back from the Mangkok Resort,” Faizasyah said in a statement.
At least seven passengers aboard the Sebangau National Park’s boat and one passenger aboard the military command’s boat have reportedly gone missing.
“We’re still searching for them,” Faizasyah added.
Two staff members of the Dutch Embassy in Jakarta who were also involved in the accident have been taken to the Siloam Hospital in Palangkaraya.
Meanwhile, two officers from the National Sebangau Park have been taken to the Doris Sylvanus General Hospital in Palangkaraya.
“The government is following all developments regarding the accident and has taken the necessary measures in the field,” Faizasyah added.
Click to expand...

https://www.thejakartapost.com/news...vance-team-crashes-in-c-kalimantan-river.html
 
Am i to understand that the people missing are Dutch?
 
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Lumutqueen said:
As I just understand that the people missing are Dutch?
Click to expand...

No, two officials of the Netherlands Embassy were hit and transported to the hospital. The two dead and eight missing persons are Indonesian (7 from the Shebangu Nature Reserve and 1 from the military command). A speedboat from the military command did hit a speedboat of the Shebangu Nature Reserve.

The Court has informed that the King and Queen are shocked and that events will be scaled down.
 
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Very sad news.
[emoji52][emoji52]
 
Very sad new for the Sate Visit.
 
:sad:
Very very sad news for the royal visit.
 
Today, March 10, the state visit has started with an official welcome ceremony with Indonesian President Joko Widodo and his wife Iriana at the Presidential Palace in Bogor, a wreath leaying ceremony and a tree planting ceremony:



** Pic 1 ** Pic 2 ** Pic 3 ** Pic 4 ** Pic 5 ** Pic 6 **


** robinutrecht.photoshelter gallery day 1 **


** gettyimages gallery ** anp gallery ** rex gallery ** ppe gallery ** rex gallery 2 ** ppe gallery 2 **


** dm: What a welcoming committee! Queen Maxima and King Willem-Alexander of The Netherlands are greeted by ..**

 
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The King has offered his apologies for the use of excessive violence during the colonial war. It is something that Queen Beatrix already wanted to do during her state visit in the 90-ties but the government of the time did not allow her to do so.

Dutch king apologises for ‘excessive violence’ during Indonesian independence war

King Willem-Alexander has apologised to Indonesia for the violent excesses by Dutch soldiers during the Indonesian independence war of 1945-49.The king, on his first official state visit to Indonesia, said in his speech that the past cannot be erased, and will have to be acknowledged by each generation in turn.

‘In line with earlier statements by my government, I would like to express my regret and apologise for excessive violence on the part of the Dutch in those years,’ the king said. ‘I do so in the full realisation that the pain and sorrow of the families affected continue to be felt today.’
Click to expand...

Read more at DutchNews.nl:
https://www.dutchnews.nl/news/2020/...-violence-during-indonesian-independence-war/

And an article from the Jakarta Post:
https://www.thejakartapost.com/news...fers-apology-for-past-excessive-violence.html
--

The reviews are mixed. A group of Dutch people with Moluccan/ Indonesian roots are rather angry.

Michael Lentze, of the Dutch federation of people from the Dutch East Indies says he was 'unpleasantly surprised and deeply hurt' and added that 'our parents are turning around in their graves'. He points out that during the Bersiap violence 10.000s Mulukans, Dutch, Chinese, Europeans were raped, murdered and tortured.

https://www.ad.nl/binnenland/woede-...-om-in-hun-graf-door-excuses-koning~a9b49b8b/

--

A spokesperson for a group representing people of the Southern Maluku Islands praised the apologies of the King but adds that he is still waiting for simular apologies to the people of this area from the Indonesian government.

https://www.rtlnieuws.nl/nieuws/ned...lijdschap-en-boosheid-om-excuus-van-de-koning

War veterans are not happy with the apologies either. They feel like they have been treated like criminals by the Dutch state, a state that has sent them to fight in the Dutch East Indies on the state's behalf.

-
The King used the Indonesian date for the independence in his speech, which was a first for a Dutch monarch.
 
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The presidential palace once was the residence for the Governor-General of the Netherlands East Indies during the long colonial era. In 1949, the palace was renamed Merdeka Palace. Before that it was known as Het paleis aan het Koningsplein (The palace at King's Square).

The Merdeka Palace is part of a 6.8 hectares (17 acres) palace complex with several colonial buildings which was the center of the Netherlands East Indies executive authority. Since the Independence this complex has the same use, but now for the Indonesian Republic.
 
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It seems they have met sultan Hamengkubuwono X of Yogyakarta, his wife and several of his relatives. The sultan and his wife have five daughters and in 2015 the succession was changed to allow the sultan to be succeeded by his eldest daughter Princess Mangkubumi. Much to the dismay of some junior princes of the family.

Duc_et_Pair said:
That suit by the King...
Click to expand...

He seems to be swimming in it!
 
In the 19th C the Netherlands East-Indies Government captured a giant 80 carat diamond from the Sultan of Banjarmasin. It was part of the regalia of the Sultanate of Banjarmasin, which became extinct in 1875 by lack of heirs. Apparently by the dissolving of the state properties, the diamond was destined for the King.

The diamond was not cut. So the King had to invest in the considerable cost of the risky cutting of a diamond of which he was not sure if his fellow prince (the Sultan) really gave it out of free will or it was just colonial loot.

The King refused the diamond and the Government (the Ministry of Colonies) tried to sell it off. For some reasons several attempts to sell it, in Europe and in the East Indies, remained unsuccesful. Anyway, the Government knew nothing better than to have the diamond cut in Amsterdam and to showcase it in the Rijksmuseum as "national pride, treasures from our colonies" and "national pride, exceptional skills in diamond cutting".

Remarkably enough neither the Indonesian Government nor descendants from the Banjarmasin princely family have laid a claim, also not after recent attempts by the Rijksmuseum to transfer it to Indonesia.

So the diamond is still sparkling, in a glass vitrine, without any purpose.

Picture
 
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A State Visit to a country with which the Netherlands has a shared history of 400 years, should have been a major State Visit, to be compared to France, Germany, the UK and the other Benelux countries.

But this State Visit left me totally underwhelmed. The royal couple were not their usual spic-and-span selves. The program was overloaded and chaotic. I do not understand the desire of the royal couple to cram everything in a few days.

Queen Beatrix at least had rest moments. She had a morning event, an afternoon event and an evening event. That was busy enough. But this couple doubles the load by stuffing UN-activities, and a gigantic economic mission, in the agenda. In the meantime flying to Java, to Sumatra, to Borneo, back to Java, etc. Good heavens, slow the tempo a bit, take your time. Or try to avoid having everything in the tight agenda.

No, this State Visit was not what we usually see. No State Banquet. No return event. (Nothing to do with Corona, this was already what was agreed pre-Corona).
 
This monarchy seems to be outstanding with their dignity and commitment towards their own populace and their former colonies
 
It was indeed underwhelming and business-like, which seems is what they are going for mostly these days. I am not quite sure if the visit was special for Indonesia. Few people alive lived in/ remember the colonial period. I read that the King's apology was not something that generated attention in the Indonesian press, let alone with the public.
 
Marengo said:
It was indeed underwhelming and business-like, which seems is what they are going for mostly these days. I am not quite sure if the visit was special for Indonesia. Few people alive lived in/ remember the colonial period. I read that the King's apology was not something that generated attention in the Indonesian press, let alone with the public.
Click to expand...



Yes business as usual. Perhaps looking forward Amalia will inject some human compassion with her Latin blood. Just putting that out there? Hopefully Amalia will state something about Indonesia and the atrocities of the Dutch empire emphatically and not just about Indonesia?
 
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