In a parliamentary debate on Dutch colonialism, Prime Minister Mark Rutte stated that the Netherlands fully and unconditionally recognizes August 17, 1945, as the date when Indonesia

achieved independence. Although President Sukarno declared independence from the Netherlands on that day, it had never been officially acknowledged by the Dutch government. The Netherlands has traditionally recognized December 27, 1949, as the transfer of sovereignty date when they relinquished their control over Indonesia.

During the debate, Rutte expressed that the Dutch government now views the proclamation of independence as an undeniable historical fact. The Netherlands had engaged in a brutal conflict from 1945 to 1949 in an attempt to regain control of Indonesia but eventually withdrew, partly due to pressure from the United States.

However, the formal recognition of the new independence date has caused dissatisfaction among members of the Moluccan community, many of whom had fought alongside the Dutch and aspired to establish an independent state within the proposed federal solution. They perceive 1949 as the significant date, as it aligns with the establishment of the Republic of the South Moluccas (RMS) on April 25, 1950, which, despite being declared, was never internationally recognized.

The RMS government in exile responded to Rutte's statement, criticizing the recognition of August 17, 1945, as another assault on the right of the RMS to exist.

A spokesperson for Rutte clarified that the acknowledgment of the new independence date holds no legal implications, and the United Nations will continue to recognize 1949 as the official date of Indonesia's independence. Photo by JovanSR, Wikimedia commons.