Dutch apology is long overdue.
The week's news at a glance.
Indonesia
Editorial
The Jakarta Post
It comes 60 years late, said The Jakarta Post in an editorial, but the Dutch recognition of Indonesia’s Independence Day is welcome. A Dutch colony for centuries, Indonesia was occupied by Japan during World War II. After the Japanese surrendered, in 1945, we declared independence on Aug. 17. The Netherlands, though, refused to recognize Indonesian sovereignty and fought to resume control. Only four years later did it finally give up and relinquish all claim to our islands. So the Dutch have always considered Dec. 27, the day in 1949 they renounced sovereignty over what they called “the East Indies,” as our independence day, while we always celebrated the true date, Aug. 17. Finally this year, Dutch Foreign Minister Bernard Bot attended our celebration and expressed “profound regret” for the violence that occurred between 1945 and ’49. While we hate to nitpick, we can’t help but notice that Bot’s apology covers only the Dutch aggression in the 1940s. What about the three and a half centuries before, when Dutch masters “ruthlessly” oppressed the people of this archipelago. “Shouldn’t they apologize for that, too?”
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
September 14 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Sunday’s political cartoons include RFK Jr on the hook, the destruction of discourse, and more
-
Air strikes in the Caribbean: Trump’s murky narco-war
Talking Point Drug cartels ‘don’t follow Marquess of Queensberry Rules’, but US military air strikes on speedboats rely on strained interpretation of ‘invasion’
-
Crossword: September 14, 2025
The Week's daily crossword puzzle