This Open Letter has two objectives. Firstly, the Netherlands must concede that the repression of the Indonesian fight for justice and freedom between 1945 and 1949 was not an internal Dutch affair but an illegal invasion of another country. Hence the atrocities committed by the Dutch army and its local collaborating militias were war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Secondly, the Netherlands must recognise that more than 300 years of colonial rule over Indonesia was not some effort to do good that went wrong. It was always a criminal endeavour exclusively aimed at enriching the Netherlands at the expense of millions of brutally enslaved people. Colonialism was and is a crime of theft, as codified in the UN Charter, UN Resolutions and international law.

What to the uninformed outsider may seem a trivial detail about a specific date touches on the core of the problem. 81 years after Indonesian independence from its former coloniser, the Netherlands still refuses to accept full accountability for its crime of colonialism.

On March 10, 2020, King Willem-Alexander expressed his apologies in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta for what he called “the excessive and disproportional violence of the repression” during the liberation struggle of Indonesia between 1945 and 1949.

On June 14, 2023, prime minister Mark Rutte 1 followed up by recognising August 17, 1945 as the official date of Indonesian independence. He did so during a debate in parliament and declared to do this “fully and without any reservations”. To the outside world that seemed to settle the issue. Nothing could be further from the truth.

The words spoken by the King and the prime minister do not match the facts. In practice, the Netherlands still maintains the legal fiction of the date of November 27, 1949 as official date of independence, when the Netherlands signed an agreement to finally end the futile attempt at reconquering its colony.

This allows Dutch courts up to this day to dismiss any claims of reparations for war crimes by victims of the colonial repression (and their descendants) during the period of 1945 and 1949, as they consider these victims still to be ‘Dutch citizens’ until 1949.

Why is recognition of the date of 1945 so important?

Right after World War II the Netherlands, assisted by allied British colonial forces and remnants of the Japanese occupation army, tried to reestablish its racist colonial hegemony over the Indonesian archipelago.

After liberating its own country of the scourge of Nazism, the Dutch ruling elite considered that justice and freedom were an exclusively European privilege not to be extended to lesser brown people in a distant country, more than 11,000 kilometres from its shores. It did so with deadly repression, massacres, extrajudicial executions, torture and disappearances.

By now claiming to recognise ‘fully and without reservation’ the independence of Indonesia since 1945, while doing the opposite in its courts, the Netherlands prove to the world that postcolonial racism is still rampant.

The brutal repression of the fight for freedom of the Indonesian people was not some ‘internal affair’, it was the illegal occupation of another country. Likewise, 300 years of Dutch colonialism was an occupation, a massive system of theft, exploitation, racism and corruption. The violence of colonialism was not some ‘excess’, it was its essence.

As long as the Netherlands refuse to accept full accountability ‘without reservations’ for its international crime of colonialism, the country has no moral authority to lecture any other country on human rights , justice and freedom.

Next August 17, 2026, the Dutch leading newspaper De Volkskrant will publish the Open Letter. The fight for justice is international. We therefore invite people all over the world to sign the Open Letter on the web page of De Goede Zaak (‘the good issue’). This essay represents the views of its author. The content has been edited by Global South World only for clarity of reading.

For centuries, the Dutch have reclaimed land from the sea using polders (enclosed tracts of drained land) and a complex network of dikes, canals, and pumping stations. The country’s lowest point, the Zuidplaspolder, sits about 6.76 meters below sea level.

Today, roughly 9 million people, more than half the population, live in areas that would flood without active water management.

The entire system is maintained by the “Delta Works,” a world-renowned flood defence network built after the devastating 1953 North Sea Flood that killed more than 1,800 people.

According to the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute ( KNMI ), sea levels along the Dutch coast are rising about 3 to 4 millimetres per year, roughly double the global average.

Land subsidence adds to the threat as parts of the west are sinking as peat soils dry and compact. The government ’s Delta Programme 2025 warns that even a 1-meter sea-level rise could overwhelm existing defences by 2100, forcing massive infrastructure upgrades and potentially displacing thousands of residents.

Utrecht University researchers caution that a rise of 2 to 5 metres, which could occur in worst-case global warming scenarios, would make large parts of the Netherlands “unlivable” without dramatic adaptation.

The Netherlands’ situation is not isolated. From Venice to Bangladesh, low-lying regions face similar risks from sea-level rise and coastal flooding. Yet few countries have done as much as the Dutch to prepare.

Still, climate activists warn that even Dutch innovation has limits. Last week, artists installed red figures in Amsterdam’s canals to protest inaction on the climate crisis ahead of COP30 in Brazil, noting that “one-third of the Netherlands already lies below sea level.”

The ranking highlights the top 10 cities worldwide that offer exceptional living conditions based on factors such as healthcare, safety, infrastructure, environment, and cost of living. Following The Hague is another Dutch city, Groningen, with a score of 225.9, reaffirming the Netherlands' reputation for balanced urban living.

Luxembourg City secured third place with 219.9 points, followed closely by Eindhoven (218.3) and Basel in Switzerland (217.0). Other Swiss cities, including Bern (213.6) and Lausanne (206.1), also made the list, further underlining Switzerland’s strong presence in the quality-of-life domain.

The Netherlands dominated the list with five cities—The Hague, Groningen, Utrecht, Eindhoven, and Rotterdam—appearing in the top 10, reflecting the country’s high standards in public services , livability, and sustainability.

Copenhagen, Denmark (204.2), was the only Scandinavian city to cut, rounding out the list at number ten.

Top 10 Cities with the Best Quality of Life in 2025:

According to the latest rankings from the World Population Review, five countries stand out for having the most robust, effective, and high-performing education systems globally.

These rankings take into account factors such as literacy rates, academic achievement, accessibility, teacher-to-student ratios, and overall educational outcomes.

South Korea

South Korea is frequently ranked among the top countries in education, and for good reason. The country has built a reputation for academic rigour, high student performance, and an intense cultural focus on education. According to World Population Review metrics—South Korea stands out, particularly in areas such as mathematics, science, and literacy.

Denmark

Denmark's education system is renowned for its student-centred approach, emphasizing autonomy, self-directed learning, and collaboration. Danish schools prioritise social and emotional learning, recognising the importance of emotional intelligence in academic and personal success. The country's commitment to sustainability and environmental education also sets it apart, with many schools like Dania Academy incorporating eco-friendly practices and green technologies into their curricula.

Netherlands

The Netherlands boasts a highly regarded education system, with a strong focus on innovation, entrepreneurship, and vocational training. Dutch schools prioritise practical skills and hands-on learning, with many students participating in apprenticeships and work-based learning programmes. The country's commitment to internationalization and language education also sets it apart, with many students fluent in multiple languages and prepared for success in a globalised economy .