A privilege. This is how Mellie Lumalessil-Metiarij describes it to organize the first commemoration of the arrival of Moluccans from New Guinea. She doesn’t just call it a privilege. “It’s also a must.”
Today that commemoration takes place. At the Moluccan monument in camp Schattenberg, from 1 p.m. One of the speakers is Mrs. Anakotta from Musselkanaal. She has experienced both arrivals. Because the arrivals of Moluccans in the Netherlands are commemorated, 71 years ago and 60 years ago. “She came here in 1951, then returned and returned to the Netherlands in 1962”, Lumalessil-Metiarij tells about Mrs Anakotta. Lumalessil-Metiarij organizes the commemoration with the Schattenberg foundation.
Mellie herself calls herself a freedom fighter in the Netherlands. “Many with me. I always say: without the past, there is no present.”
After Moluccan KNIL soldiers had fought during the Indonesian war of independence, they were seen as traitors by their own government. The Netherlands brought them here as protection. They received shelter at camp Schattenberg, also known as camp Westerbork. They would stay there temporarily, for six months. But they never returned to the South Moluccas. Mellie’s parents also never returned after they came to the Netherlands. “Isn’t that bad?”
The commemoration starts at De Nieuwe Kolk in Assen. A walk starts there in the morning, which eventually ends at camp Schattenberg. A symbolic walk. “Our parents also had to walk a long way to achieve something.” There used to be a bus stop near De Nieuwe Kolk, from which the Moluccans were transported to camp Schattenberg.
Several speakers will then have their say at the camp, including Mrs. Anakotta. But there is also a representative of the government of Republik Maluku Selatan, a government in exile. The new director of the Westerbork Memorial Center, Bertien Minco, will also speak during the commemoration.
“It will be a very nice day”, expects Mellie Lumalessil-Metiarij. It will not stop with this one beautiful day. “We want to give it a permanent character. Just like Keti Koti. We want to make it an annual commemoration. This deserves it.”
She does not yet dare to say how big the turnout will be. “Although there are only a few. But maybe there will also be hundreds. They are Moluccans,” she laughs. “They can also suddenly come en masse.”