1/4 The 9-year-old Navaylea Luhulima with the Moluccan flag.
“I thought it was super exciting!” On Friday, 9-year-old Navaylea Luhulima played a leading role in the commemoration that it was 75 years ago that the Republic of the South Moluccas (RMS) was declared. During the parade, Navaylea marched with the Moluccan flag in her hands in front through the streets of the Moluccan district De Driesprong in Breda. There is still very strong the desire that the Moluccas must come loose from Indonesia.
“Forward, Mars!” A peloton of Moluccan -dressed Moluccans, with beret on the head and red handkerchief around the neck, marches from the church to Arumbeaplein. This time the annual parade is very special, because it is exactly 75 years ago that the RMS was proclaimed. The entire Moluccan neighborhood has ended, but there are only young people in the militant procession.
“It certainly lives among the youth,” says Chelsea Manuhutu who is supposed to be the group. “Our elderly competed for independence and we want to continue that. It is an emotional day.”
“I am actually practicing for six years, so then I was three or four or something.”
The parade, Barisan in Moluccs, has a striking participant. The 9-year-old Navaylea Luhulima has been chosen to wear the neatly folded Moluccan flag and bring it to the ceremony. An important and special event. “I actually find it exciting,” she says. “I have been practicing for six years, so when I was three or four or something.”
She also succeeds with flag and pennant. The Moluccan four -color arrives in time on her outlined hands to be hoisted via a special protocol. After singing the national anthem, the (again) reading of the text of independence and a chat by Mayor Paul Depla, the floor is to Eli Matitahatiwen, the chairman of the neighborhood council. He keeps a passionate and fiery argument.
“Resilience, struggle, resistance, pain, love,” he says with great strength in his voice to the approximately one hundred and fifty attendees. “Our ancestors are buried here in the Netherlands with a promise that was never frosted. We are therefore all responsible that the RMS is never lost! “
“Our Maluku is still not free and the people are still being suppressed,” says Amanda Lekahena, co -organizer of the 25 April commemoration. “This day is important so that we become more visible and remain visible. We must above all form a unit not to forget our ancestors and to continue to support the people in the Moluccas in their struggle for independence. In any way.”
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In the meantime, Navaylea Luhulima and her comrades are still tight in line. District chairman Matitahatiwen calls her when the ceremony is over. “She is the youngest member of our platoon,” he says. “And that makes me super proud. If you ask her to explain our case, she probably still has to find her words. But it’s in her heart. And that says enough.”
“We can leave the fight with confidence to the next generation.”
“It was the Moluccan flag,” Navaylea knows how to say about this. “But I actually found pretty exciting, because it is the first time I did this. I had practiced well in advance and it went pretty well. It was fun. I want to do it again next year.”
That is probably allowed, because the leader of the peloton is also proud of her. “Proud that she picks it up so seriously and at that age already understands what she is doing,” says Chelsea Manuhutu. “She is of course a lot younger than we are, but we will soon be able to leave the fight with confidence to the next generation.”
Why the Moluccans ended up in the Netherlands
After Indonesian independence in 1949, the KNIL (Royal Dutch-Indian Army) was lifted. Many Moluccan soldiers refused to join the Indonesian army and supported the independence (25 April 1950) of the Republik Maluku Selatan (RMS).
The Netherlands did not allow them to return to the Moluccas. In 1951, more than 3500 Moluccan soldiers and their families were transferred to the Netherlands, where they were unexpectedly demilitarized. What was presented as a temporary residence turned out to be permanent.
The first generation first hoped to return to their homeland, but that faith slowly decreased. The next generation of Moluccans used violence (hijackings, demonstrations) to enforce return for their parents, but that also did not work. Now the path of diplomacy has been used.