About Moluccas

About Maluku

Maluku (The Moluccan Islands or Moluccas formally know as the 'Spice Islands') forms an island group off the eastern-most part of present-day Indonesia. The Moluccan people are part of the Melanesian people called Alifoeroes and have occupied the islands since at least 1000 B.C. In the early 1600's, the Netherlands colonized the islands, beginning with the seizure of Ambon in 1605 and ultimately seized all of the area of what is currently known as Indonesia.

During World War II, the whole of the Netherlands East Indies were seized and held by the Japanese forces from 1942 to 1945. However, the Moluccan people maintained a continual war of resistance by what became known as the South Moluccan Brigade against the Japanese occupiers.

In 1949 the Round Table Conference was held in the presence of The Dutch government, the Indonesian government and the UN, Agreements were signed which were to settle the handing over of power to the new United States of Indonesia. The Agreements granted the Moluccans the right to determine their ultimate sovereignty: Moluccans were to have a choice whether to join with the new state Indonesia or whether to re-establish their historic independent status.

The Round Table Agreements were violated within a year of signing. In response, the Moluccan people on April 25, 1950, declared the Republik Maluku Selatan (South Moluccas Republic), comprising the historic islands of the Moluccans: Amboina, Buru, Ceram and the adjoining islands. At this time, the United States of Indonesia did not yet formally exist, not becoming fully independent until August 17, 1950.

Indonesian forces initially invaded the islands on July 13, 1950. A major invasion began on Ambon on September 25, 1950 and cost the Indonesian forces 15,000 casualties before finally they were able to seize control of Ambon city. Political and Moral opposition continues against Indonesian rule today.

Indonesia has met all of the opposition with repression of Human Rights and wholesale decimation of the Moluccan islands and resources. Indonesia has relocated many Javanese into Maluku as part of a strategy (transmigration) to undermine the self-determination claim of the Moluccans. Lastly, the Indonesian government carries out overt policies to break down the Moluccan/Melanesian culture.

The government of Republik Maluku Selatan was a legitimate government and was wrongly overturned by the government of Indonesia. The Moluccans are entitled to the exercise of self-determination because this was explicitly granted them by history and express agreement of the governments of the Netherlands and Indonesia and acknowledged by the United Nations.

Source : www.fkmcpr.nl