The Silent Nation

Monday, April 21, 2014

Human Kind

By, Jack Profijt

"When we are dead we are the same. When our flesh has pealed form our bleaching bones, we are the same. When our bones have crumbled into dust and blown away by the howling wind, we are the same. At the instant of our death what made us what we are has vanished with the departure of our soul." by Jack Profijt

I have not written anything substantial in quit some time, so I thought it was high time that I get things started here again.

I thought I would start by illustrating a point of view that I have, that I am sure may raise some eyebrows, but at the same time illustrate the diversity of this group. I work In a business that affords me the ability to do something that I really enjoy. I admit it, I am an avid people watcher. In a single day it would not be a stretch for me to speak with people from ten to fifteen different countries in an hour. I can speak with guests from France, Belgium and Spain and then switch to Iraq, Israel and Jordan.

I always find it quit humorous that on some occasions we have even had Israeli soldiers that are on leave standing in the same line as Palestinians. Over the coarse of a day I speak to doctors, lawyers, trash collectors, soldiers, bakers and University Students. I speak with all faiths and belief structures from Hindus, Catholics, Jews, Buddhists, Muslims and the list goes on. I do not profess to be a religious scholar, nor do I not speak any of these languages but I have the good fortune that most visitors speak English. However, even if we don't verbally understand one another, there is still the mutual language of kindness, civility and my will to understand.

It is in this last piece that we all find some common ground. People tend to fear what they don't understand, and on some occasions people don't even try. In my humble view the biggest obstacle that prevents people from gaining insight and understanding, is fear itself.

Fear is fuelled by a number of different things or conditions that exist in society, for example; main stream news media, social media and particularly those programs that try to creat credibility by masquerading as a news program. Fear is also fuelled by history and events that have taken place in the past. The suppression and manipulation of historical fact has had significant impact on society. If we stretch our gaze back through history we can show that , the destruction of the Library of Alexandria, The Albigensian Crusade, the creation and implementation of the Malleus Maleficarum, countless religious wars and the planned destruction of Europe's jewish population are as a result of man made ideology. These are all but a few examples of attacks on knowledge and understanding, as well as attacks on populations that are viewed as dangerous and heretical.

They are attacks on what is perceived to be different and not the norm. We as humans chose to divide ourselves in many different ways. We chose to divide ourselves by religion nationality and ancestry. We join clubs, organizations and gangs. Even where we work and what we do divides us into different social groups and provides us with social status. In many cases we divide ourselves out of fear because of something we don't understand.

We as humans spend our lives dividing ourselves and identifying with what is different. We do this so often we lose sight of what is the same about ourselves.

I chose to look at things this way. Strip away as many things as possible that can creat the division and then look at what is left over. Once all of the outer trappings of society are stripped away, many of us may be surprised to find that people are the same the world over. We all want to be happy and live free . We all want to learn, to grow, to love and be loved. We all wish kindness on to our selves and on to others. We all wish to be treated with dignity and respect. We all want our rights to exist and as living beings to be respected, and we all do not wish that right to be questioned by another.

We are the same, Human kind.

Friday, August 12, 2011

Social Media – Social Tool or Anarchists Weapon

This is a little off topic but still relevant. It appals me to see how quickly an ordered society can descend into Chaos? How can people that may have been neighbours and friends one day and then turn into mindless criminals the next? It is very disturbing to me the what I think may be considered normal society may in fact be an abnormal condition placed on society to maintain control.

If one considers social media in that context, is it a tool for good or evil? At what point does a tool like Twitter become dangerous to society at large? In the the modern age social media has the ability to make or break corporations, increase awareness of issues, and even topple governments. In reality Social Media has the ability to create and manipulate society. If we look at recent events like the G20 Summit riots in Toronto or more currently the Riots in London, we see the power that social media has to fuel a societies impulse.. Never before in history has so much unchecked power been given to the people. Could you imagine what some historical figures could have done had social media been in place. Imagine if Martin Luther King could reach millions the world over. Could you imagine a tweet that started “I have dream … “. Could you imagine Nazi Germany with a propaganda machine centered around a group like Facebook.

Social Media is a tool and a weapon. In the hands of criminals, activists and politicians alike, sites like Twitter, Facebook and YouTube are a godsend. The problem with unchecked power at any level, is that when we cross a line we don't realize it until its to late. Society being what it is, it is unable to be proactive and police itself. So unfortunately that puts law makers the world over in a position of playing catch up.

Now I'm sure you will get those groups out there that will say all of this violence is caused by social inequality and poverty and that putting a muzzle on Social Media sites is an assault on free speech.However, when you consider the deaths of innocent bystanders and the senseless destruction of property, it is clearly a power that has out grown its intended purpose!

Sunday, July 31, 2011

Plaats van Herinnering: Kamp Almere

This is a video I found on youtube a while ago it really hist home for many of us.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Where do we go from here?

The main purpose of this blog is to create a presence on the net and to increase awareness of those that do not know of the history of the mixed blood Indos. It seems to me that it is very clear that our history is clouded at best,and it is very difficult to decipher or to ascertain what is true and what is correct. Part of the problem that we face in sorting out our own history and identity is the reluctance of governing powers to recognize our legitimate claim that we are an ethnic group.

This in itself is very ironic as we were clearly identified as group by the Imperial Forces of Japan during the the second world war. Then again during the Bersiap Period, and after when nearly 300000 of us were forced out or left Indonesia for what they hopped would be a better life in the Netherlands. Now this post is not to argue about the atrocities committed on both sides it is just simply to illustrate that we are already an identifiable group. Right to the point of having what in modern terms would be considered an act of Ethnic Cleansing committed upon our ancestors.

I also write this post with the intent to open a discussion on how we may be able to begin pushing forward with recognition of The Indo as an identifiable ethnic group. My thoughts are ambitious but I think it can be done. I am not calling for a return to colonialism, or for an Indo home land, just simply to be recognized for what we are and the acts of brutality that were committed based on the blood that runs in our veins.

One of the first things that needs to happen is that we need to find our voice. We need to speak and speak only the truth, We need to speak loudly and with conviction to those that would listen. My thought is that we start by creating contacts with those Indos that hold influence in positions of authority. I think it would be wise to add their voices to our own. We should find and cultivate those connections in what ever position they hold. The connections could be anyone from your neighbours to Congress men or Members of Parliament. We must have a voice and a clear objective.

Once you have gained the connections you can begin to build a campaign, and generate interest. Once you create interest you can begin to create a platform on which to campaign and press your point of view.

There are a number of groups now on Facebook and other places on the net that are centered around the preservation of our heritage. So having said that we have to be able to show that we have a common history and that we share the same common values and ideals. To show that common history we need to collect as much information as we can in the form of photos, film and written word. Also if we can collect undeniable proof that atrocity and miscarriage of justice was committed, then we may begin to move forward. If we can begin to show that atrocity was committed based on ethnic lines then we can begin to press for recognition. My argument is this, if one group of people can be killed maimed or tortured and forced to leave a country based on the ethnic divisions, then they can also be recognized as a people along those same lines.

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Change

When I first created this The Dutch Indonesian Community on Facebook almost 5 years ago, I never really thought it would become so big and affect so many people. I never thought it would have over 3000 people from all over the world. There are people here from every walk of life, every age, every language and every nationality, all drawn together by one thing and that is the blood that runs in our veins.

This community has given rise to a number of other groups on Facebook and supported initiatives for The Indo Project.

In the life of every organization or group there comes a time when changes need to made to move the organization forward. I believe that the time for that change is now. Many of you have seen this new blog and the numbers show a steady increase in traffic.

My main focus will be to increase membership in this community by increasing our presence on the net. The first step in that process was the creation of this blog. In the coming weeks you will see other changes that I am contemplating. The next addition that you may see is the creation of a YouTube channel, where I will be able to speak to you all in person. I am not sure of the format that I will use at this time.I will be investigating other forms of media on and off the net to see how I can move this community forward.

In the not to distant future I will also be considering a logo change. The reason for this is that I wish to have an exclusive image that I can use for future initiatives of the DIC and The Silent Nation.

So having said all this, I hope that all of you will support my push forward because without the support of the members and the loyalty of the group there will be nothing to move forward.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Missing Pieces

Since the end of the Second World War an estimated 300000 persons of mixed Indonesian and European blood lines migrated to other parts of the world. Some estimates put the figure at closer to 500000; however there is no exact number that can be relied upon. Some of these people may have left on their own, but the vast majority were “repatriated” against their will. Whatever the reason for their departure whether it be because of political agreement or under threat of death or violence, I doubt much thought was given to future descendants of these original stateless people.

Most of what I write here will be centered on those migrants of a Dutch Indonesian background; however it could also be used in connection with many other tragic incidents involving many other groups. The exodus from Indonesia began just after Indonesia gained its independence from the Netherlands in 1945 and ended in 1964 when the Netherlands ended its program for Indo repatriation. Many of the people that made that journey believed that their status as Dutch citizens would put them on the same footing as everyone else in Holland and that they would be welcomed with open arms. However, during this time The Netherlands was still recovering from the war and was in no shape do deal with new Indo arrivals, let alone its own people. To say the least assimilation in to the Dutch culture went less than smooth.

The increased demand for housing, jobs and the competition for government services all put a strain on relations between Indos and ethnic Dutch citizens. Also add the fact that all of the aforementioned items were in short supply after the traumatic war years. The combination of racial tensions and scarcity of government services made assimilation difficult and prompted 60000 Indos to further migrate to the United States and Canada.

After their immigration to the USA and Canada the task of integrating into a completely unknown culture began. The task of finding employment housing and other services was at times was very difficult, as the USA was going through its own problems with racial tensions in the southern states and its past actions in Korea. It was very common for the Indos to be mistaken for Hispanic, Indian, and Hawaiian.

According to the Dutch Bureau for Statistics (CBS) it has been shown that Indo’s in the Netherlands, have a lower than average crime rates, incomes at par with pure ethnic Dutch citizens and rates of participation in government, education and healthcare fields close to the national average. These statistics are reflected in data from the USA and Canada as well.

The original migrants from Indonesia did their duties to their adopted lands and worked hard at assimilation and integration for themselves and their children. For years the old ones worked hard. However, while fulfilling their duties to their new countries, they did so in silence. For many of those that left the warm breezes of their pacific home, many made a choice subconsciously or consciously to not relay their stories to the next generations. On the North American side of the Atlantic Ocean, it is as though a collective mind simultaneously turned off the information that should have been re-laid to the young. This absence of information has led to a hole in the history of the third generation of indos that live in the USA and Canada.

For the most part there are very few English books on the subject, no film, no cultural events and no real connection to their past. There are no outside cultural influences on INDO's that help them Identify with their history. Especially the young ones cannot speak, read or write Indonesian or Dutch, but they can understand a few words passed on from grandparents. Ironically one of the only constants that most INDO’s do share is the love of Indonesian food and eating.

There are many second and third generation INDO'S that do not really care about their heritage and have completely assimilated into their respective cultures. They see themselves as fully American or Canadian and have no desire to pursue their past. This is a sad testament to the ability of the INDO to blend in to whatever society that they are a part of. The INDO can be found in every corner of the world and the highest concentrations are in the Netherlands, Australia, and the United States.

For those that do wish to look, it is as though they live in a cultural vacuum. In the US and Canada the INDO is often mistaken for Philippine, Hispanic, American Indian, Hawaiian, or someone of Middle Eastern descent. There is a lot of explanation required when asked where they are from, because the history of Holland and Indonesia is not known at all. Couple aging and silent grandparents, with the absence of information and no cultural influence with a language barrier, it makes it almost impossible to search for ones past. Also it should be noted that those that search for their past do not wish a return to colonial rule or wish for an INDO homeland or any such thing for Indonesia, they only wish to know the truth of their origin.

However the modern age is changing how people connect with one another. The age of email, the internet, and social networks are changing how people look for their roots. Many people of Indonesian descent are now searching through the wired world to find lost loved ones and reconnect with those on the other side of the world. They post old photographs and dusty manuscripts to have them translated to English. Slowly the holes that were once dark are now being illuminated by voices from across the ocean in the blink of an eye.

One group that is currently a fledgling non profit organization is now filming a documentary in Indonesia and will be traveling to The Netherlands and the United States. This group is called The Indo Project, or TIP for short. The TIP organisation originated in the United States and its main goal is to keep the Indo heritage alive. This group can be found on Twitter, YouTube, MySpace and Facebook. The completion of the documentary is one of its main goals and is intended to raise awareness of Indo history. There are other groups on social networks such as Facebook that have a specific purpose of reconnecting the past with the present.

The people that are looking for their roots are in a race against time and complacency. The generation that was born in Indonesia are slowly passing into history, and the generation that replaces them are faced with a choice. That choice is to move forward into the future and let the INDO become a dying breed, or they can try to preserve their history for future generations. It is inevitable that blood lines become diluted and blurred as time passes, but if the steps are taken now there will be something to pass on so that the ones that follow after them will know where they came from.

Sunday, May 22, 2011

The Bell

For as long as I can remember “The Bell” has been in my immediate families possession. When my mother had it, it was hidden away in a closet and packed in a soft cloth. For the past number of years it has been in my possession displayed in my living room for all to see.
I’m not really sure how it came to be in the possession of my family. I suspect that it may have made the trip from Indonesia with my Grandparents. At some latter date it was passed on to my mother after she had already immigrated to Canada.
The part of the story that has always been cloudy, is how it came into the possession of my Grandfather. My Mother told me that my Grandfather had been on a patrol with the K.N.I.L and he had found it in an old temple. Another story goes that it may have been given to him by a mysterious person that he had come across in the jungles of Indonesia. What ever the story is, it has always been wrapped in mystery.
The handle appears to be the moulded image of a Goddess and the image is the same on both sides of the handle. The whole Bell appears to be cast from Bronze or Brass, Brass being the more probable. I have not been able to find any image or picture of anything closely the same. Also I have not had the item appraised.
As I said The Bell is a mystery and it appears that it will remain so for the foreseeable future.. I would appreciate any insight that anyone may have.