The use of the term Bersiap in an exhibition about Indonesia’s struggle for independence, which opens on Thursday in the Rijksmuseum, is not punishable by law. The Public Prosecution Service (OM) has announced on Wednesday† The use of the word was twice reported. The Public Prosecution Service believes that no criminal offenses were committed in any of the cases.
Also read: ‘Bersiap remains, and the Rijksmuseum is not woke’
The reason for the declarations was an opinion article in NRC Handelsblad half January. In it, an Indonesian guest curator of the exhibition in question argued that the term Bersiap is racist “because the term ‘bersiap’ always portrays primitive, uncivilized Indonesians as perpetrators of the violence”.
Bersiap means ‘Be ready’ and was used during a violent period in the struggle for the independence of the then colony of the Dutch East Indies. Indo-Dutch people also suffered greatly from the violence during this period.
group insult
The Dutch Federation of Indies (FIN) filed a complaint against the guest curator, who according to them was guilty of group insult with his statements. The Public Prosecution Service believes the opinion piece falls under the right to free speech. According to the Public Prosecution Service, the statements would also “fit in the social debate about historical events”.
The Komite Utang Kehormatan Belanda (Foundation Committee for Dutch Ere debts) filed a complaint against the Rijksmuseum and the director and a curator of the museum for the use of the term in the exhibition. According to the foundation, the term is racist and insulting to Indonesians and the Rijksmuseum excludes Indonesians with it. The Public Prosecution Service ruled that the term does not contain any negative conclusions about Indonesians as a group because of their race.
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