Indonesia: Selling a colonial war | Documentary

“Framing” The image of Dutch colonial history: for decades, the Netherlands maintained its own account on its colonial past, especially during the war of 1945-1949 in Indonesia, called the euphemistically of “police actions”. In reality, it was a major military operation in response to the declaration of unilateral independence of Indonesia in August 1945. This series in two parts reveals how far the Dutch government went to “sell” war as a domestic case aimed at restoring peace in what it called the Dutch Indies. The series exposes how propaganda, selective media coverage and historical omission have shaped the Dutch collective memory. A wide range of people questioned explain complex relationships in the old colony and provide a global context. International pressure has finally forced the Dutch government to abandon its colonial war, but its carefully orchestrated disinformation campaign is still suspended from public debate in the Netherlands today. This is how the story is written, rewritten and often manipulated to serve as powerful acquired interests.