The national commemoration of the arrival of the first Moluccans to the Netherlands, 70 years ago, has been postponed. According to the regional broadcaster Rijnmond “serious threats” from the Moluccan community have reached a member of the organization.
The commemoration, which was to be held in Rotterdam on October 7, will be moved to the first quarter of next year. No specific date has been mentioned yet.
“There had been implicit threats for some time, but they became more and more explicit,” co-organizer Nathalie Toisuta told Rijnmond. “In the beginning you put them aside. Then you think: ‘Go do something with your life, instead of becoming a keyboard terrorist.’ At a certain point it becomes too explicit. I had to file a report.” She declined to say exactly what those threats entailed.
At the commemoration, outgoing Prime Minister Rutte, Inspector General of the Armed Forces Van Sprang and Mayor Aboutaleb of Rotterdam would be present. During the commemoration, the arrival of the Moluccan KNIL soldiers and their families would be commemorated 70 years ago.
According to the organization, the set-up of the commemoration and the accompanying exhibition did not go down well with “certain parts” of the Moluccan community. “It is particularly unsettled on social media, although there has often been a positive response. From the very beginning, the Moluccan Remembrance Committee has taken all criticism and signals seriously and in many cases has been able to refute it.”
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