by Mathias Hariyadi

A Moluccas pro-independence movement, the RMS, files for his arrest. It would have been the first state visit by an Indonesian head of state in 40 years.

Jakarta (AsiaNews/Agencies) – A few minutes before takeoff, Indonesian President Yudhoyono cancelled his state visit to the Netherlands after he was told that a Dutch court had issue an arrest warrant against him following an application by the Republic of the South Moluccas (Republik Maluku Selatan or RMS), a separatist movement in Indonesia, for his arrest on human rights violations in the Moluccas and Papua. Yudhoyono personally announced the decision at a press conference held at the airport.

The difficult relations between the Indonesian state and the RMS go back a long way. When delegates from Java and Sumatra declared Indonesia’s independence, setting up the Republic of Indonesia, they included the Moluccas, a Dutch colony since the 18th century.

In 1950, demobilised ex-Royal Dutch East Indies Army (KNIL) men staged a revolt and proclaimed what they called the "Republic of the South Moluccas". In November of that year, the Indonesian government reiterated the inclusion of the islands in the Indonesian state. Following the decision, more than 4,000 separatists left the country for the Netherlands as political refugees.

Yudhoyono’s visit to the Netherlands would have been the first since that of President Suharto in 1970.  Dutch authorities were going to acknowledge Indonesian sovereignty from Sabang in the westernmost province of Aceh to Merauke in the easternmost province of Papua.

For Anis Matta, deputy speaker of Indonesia’s House of Representatives, the cancellation of the visit would not affect bilateral relations between the two countries.

• indonesia
• molucca
• java
• sumatra
• yudhoyono
• royal
• dutch
• east
• indies
• army
• knil
• republik
• maluku
• selatan
• rms
• arrest
• human
• rights
• violations