Jetten unveils Moluccan monument after Dutch state apology

Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten unveiled a monument to the Moluccan community on Wednesday after issuing a formal state apology for decades of mistreatment, Al Jazeera reported. The ceremony marked a public acknowledgment of the treatment of Moluccans who were brought to the Netherlands after Indonesia became independent.

According to Al Jazeera, many Moluccans were taken to the Netherlands after Indonesia’s independence in 1949. The report said they had fought alongside Dutch forces during the colonial era.

Jetten’s apology was described by Al Jazeera as a formal state apology. The report linked the monument to that apology, framing both as recognition of the Moluccan community’s experience under and after Dutch colonial rule.

The Moluccan community’s history in the Netherlands is tied to the end of Dutch colonial control in Indonesia, according to Al Jazeera. The report said the people brought to the Netherlands had supported Dutch forces before Indonesia’s independence reshaped the region’s political order.

Al Jazeera reported the unveiling on June 24, 2026. No additional details about the monument’s design, location or the wording of Jetten’s apology were included in the report.

This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.