Juridisch afgedwongen excuses. Rawagedeh, Zuid-Celebes en de Nederlandse terughoudendheid
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18352/bmgn-lchr.9863Keywords:
History, apologies, politics of regret, verzoening, HolocaustAbstract
In de zomer van 2013 bood Nederland voor het eerst in de geschiedenis officieel excuses aan voor misdaden begaan tijdens de onafhankelijkheidsoorlog in Indonesië (1945-1949). Indonesische slachtoffers hadden de Nederlandse regering hiertoe gedwongen door middel van twee civiele rechtszaken. Het bewandelen van de juridische weg verschafte aan hen een stem in het land van de daders en gaf ze een kans hun rechten op te eisen.
Maar de juridische benadering van het spreken over historisch onrecht kan ook keerzijden hebben. Het beperkt namelijk het publieke debat tot nauw omlijnde gevallen die binnen de parameters van de juridische bewijsvoering vallen. Bovendien zorgt het feit dat excuses juridisch afgedwongen moeten worden ervoor dat de kans op verzoening – het doel van de excuses – aanmerkelijk vermindert. De juridisering van het spreken over historische excuses is daarmee een tweesnijdend zwaard.
Dit artikel maakt deel uit van het forum 'Historische excuses'.
Legally Sanctioned Apologies: Rawagedeh, South Sulawesi, and Dutch Reticence
In the summer of 2013, for the first time in history, the Netherlands decided to officially apologise for crimes committed by its troops during the Indonesian war of independence (1945-1949). Indonesian victims had forced the Dutch government to take this step by suing it in two consecutive civil lawsuits. Taking legal steps had offered these victims a chance to demand justice and have their voices heard in the land of the perpetrators.
However the legal approach to bringing historical injustice to public attention can also have adverse effects. It confines public debate to very specific types of incidents that fall within the parameters of legal responsibility and legal evidence. Moreover, the fact that apologies have to be legally enforced diminishes the chance of successful reconciliation – the apparent goal of apologies. The juridification of speaking about historical apologies is therefore a double-edged sword.
This article is part of the forum 'Historical apologies'.
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