Do young people of today understand War, the meaning of being occupied, being tyrannized and do they understand the meaning of liberation of a Nation.
Do young people of today, have any idea which sacrifices were made?
For young people it's probably still very difficult to understand, but I hope when they get older, they too will understand the suffering, and the conflicts, which were battled, the lives which were offered, so we can live in Freedom!
Many people suffered in Europe under the occupancy of the Germans in World War 11. Not many people in the Netherlands know that their fellow countrymen in the Dutch East Indies were occupied in World War II by the Japanese.This too was World War 11, which started on December 7 1941, when Japan, without provocation bombed Pearl Harbor.The American fleet was destroyed and many died. The USA then declared War to Japan and the next day The Netherlands declared war to Japan. Thousands of Dutch people who lived in the Dutch East Indies suffered under the occupancy of the Japanese and were taken prison and put in Prison camps.They were tortured and worked to death.
This is the group of people which Holland has forgotten. In Dutch history books very little is written about this part Holland played in the former Dutch Indies. It was put aside, and nobody talked about it.
These former Dutch Indies were not Prisoners of War of the Germans, but they were Prisoners of War of Japan.It is often forgotten that the Netherlands battled World War 11 in Asia too.
It is very important that history will be remembered, so that young people will understand that the sacrifices were not in vain.The peoples right to guaranty, which every democratic administration would like to insure.This was the aim and the effort of the conflict in World War11.
Please let people always be aware of this, and particular the young generation.
A poem I dedicate to the women and children, who where taken to Moentilan and Banjoe-Biroe(Banyu-Biru)
 | |
| Line up and hand-in all valuables! |
If you ever traveled by train to Banjoebiroe , you will always see
Something which you never ever can forget,
Before it is too late, maybe--
The whole world should know about.
Heavy armed guards and a long line of people,
Very skinny and in rags
Some are barefoot
Some with shoes, full of holes.
A machine gun, the barrel pointed down
Drives in front of the first row
From the guards sounds constantly
A scream!!!, a language we don't know.
Whoever trudged out of line
Just only one foot to the side,
Received a blow, left and right,
A kick, which made you not look back.
These were the women and children in camp Moentilan
Tortured, beat to jelly
Some murdered and some their spirit killed
They tried so hard to stay alive.
As sheep, powerless, and mute
They try to bear this and to endure.
And nobody, nobody dares!!
To take a stand, to set them free.
Oh, see the choice of fatherland
In the hands of ruffians.
Whose heart only thinks of robbery,rape and destroy
And senseless torture,and bloodshed.
A journey to a camp in Banjoebiroe
These are your fellow-countrymen
As bandits walking to the train,
To be put behind barb-wire,
They call concentration camps.
The hour of redemption is not there,
But when it will come
Please remember what happened there!
And what they endured, day in, day out.!
Who will be the first one to strike out?
Who will have the right?
Hear me!!- However it is going to be done,
As long as a day of repay comes!
For the bloodshed from these martyrs.
I was very young then, only four years old, when we were taken by train to Banjoebiroe, but I will never forget the train rides, which are a dark shadow in my mind.For the longest time I was very scared of trains and didn't like to go on them.My mother often told me that I would kick and scream when we had to go on a tram or on a train, when we were living in Holland.I must have had very bad memories from these train rides.
The train
A train will always be a bad memory.A memory in my head full of people. Hot and sweaty, smell and darkness. Children crying, mothers screaming.For me it was something like being locked up in a dark hole. When I dream I still dream of trying to out run the train.These are the only dreams I have, I run on the railroad track and the train seems to get closer and closer to try to swallow me.It is very scary.People always die in these trains in my dream. I must have seen a lot, but I was so young.I still do not like the sound of the train on the tracks.These sounds on the railroad tracks, seems to always take me to a bad place.The destiny; this camp in Moentilan and Banjoebiroe 10.
No comments:
Post a Comment