Catholics, the KVP and Indonesia policy

The interviews were conducted on behalf of J. Bank’s dissertation, Catholics and the Indonesian Revolution, Baarn: Ambo, 1983.

They deal with the Indonesia policy of the Dutch government, particularly the stance of the KVP. The interviews focus on events and experiences in the years 1940 – 1976. They mainly discuss Indonesia and the Netherlands. Themes include Indonesia policy, PvdA faction, KVP faction.

In this book, Bank deals with the attitudes of Catholics in the Netherlands and the East Indies at the level of the church and politics towards the emasculation of the East Indies in the period 1945-1949. However, he cites enough information and describes various aspects in such detail that the book is also a study of the entirety of the decolonization of the East Indies. The book contains stories about the struggle for independence, the role of the British until autumn 1946, the spread of nationalism, rise and fall of federalism, the policy of the Dutch government and that of Batavia, decision-making in Djokjakarta, the international scene, military operations, the Catholic parties both in the Netherlands and in the East Indies, mission and missionary work, etc.

These are the interviewees:

• Van der Goes van Naters, the former party leader (fractieleider) of the PvdA. He speaks about the relationship between the PvdA and KVP factions on the Indonesian issue.
• De Graaf, Indonesia specialist of the KVP group in the late 1940s, is asked about the development of the Indonesia position within the group.
• Van Aarden, secretary of the Centrum voor Staatkundige Vorming in the period in question, speaks to Bank about, among other things, the relationship of this scientific institute of the KVP to party leadership and group, and concerning the group’s Indonesia policy and its influence on the party.

Also see the collection Indonesia politics and the PvdA