December 27th In History: The Netherlands Recognizes Indonesia's Sovereignty

Illustration. (Photo: Unsplash)

JAKARTA - Today 71 years ago, or December 27, 1949, the Netherlands recognized Indonesia's sovereignty for the first time. Officially, the transfer of sovereignty was held in two places, namely the Gambir Palace (Jakarta) and the Dam Palace (Amsterdam). At that moment, the Dutch flag for the last time crept down from Indonesia.

Quoted from Kukuh Pamuji in investigating the Jakarta Presidential Palace Museum (2020), Due to the time difference between Amsterdam and Jakarta, the ceremony at the Gambir Palace starts at dusk. In which case, the sun was almost setting when the Dutch national anthem Wilhelmus sang along with the Red-White-Blue flag, for the last time it crept down from the top of Gambir's palace.

Suddenly, the lowering of the flag was greeted by cheers from the native people. The atmosphere became even more lively when the national anthem of Indonesia Raya played along with the ascension of Sang Saka Merah Putih.

"Freedom! Freedom! Long live Indonesia!" they said.

The shriek of the word "independence" was what moved the First President of Indonesia, Sukarno, to change the name of the Gambir Palace to the Merdeka Palace. The day after the transfer of sovereignty, Bung Karno made the Merdeka Palace his residence during his time as number one in Indonesia.

Meanwhile, at the Dam Palace Troonzaal (Throne Ward), Amsterdam, Queen Juliana also signed the text of acknowledging her sovereignty. Raju Juliana then submitted the manuscript to the Prime Minister of the Republic of Indonesia, Mohammad Hatta, who led the delegation of the Republic of Indonesia in the negotiations.

After that, Indonesia became an independent and sovereign country de facto and de jure. After previously, Indonesia's sovereignty has been recognized by Arab countries that are members of the Arab League such as Egypt, Lebanon, Sudan, Sudan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia. For this reason, senior journalists who went directly to the Netherlands saw the handover of Indonesian sovereignty stricken with pride.

"For four years from 1945 to 1949, the Indonesian people and youth in the front row fought against colonialism and imperialism again. Finally, on December 27, 1949 at the Palace in Amsterdam, Vice President Hatta signed an agreement to transfer sovereignty from the Netherlands to Indonesia," he said in the book Small History. "Petite Histoire" Indonesia Volume 2 (2009).

"As the Chief Editor of the Guidelines Daily, I was the only Indonesian journalist on that winter morning who attended the ceremony at the Palace which was witnessed by Queen Juliana. Although not as a soldier with a rifle, but only as a journalist with a laptop pen at that time there was no I participated in the War of Independence, "he added.