The Sealing Of Churches During The Japanese Colonial Period In The Archipelago

The Sion Church in Jakarta was sealed for two years (1942-1944) during the Japanese colonial period. (Wikimedia Commons)

JAKARTA - The strategy of Japanese colonialists to raise the status of the bumiputras is unquestionable. The power of attorney does not allow Europeans, especially the Dutch, to live in peace. They were hunted down and thrown into an interniran camp.

All Dutch hiding places were combed. Churches, let alone. Japan also sealed most of the houses of worship of Christians. Europeans who devote themselves to the church are all in prison. From priests to missionaries. They are treated like animals.

Japan was able to appear strong in World War II. However, Japan is self-aware. They need a lot of support to maintain their existence. From funds to fuel. Japan has also begun to free countries in Asia from the entanglement of colonialism.

The Dutch East Indies (now: Indonesia) did not miss. The operation to control the archipelago was carried out in a measured manner. The Land of the Rising Sun lowered its spies to observe the situation and conditions in the Dutch East Indies. The effort went smoothly in 1942.

Japan's resistance is fully supported by the bumiputras. They were already hot to see the inhumane treatment of the Dutch colonialists. Japan also took advantage of the support of the bumiputras by repelling the Dutch.

The victory made Japan a new ruler in the archipelago. The Bumiputras then greeted him with great fanfare. Japan is considered a savior. Moreover, Japan brought the narrative of itself as an old brother.

The Japanese propaganda is increasingly attracting the sympathy of the bumiputras. They support Japan with all its political agendas in the archipelago. This is because most Bumiputras think that Japan is the only hope for Indonesia to achieve independence.

"The people hate the Dutch. Even more so because the Dutch ran away because they were castrated and let us be helpless. There was not a single Dutchman who tried to protect us or protect this country. They vowed to fight until the blood drop was complete, but in fact ran away from fear."

"The first factor that causes this spontaneous reception is the feeling of revenge against the Dutch master who has been defeated by the new conquest. If you hate someone, of course you will love the person who kicked him out. In addition, our arrogant and powerful white master is not shy about being shy about an Asian nation. No wonder the people welcome Japan as their freer," explained Soekarno in Bung Karno's book: Connecting the Tongue of the Indonesian People (2000).

It is possible that the arrival of Japan is considered a savior by all natives. But, not for the Dutch. They considered Japan's presence a nightmare. The luxury life of the Dutch like the number one citizen soon disappeared.

All because the Japanese colonialists needed the support of the bumiputras. Japan began to win the hearts of the bumiputras by raising the status of the natives. All kinds of treatment of the Dutch who humiliated the low-lying natives were no longer heard.

The situation is now turning around. The Dutch actually occupy the lowest strata in society. Japan hunted down all Dutch people and arrested them. All kinds of Dutch hidings were immediately combed. The church, especially the church at that time was widely used as a hiding place and resistance for the Dutch army.

The entire Christian worship center in the archipelago was immediately sealed for a long time by Japan. The goal is that the church does not become a hiding place and becomes the center of the political movement against the rulers. More days the church is sealed quite a lot.

The sealing was carried out in conjunction with efforts to arrest all European priests and missionaries - especially the Netherlands - to be imprisoned. They were then treated inhumanely in an internirian camp. Even though their profession is considered noble.

They were forced to work, torture, and lament the bad fate of being born white. The treatment was the same as the treatment of the Dutch people to the natives before. The support of the natives to Japan did not last long. Because, then the natives realized that Japan was no different from the Dutch colonialists. Japan just changed clothes. In it remains colonialism.

The Red and White Flags were initially allowed to be flown by the people. But for a long time their attitude changed. People who have been allowed to take the contents of shops are starting to be sought for punishment. The Red and White Flag is prohibited from being flown and instead must fly the Hinomaru flag.

The people were deployed to work on gardens, but the results had to be handed over to Japan. Churches were taken over and closed because they were considered enemy property, although they were later allowed to open after two or three years of being sealed - on condition that they should not be used for political purposes," it is written in the book History of the National Awakening of the North Sulawesi Region (1979).