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‘YES, BUT…’ Occupation as Requirement for ‘Development’ – the Emergence of Dutch 'Ethical Imperialism’ in Indonesia Rosa te Velde
FIGURE 1 'Bawars' (dagger knives) from Pehambang and Dagang, photographed during the notorious 1904 'expedition' by Van Daalen in Aceh, which was meticulously described by Jean Crétien Jacques Kempees in: De tocht van Overste van Daalen door de Gajo-, Alas- en Bataklanden. Photo: H. M. Neeb. Collectie Wereldmuseum RV-A17-2.
How was Dutch imperialism revamped after the much-criticised Cultivation System that forced the Javanese to plant crops for the Dutch? In 1901, Queen Wilhelmina expressed her concern for the Javanese during her yearly throne speech. Meanwhile, the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army was continuously at war. In this text, Rosa te Velde looks at the ways in which we can understand the 'Ethical Policy' as the Dutch white men's burden, with its aim to elevate the native people together with the brutal occupation of the 'outer possessions' during the same period.