Moluccans

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Moluccan
Molukker, Molucano, Orang Maluku
Moluccan marriage, bride in traditional dress (circa 1960)
Total population
2.5 million
Regions with significant populations
 Indonesia: 2,203,415 (2010 census)[1]
(Maluku, North Maluku, Jakarta, East Java, North Sulawesi, West Papua)
 
Papuan people, Malagasy peoples

Moluccans are the

Spice Islands,[4] and today consists of two Indonesian provinces of Maluku and North Maluku
. As such, "Moluccans" is used as a blanket term for the various ethnic and linguistic groups native to the islands.

Islam and Christianity are major religions of most Moluccans. Despite religious differences, all groups share strong cultural bonds and a sense of common identity, such as through Adat.[5] Music is also a binding factor, playing an important role in the cultural identity, and the Moluccan capital city of Ambon was awarded the official status of City of Music by UNESCO in 2019.[6]

A small population of Moluccans (~50.000+

handed over to Indonesia.[7]

However, the vast majority of Moluccans still live in the Moluccas and the other surrounding regions, such as

Papua, East and West Timor, North Sulawesi and further west.[citation needed
]

History

For other uses, see Moluccan diaspora.
Sukarno dancing with Moluccan people, 1958.

The indigenous inhabitants of the Maluku Islands are

Arabian and English influences, due to colonization, intermarriage with foreign traders during the Silk-route era and Middle Ages, and even with European soldiers during the World Wars. A small number of German descendants was added to Moluccan population, especially in Ambon, along with arrival of Protestant Missionaries since 16th century.[10]

After the Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies during World War II, the Netherlands wanted to restore the old colonial situation. The indigenous Indonesians were against it. However, led by rebels and Sukarno, a struggle for independence broke out between 1945 and 1950.[11] The reconstituted Royal Netherlands East Indies Army (KNIL) was commissioned by the Dutch government to maintain order and to disarm the rebels. Moluccan professional soldiers formed an important part of this army.[11] The Moluccan community was thus regarded by the Dutch as allies and vice versa. The government of the Netherlands had promised the Moluccans that they would get their own free state and independence back in return for assisting the Netherlands. After international efforts could not support the Netherlands to maintain its colony, the Dutch government chose to no longer keep its promise to the Moluccans of an independent state.[12] The Moluccans, who were seen by the Indonesians as collaborators with the Dutch, were given two options, to demobilize the military force and "temporarily" go to the Netherlands before returning to an independent Maluku, or assimilate and take on the Indonesian nationality. Most Moluccans who served in the command of KNIL would reside temporarily in the Netherlands.[11] The Moluccans were instead discharged from military service shortly after arriving, and housed in repurposed WWII concentration camps in the Netherlands, including the former Westerbork transit camp. Where they were isolated from Dutch society and held under extremely poor living conditions for years.[13]

The Dutch Moluccans had repeatedly drawn the attention of the Dutch government to their claim for a free Republic of South Maluku (Republik Maluku Selatan or RMS) state, which the Dutch government had promised them. However, the situation began to escalate as RMS's struggle gained notoriety in the 1970s when demonstrations and violence propelled it into the Dutch public eye.[14] Finally, after still being ignored and denied a hearing by the government, one of the methods to gain attention on the matter was through the hijackings of 1975 Dutch train hostage crisis in De Punt, Wijster, where hostages were taken, and the members were killed.[15]

Language

The Moluccans speak over a hundred different languages, with a majority of them belonging to the

Sula Islands in North Maluku.[19] Moluccans living in the Netherlands mostly speak Ambonese and Buru, as well as the national and official Dutch
language.

Religion

For other uses, see Moluccan Evangelical Church.

The Moluccans in northern Maluku (present province of

Muslims.[20] While central and southern Maluku (present province of Maluku) have about equal numbers of Muslim and Christians.[21]

The religion most often adhered to by the Moluccans in the Netherlands is

Protestant Christianity, and to a lesser extent Islam.[citation needed
]

There are significant number of native

Catholic region, despite the Maluku province's overall Christian population being mainly Protestant.[citation needed
]

Notable people

Further information: List of Moluccan people

See also

References

  1. ^ "Kewarganegaraan, Suku Bangsa, Agama, Dan Bahasa Sehari-Hari Penduduk Indonesia". Badan Pusat Statistik. 2010. Archived from the original on 10 July 2017. Retrieved 18 July 2017.
  2. ^ "Molukkers in Nederland". CBS.
  3. ^ https://satudata.kemenag.go.id/dataset/detail/jumlah-penduduk-menurut-agama
  4. ^ "INVASION OF AMBON". Cairns Post (Qld. : 1909 - 1954). 23 October 1950. p. 1. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
  5. S2CID 224961575
    .
  6. ^ "Ambon". UNESCO Cities of Music. 13 February 2020. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
  7. ^ a b Beets et al., Demografische ontwikkeling van de Molukse bevolkingsgroep in Nederland
  8. PMID 17327912
    .
  9. ISBN 0-300-10518-5
    .
  10. ISBN 978-06-152-6095-2
    .
  11. ^
    ISBN 978-90-042-6081-8
    .
  12. ISBN 978-16-145-1170-0
    .
  13. ^ Josh Varlin (11 May 2015). "The Westerbork transit camp and the destruction of Dutch Jewry". World Socialist Web Site. Retrieved 20 July 2018.
  14. JSTOR 24590272.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link
    )
  15. ^ "Dutch State Sued Over 'Excessive Force' Against 1977 Moluccan Train Hijackers". Jakarta Globe. 5 November 2014. Retrieved 20 July 2018.
  16. ISBN 978-1-76046-291-8
  17. JSTOR 223425
  18. ISBN 90-361-9998-0
    .
  19. ISBN 01-951-3977-1
    .
  20. ISBN 28-254-1480-8
    .
  21. ISBN 978-90-474-2634-9
    .
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