Anti-Dutch sentiment, also known asDutchphobia,[1] is a spectrum of negative feelings, fears, dislikes and discrimination towards theNetherlands, theDutch people and theDutch culture. It historically arose from thecolonization that wasundertaken by the Netherlands and the roles played by the Dutch inEuropean wars.
In South Africa, theSecond Boer War (1899–1902) between the British colonial government and theBoers (settlers of Dutch descent) caused anti-Dutch sentiment in theEnglish-speaking white population,[2] and it was identified with theUnionist Party.[3]
A growing nationalist movement gave rise to anti-Dutch sentiment in the 1950s in the Dutch colony ofSurinam.[4] Suriname became self-governing in 1954 and fully independent in 1975.
Most of present-day Indonesia was a Dutch colony, theDutch East Indies, from 1602 to the 1942Japanese invasion during the Second World War. After the defeat of the Japanese, the Dutch attempted to reassert control, but there was too much anti-colonial sentiment tied to long-time Dutch neglect of the Colony[5]. Anti-Dutch feeling developed among the native population and encompassed anything associated with the Dutch.[6][7] The outcome was theIndonesian National Revolution, which culminated in the 1949 independence of Indonesia.
From theAnglo-Dutch Wars in the 17th and 18th centuries, expressions convey varying degrees of hostility or mockery towards the Dutch, such as "Dutch courage", "Dutch uncle", "Going Dutch", "Dutch treat", "Double Dutch" and "I'm a Dutchman". Anti-Dutch sentiment grew in England during the three wars against the Dutch Republic between 1652 and 1674, and continued during and after the reign ofWilliam of Orange.[8]
Theneutrality maintained by the Netherlands during theFirst World War evoked unfavourable comment in Britain, as was epitomised by a remark inPunch:
Holland is a low country, in fact it is such a very low country that it is no wonder that it is dammed all round.
— Various,[9]
During theSecond World War, theNazi German occupiers inBelgium promoted the use ofDutch in communities ofFrench-speakers, which led to strong anti-Dutch sentiment there.[10]
In Indonesia, anti-Dutch sentiment has remained[citation needed] and been fueled many times since theSukarno era. Anti-Dutch sentiment is now mainly based on old war propaganda like theSouth Sulawesi campaign of 1946–1947 in whichAbdul Kahar Muzakkar claimed Captain Raymond Westerling had killed 40,000 civilians.[11] It was used by Sukarno to motivate Indonesians to support the Trikora campaign for the colonisation (called "liberation" in Indonesia) ofWest New Guinea. Sukarno said, "Today we all remember the details of 40,000 people of South Sulawesi as victims of the inhumanity of the Dutch colonial army under the command of Westerling. The inhumanity of the right hand of Imperialism is part of the ruthless imperialism to uphold colonialism on Indonesian soil. The death of 40,000 souls in this episode proves that the people of Indonesia paid for Indonesian Independence".[citation needed] That number is still used to support anti-Dutch sentiment in Indonesia.[12][13]
Because anti-Dutch sentiment is still inherent in Indonesia, several campaigns have been carried out such as reporting of Dutch war crimes on social media during their occupation of Indonesia, the vandalism of Dutch monuments and the filmDe Oost telling about Dutch colonialism in Indonesia that turned out to be financed by three Indonesian companies.[14][15]
