By Anton Lutter
On Friday, August 15, 2025, The Hague hosted the National Commemoration of August 15, 1945. Thousands from all over the country came to The Hague and for those who couldn’t attend there was live broadcasting on national television. This ceremony is to mark the official end of the Second World War for the Kingdom of the Netherlands, remembering all victims of the war against Japan and the Japanese occupation of the former Dutch East Indies. This year, we commemorate the 80th anniversary of Japan’s capitulation on August 15, 1945, which brought the Second World War to a close for The Netherlands.
His Majesty King Willem-Alexander and Prime Minister Dick Schoof attended the national commemoration at the Indies Monument in The Hague. During the ceremony, the King delivered a speech and laid the first wreath. Also present were State Secretary Judith Tielen of Health, Welfare and Sport, and the Speakers of the Senate and House of Representatives, along with various representatives from Defense and diplomacy, who also laid wreaths. Concluding the ceremony, King Willem-Alexander opened the parade past the Indies Monument.
His Majesty the King, who delivered a speech for the first time at this annual commemoration. His remarks received wide acclaim as being both respectful to the warvictims aswell as being relevant to the current global situation.
The King’s Speech
Together we commemorate today the end of the Second World War in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Eighty years ago, on August 15, 1945, this terrifying war ended. And eighty years are not enough to comprehend and process the ocean of human suffering it caused. In the story of the Netherlands, the war experiences in the Dutch East Indies hold an essential place. I am grateful to be with you on this day and to pay tribute with you to all victims.
Together we pause to remember all those affected by violence, terror, forced labor, humiliation, and hunger. Their pain and sorrow, their traumas, fears, and loneliness resonate to this day. They resonate in the hearts of their children and grandchildren. They remain subtly palpable in your families. And not only in yours. Because around you stand more than two million Dutch people with a connection to the former Dutch East Indies.
We think of the soldiers who died.
Of the prisoners of war and forced laborers.
Of the mothers and children behind barbed wire.
Of the women and girls forced into dehumanizing labor.
Of the civilians who were hunted, humiliated, and terrorized.
Of those who lost everything.
So much suffering has been bottled up under a heavy lid of silence. It has destroyed lives, even after the War. The Japanese capitulation on August 15, 1945, marked the end of the War. But not the beginning of peace. Violence, misery, and the disregard for human suffering: they were far from over.
“My parents’ generation always fought for the red, white, and blue, and here in the Netherlands, everything was taken from them. That hurts.” Paul Salakory said this to me, son of a soldier who fought in the service of our Kingdom. I met him three years ago in Wierden. He was born in 1951 in camp Vossenbosch, one of the residential areas where Moluccan families were housed after arriving in our country. From the tropical sun through the leaves of the nutmeg tree to the icicles on the roof of the barracks… Repatriates from the Indonesian archipelago – wherever they came from – often received a cold welcome here. It touches me when I hear their family stories. I have the greatest admiration for the perseverance of all those families who, against all odds after the war, found their place in our country. More than that: they helped rebuild our country and have been contributing their talents for generations. Thank you for your unparalleled contribution to our society!
Today we commemorate the end of the Second World War in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, knowing that August 15, 1945, was not a turning point towards peace, freedom, and reconciliation for everyone. That is a bitter realization. Commemorating is never easy and can never be gratuitous. Commemorating together also means: together reflecting on difficult and confronting questions.
The strained international relations and the violence on our own continent compel us to reflect, also on our own attitude. In 1945, we were liberated after long years of fear, hunger, oppression, persecution, and terror. The suffering inflicted during the war years has left scars that burn to this day. We are deeply grateful to all who then fought for our freedom and human dignity. It is now up to us to stand up for those who suffer under inhumane and desperate circumstances that cut through our souls. I think of the population of Gaza, of the Israeli hostages held there, of the Ukrainians affected by Russian aggression, and of all others worldwide who suffer under war and violence.
What is peace, actually? How can we, personally and collectively, help preserve peace? These questions are now, eighty years after the end of the Second World War, of immense importance. Peace begins with recognizing and embracing differences. Differences in people’s backgrounds. In convictions and ideals. Differences in thinking and doing. A peaceful society is not one where we are all expected to be alike. Peace actually depends on our ability to live together with people who are different from us. On our ability to see diversity not as a danger, but as an essential characteristic of our life in freedom and as a source of strength. Many of you, as Indo-Dutch, will recognize this. You have experienced how hurtful it is to be misunderstood or to feel isolated. This is a day of commemoration and remembrance, and I hope also of reflection. Reflection on the peace that is never a given and for which each of us is co-responsible every day. That peace requires resilience. The strong defense of our freedom. But also openness and the ability to build bridges to those who are different from you. This applies internationally, but certainly also domestically. The core of our democratic coexistence is the will to tackle problems together and find the best possible solutions. Everyone has the right to make their voice heard and to stand up for their ideals, views, and interests. Conflicts and disagreements are part of it. But one thing we must never forget: only the democratic rule of law, which we regained eighty years ago after so much pain and sacrifice, makes it possible to keep these conflicts and disagreements manageable, to learn from our experiences, and to move forward together. Therefore, it is essential that we respect and protect our democratic rule of law. That responsibility rests on each of us and only grows stronger now that democratic values and fundamental rights are under pressure worldwide. It is not easy, the past eighty years have taught us that. And it certainly has not become easier in recent years. But we can do it, I am convinced of that. The spirit triumphs! Let us never forget how blessed we are. Those we commemorate today had to grope their way through a merciless, destructive war. We here – still – have peace on our side.
Thank you.
On the previous day, August 14, 2025, the President of the Senate, Jan Anthonie Bruijn, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Martin Bosma, laid a wreath at the Indies plaque in the Staten Passage of the House of Representatives building. The commemoration started with a speech by Thom de Graaf, chairman of the National Commemoration 15 August 1945 Foundation, followed by an address from Speaker Martin Bosma. Subsequently, Mr. Silfraire Delhaye, chairman of the Indies Platform, representing the Indo-Moluccan and Chinese community, spoke. After the speeches, the parliamentary presidents and the foundation chairman laid a wreath, concluding with a minute of silence.
