Apologies for People of Rawagede

I am still very excited about the fact that the Dutch government will apologise for the warcrimes the Dutch armee has committed in Rawagede in 1947.This is historical and never heard of before: clear apologies of the Dutch Government to the People of Indonesia! They have been waiting for this moment for 64 years. It will happen this Friday the 9th of December. So one more time I present you the brave women and man who dared to sue the Dutch Government and won their lawsuit.

uit: The widows of Rawagede and Mr. Saih!

Dutch government will apologise to widows of Rawagede

Friday December 9th 2012, the Dutch ambassador in Indonesia will apologise to the widows of Rawagede on behalf of the Dutch government for committing war crimes against the people of Rawagede in 1947. December 9th is the day of the yearly commemoration of the massacre of Rawagede.

De weduwen van Rawagede en de heer Saih bin Sakam by Suzanne Liem | Make Your Own Book

Widows of Rawagede win trial against Dutch Government

The widows of Rawagede will be compensated by the Dutch Government, as is stated by the Dutch court of Law in The Hague today. It is an unexpected verdict, and I think a very emotional one for the plaintiffs.

The book below (trial version and not yet for sale) is my documentary report on the widows of Rawagede. I vistited them in July of 2010. The book not only contains their portraits, but also their stories in their own words.

De weduwen van Rawagede en de heer Saih bin Sakam by Suzanne Liem | Make Your Own Book

Publication in Trouw

Today the daily Dutch newspaper Trouw again published an article on the widows of Rawagede with one of my portraits.

Judgement in the case of the widows of Rawagede tomorrow

Tomorrow, September the 14th, the judge in The Hague will give a judgement in the case of the widows of Rawagede v.s. the Dutch Government.

In 1947 the husbands of the widows were killed by Dutch soldiers in their village of Rawagede in Indonesia. Eight widows and the only male survivor of the massacre sued the Dutch government in December 2008. In May 2010 the Dutch government pleaded guilty. Nevertheless the Dutch government states the case statute barred, so plaintiffs have no right to compensation. Tomorrow the judges give their judgement.

Book on Widows of Rawagede

This is my Blurb book on the 'Widows of Rawagede'. For the moment it's a trial version and only available in Dutch.
The book is a photographic document telling the story of seven widows - who's husbands were killed by the Dutch army - and the only male survivor. I visited Indonesia last year as I wanted to portray the women who are sueing the Dutch government for war crimes committed.

To see the photo's in detail (and for information on the widows in English), visit my website www.suzanneliem.com

De weduwen van Rawagede en de heer Saih bin Sakam by Suzanne Liem | Make Your Own Book

International Widows' Day, June 23rd 2011

June 23rd 2011 will be the first United Nations International Widows' day!
Mr Loomba of the Loomba Foundation, has been striving for this day a long time. Now he succeeded, the many widows in need around the world will get attention for their sometimes deplorable plight. http://www.un.org/en/events/widowsday/

This is Mrs Wanti binti Sariman, she is one of 'the widows of Rawagede'. She came to The Netherlands this week to attend the trial of 'the widows of Rawagede' against the Government of The Netherlands. She is one of the last living eyewitnesses of the Massacre of Rawagede in 1947. The Dutch armee killed her husband and many other men of her village. The Dutch Government states the case statute barred, so the widows have no right to compensation. September 14th 2011 the court will state her decision.

Widows in Spain 3

Yesterday I was in Barcelona to meet the widows who, since 11 years, march the streets every month. They protest for better pensions, at least 70% of their husband's wages. It was an impressive sight to see the ladies march, behind a police escort over one of the mainroads of Barcelona. Next month I will meet them again and portrait a few of them and hear their stories. Brave women, fighting for their rights!

Widows in Spain 2

I found out yesterday that still, since my first knowledge in 2008, widows in Barcelona march the streets every month. They demonstrate against their deplorable situations concerning  widows pensions....

Widows in Spain

Widows in Spain receive only € 450 or less widow's pension each month. For many of them not even enough to pay their rent....According to attached article of 2008, widows in Barcelona used to demonstrate in the streets each month to get the attention of the Spanish Government for their situation:  http://afronline.org/news/viewprint/86803

I am preparing a project on these widows in Barcelona.

Widows in India: Gomti

This is Gomti, she is one of the first widows I photographed, two years ago, in India. She was 20 years old when she became a widow, left with two children of 6 and 3 years old. At first she did not know how to survive, she had no food during the first 15 days, until aid workers found her.
Gomti inspires me to work on this project. I have this photograph on my desktop and every time I start or quit working, she looks at me with her questioning but also fierce eyes, as if she wants to say: 'Please listen to my story.....'