Suzanne Liem Photography

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Five years after my first visit to Rawagede I revisit the remaining widows and the village to see how they were doing after the lawsuit. Ibu Tijeng rebuilt her house in the garden of her granddaughter, using a part of the compensation money she received from the Dutch government.<br /> Granddaughter of ibu Tijeng: `This house is the old one. The other house is new. It’s still the same as you visited before. We didn’t fix anything`. Daughter: `We gave the money in cash on that bamboo seat to 3 people who came here`.<br /><br /> `It’s a blessing, the parking of the monument! (note: means that they can get money/parking fee from visitors’ vehicles). Yesterday there were visitors from other districts, and provinces. From Bandung city too. There has been an increase of visitors the past five years. Three of our grandfathers are buried here`.<br /> A flower-ceremony at the cemetary of honour in Rawagede<br /> In front of the cemetary of honour this foodstall is protected from the sun by a banner remembering the `Dutch Agression`.<br /><br /> mr Sukarman holding a photograph of Lukas Kustario, the fighter the Dutch were searching for the 9th of December 1947.<br /><br /> Mr. Mamat the Village head, who claims to be responsible for the idea to share the compensation money the widows received, among the decendents of all victims of the massacre. Ibu Lasmi died just one month before my visit.<br /><br /> Ibu Wilem, the daughter in law of Ibu Lasmi took us to the house where I met her and Ibu Lasmi five years ago. The house was sold to pay the debts of her late husband. He died five years ago, just before my visit in 2010. She was left with Ibu Lasmi and took care of her the last five years of her life. Bapak Saih, one of the survivors of the massacre, died just before the verdict. His son did receive the compensation money. The son of Bapak Saih and his family started a shop selling filtered water to the villagers. They have shared the compensation money with the victim-families and on top of that shared some of it with people in need. Ibu Wanti binti Sariman lives with her daughter and her family in the same house as where I have visited her five years ago. She bought this house with the compensation money, so they are saving the rent. The  husband of her daughter died,and they have trouble finding the money for food, since all the compensation money from the Dutch is spend. They also had to share their part with the other victim-families.<br /><br /> Ibu Wanti binti Sariman shares her house with her daughter and her family. The children and grandchildren of Ibu Wanti binti Dodo, all live next to each other. Ibu Wanti died. The money is used to renovate some of their houses and to enable granddaughters who were working in Dubai and to stay in Rawagede. <br /><br /><br /> Warjo: `The Dutch soldier asked me to go with him, going around the village. Then we arrived at one place, which is now the market, I saw men in line being gunned down. Then came another group of villagers. The soldier told them to stand and lined up at that spot, then shot them.<br />They shot until there was a big piles of bodies. I think there were about three layers of bodies in that pile! That did not include the bodies on the road and in the field…<br /> In 2009 an amount of € 850.000 was granted by the Dutch Government to the village of Rawagede. With a part of the money a cooperation was started which enbales women to start their own businesses. Once a week the women pay off their debts to the cooperation. the administration of the cooperation.