This poster depicts an Indonesian man with a black cap (peci), with the Indonesian flag behind him. He points towards the man with the label “NICA” (Netherlands Indies Civil Administration) on his shoulder, recognizable as the Lieutenant Governor General of the Indies, H.J. van Mook. This image shows the animosity of Indonesian fighters towards Van Mook, who is considered partly to blame for their plight. The caption reads “350 tahoen ditindes” (350 years of oppression). Below, three very thin and exhausted Indonesians are depicted, with a Japanese soldier in front of them. This caption reads “3 1/2 tahoen diperas” (3.5 years of exploitation), symbolizing the impact of Japan’s occupation of Indonesia. The message of this poster is clear: the suffering, hunger, backwardness and grief that the Indonesian people experienced were caused by the oppression by the Dutch and the Japanese.
‘350 years of oppression, 3.5 years of exploitation’. Photo of a propaganda poster of the Republic of Indonesia. Indonesia, c. 1949. Photographer unknown. KITLV 41416.