The Dutch East Indies had a long history of intimate relations between Dutch men and Indonesian women. Relatively little is known about the role of women in the Indonesian war of independence. However, Indonesian women and girls certainly played an important part in the daily lives of Dutch soldiers. They were often employed cleaning and doing the washing in and around barracks, as a baboe (maidservant) or kokkie (cook). Most Dutch soldiers first came into contact with the local Indonesian women in this domestic context. The result was mixed-ethnic relationships but also an increase in the incidence of sexually transmitted diseases and sexual violence.
A.J. Bos, a soldier in the Dutch army, with an Indonesian woman in the camp at Banjar in Ciamis. West Java, 1948-1949. Photograph taken by A.J. Bos. KITLV A1179, KITLV 401970.
Joop Krijnen, a soldier in the Dutch army, with an Indonesian woman in the camp in the barracks in Bandung. West Java, 1949. Photograph taken by A.J. Bos. KITLV A1180, KITLV 402096.