The story of the Jeekel family during the Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies is full of violence and suffering. But the experiences of the family are not unique; all Dutch-Indonesian families have endured these dark times. It is important that their story is passed on so that the next generations will know of the internment camps, the Hell Ships, and the atrocities that occurred after the surrender of Japan in cities like Bandung and Surabaya. The history of the DEI in the 1940’s may not be a pleasant one, but needs to be told and taught in schools as an inherent part of Dutch history.
