a Dutch military operation (codenamed Product) launched in July 1947 with the main aim of regaining control of commercial plantations and other assets on Java and Sumatra
(See also Police Action)
G
GHQ
abbreviation for General Headquarters
guna-guna
black magic
gunung
mount
H
Hatta, Muhammad
(1902–1980)
a close ally of President Sukarno and vice-president under his rule, though tensions between the two eventually resulted in a rift
Heemskerk, Jacob van
(1567–1607)
a Dutch admiral and explorer who commanded voyages to the East Indies and established trading posts there
Hein, Piet
(1577–1629)
a Dutch admiral and privateer whose most daring deed was capturing the Spanish silver fleet in 1628
Hizbullah
a militia recruited from various Muslim groups and ready to give their lives for God in the fight against Westerners
Hollandia
a settlement in Western New Guinea when it was part of the Dutch East Indies; now the city of Jayapura in the Indonesian province of Papua
I
INBAT
abbreviation for infantry battalion
Indo (adjective)
word to describe a person of mixed European and Indonesian blood without European status in the Dutch East Indies; also a cultural description for both whites and Eurasians steeped in the characteristics and customs of the colony
Indo (noun)
someone born of a European, in most cases Dutch, father and a ‘native’ (i.e. Indonesian) mother in the Dutch East Indies; once a racial slur, it was later adopted with pride by the post-war generation in the Netherlands, an act of rebellion against the first-generation immigrants from the Indies who referred to themselves as ‘Indo-Dutch’
Indo-Dutch
the designation given to (and readily accepted by) first-generation immigrants from the Indies to the Netherlands
Indo-European Alliance
Indo Europeesch Verbond, IEV
a social movement and political organization founded in 1919 by the Eurasian community of the Dutch East Indies to campaign for race equality and a political say in how the colony was run
Indonesian Army
Tentara Nasional Indonesia, TNI; previously known as Tentara Republik Indonesia, TRI
Indonesian Communist Party
Partai Komunis Indonesia, PKI
Indonesian National Party
Partai Nasional Indonesia, PNI
Indonesian Navy
Angkatan Laut Republik Indonesia, ALRI
Indonesian People’s Revolutionary Front
Barisan Pemberontakan Rakyat Indonesia, BPRI
a militia formed to fight for Indonesian independence
Indonesian police
Polisi Negara
Indo-Peranakan
a child born of an Indo father and a peranakan mother
(See also peranakan)
K
kampong
also spelled kampung
a village or poor, semi-rural quarter of a city
kacang ijo
mung beans
kali
river
kamar kecil
toilet
kasihan
also spelled kasian
an expression of pity, compassion; poor thing!
kata
basic exercises or formal practice used to teach and improve the execution of martial arts techniques
katjong
a street urchin, little rascal; a teasing term for an Indo boy who acted like a ‘native’ (Indonesian) boy
kebaya
a light loose tunic commonly worn in the East, often with a sarong; Chinese women always wore a white kebaya
kecap
Kenpeitai
the secret police of the Japanese Imperial Army
klewang
also spelled kleywang or kelewang
a single-edged sword that gets wider and heavier towards the point
knee mortar
a light and easily portable discharger used by Japanese forces to launch grenades in short-range combat
KNIL
Koninklijk Nederlands-Indisch Leger
See Royal Netherlands East Indies Army
KNIL air force
Militaire Luchtvaart Dienst, MLD
the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force; the KNIL operated independently of the rest of the Dutch armed forces and therefore had its own fleet of aircraft
kokkie
a kitchen maid, sometimes also referred to as babu
kopi tubruk
unfiltered ground coffee with sugar and hot water added
K rations
small packages of emergency rations
kretek
a cigarette made with clove-flavoured tobacco, widely smoked in the Indies and Indonesia
kris
a dagger with a wavy blade, strongly associated with Indonesian culture
kroncong
Indo style of pop music with old Portuguese influences, reminiscent of Hawaiian music
kue lapis
a traditional Indonesian cake, colourful, layered and steamed
kukri
a curved knife, broader at the point than at the handle, used by the Gurkhas of India
kuntao
a term for the martial arts practised by the Chinese across Southeast Asia, particularly the Malay Archipelago
kyai
also spelled kiai
an Islamic cleric and scholar respected in Javanese communities, some of whom took on the mantle of sacred warrior and spiritual leader during Indonesia’s struggle for independence
L
Limburg
a province in the south of the Netherlands, partly liberated in September 1944 while the major cities such as The Hague, Amsterdam and Rotterdam in the west of the country remained occupied until May 1945
LST Landing Ship, Tank
a vessel designed to carry tanks, vehicles, cargo and troops and land them directly on shore at locations where ships are unable to dock
M
mandor
a foreman or overseer
Marine Brigade
Mariniersbrigade
a US-trained Dutch fighting force founded in 1943 and disbanded in 1949; often operated independently from the rest of the Netherlands armed forces in the Indies in a special forces capacity
Marine Brigade Security Service
Veiligheidsdienst Mariniersbrigade, VDMB
the intelligence branch of the Marine Brigade, which employed large numbers of the local population in their efforts to gather useful military and political information
Masyumi
a militarized Muslim political party with its origins in a council of Indonesian Muslim associations set up by the Japanese during their occupation of the Dutch East Indies
mata gelap
blinded by rage; literally means ‘the dark eye’
Merdeka
the battle cry for revolutionaries demanding Indonesian independence, also used to refer to the revolution itself; literally means ‘free’
N
nasi goreng
fried rice
nasi rames
white rice accompanied by a range of side dishes, including meats, vegetables, peanuts, eggs and fried-shrimp crackers
Netherlands Forces Intelligence Service, NEFIS
a Dutch military intelligence and special operations unit that was mainly active during Japan’s World War Two occupation of the Dutch East Indies
New Guinea
a former territory of the Dutch East Indies, now the Indonesian province of Papua; it remained under Dutch control for some time after Indonesia gained independence, which is why Dutch sympathizers wish
ing to remain in the region were shipped there when the Dutch pulled out of Indonesia
NICA money
currency issued by the Netherlands Indies Civil Administration, a semi-military organization, established in April 1944 to restore civil administration and law under Dutch colonial rule after the capitulation of the Japanese
nona
a young Indo or Indonesian girl
nyai
a ‘native’ housekeeper, companion or concubine in the Dutch East Indies
O
obat
an Indo or Indonesian herbal medicine or ointment
P
parang
a Balinese machete, over half a metre in length and broader at the end than at the base
pasar
market
pelopor
an anti-colonial fighter; from the Dutch voorloper meaning pioneer or scout; the ‘e’ is silent
(See also plopper)
pemuda
a young fighter for Indonesian nationalism; literally ‘youth’, a term that took on added significance as part of the indigenous population’s new outlook on the road to independence for Indonesia
pencak silat
a fast-moving, elegant form of martial arts that originated in Madura
pendek
underpants
pendekar
a master of the martial arts, especially pencak silat
peranakan
anyone born of Chinese parents in the Dutch East Indies, including people of mixed Chinese/Malay descent; under Dutch rule the Chinese occupied an intermediate position between the indigenous population and the Europeans
perut ayam
traditional Javanese cake made from a length of fried dough curled into a circle; takes its name from its shape, which resembles the entrails of a chicken
pikolan
yoke of wood or bamboo, placed across the shoulders to carry a pair of pails, baskets etc.
plopper
a corruption of pelopor, used by soldiers to refer to Indonesian freedom fighters and later by uninformed Dutch people to refer to Indos in the Netherlands (even in literary texts)
(See also pelopor)
Police Action
Politionele Actie
a term coined by the Dutch authorities to refer to the military campaigns launched against Indonesian nationalists in their struggle for independence; though still widely used, it is a euphemism designed to suggest the restoration of peace and order rather than the reassertion of colonial rule by military force
Political Intelligence Service
Politieke inlichtingendienst, PID
an organization set up by the Dutch authorities in the Indies which recruited members of the indigenous population to provide intelligence on possible subversive elements
pukulan
a style of martial arts that mixes pencak silat and jujitsu, attributed to pre-war Indos in West Java
R
Resident
the governor of a residency, an administrative division in the Dutch East Indies
rijsttafel
a lavish meal consisting of a wide selection of Indonesian dishes served with rice
Robinson, Tjalie
(1911–1974)
an alias adopted by Indo intellectual and writer Jan Boon, a post-war Indo activist, writer and champion of Indo culture
rōmusha
a forced labourer during the Japanese occupation of Indonesia
Royal Dutch Indies Airways
Koninklijk Nederlands-Indische Luchtvaart Maatschappij, KNILM
the commercial airline of the Dutch East Indies; all of its aircraft fit to make the trip were evacuated to Australia when the Japanese invaded
Royal Netherlands East Indies Army
Koninklijk Nederlands-Indisch Leger, KNIL
the Netherlands’ main military force in the Dutch East Indies, defeated by the invading Japanese in World War Two; the KNIL was not part of the regular Dutch army but a separate force founded specifically to establish and then defend Dutch colonial interests in the region
S
sakura
cherry blossom, the national symbol of Japan and the emblem used on the badge of the Kenpeitai, the Japanese Army’s secret police; also vernacular for Japanese soldiers
sarong
a garment consisting of a length of cloth usually wrapped around the waist
sawah
an irrigated rice field
Scheveningen
a former fishing village near The Hague, later a popular seaside resort
Second Police Action
Tweede Politionele Actie
a Dutch military operation (codenamed Crow) launched in December 1948 with a view to retaining as much influence as possible in the face of impending Indonesian independence
(See also Police Action)
Senjata makan tuan
A set phrase meaning to backfire: the weapons turn on their user
sembah
a greeting in which the palms are placed flat against one another as if in prayer and then brought to the forehead
senang
comfortable; at peace, at ease
SHQ
abbreviation for Surabaya Headquarters
sia
a three-pronged martial arts weapon mostly used in pairs
Sixteen Sixty-Fivers
Tweede Politionele Actie, 1665’ers
a small section of the Dutch Marine Corps made up of professional marines, most of whom had joined up before World War Two and were highly experienced combat soldiers; named after the year in which the Dutch Marine Corps was founded
Soldier of Orange
Erik Hazelhoff Roelfzema (1917–2007), a Dutch war hero whose autobiographical account of his wartime exploits entitled Soldaat van Oranje (Soldier of Orange) was later turned into a film and a musical of the same name
soto Madura
Madurese beef soup, eaten with rice
Staf Satoe
the senior staff of the TNI (Indonesian National Army)
Sutomo
(1920–1981)
a military leader in Indonesia’s war of independence against the Netherlands, who played a leading role when Surabaya came under attack from Allied Forces in 1945
T
takeyari
a bamboo spear used by the Japanese
Tapeworm Express
nickname for a truck with covered, half-open trailers attached; operated by the Marine Brigade as a shuttle service for its personnel in Surabaya and fitted with running boards so that marines could jump aboard while it was moving
tempo doeloe
a period of history in the Dutch East Indies covering the late 19th and early 20th centuries and viewed with nostalgia; used figuratively to mean ‘the good old days’
Tennō Heika
His Imperial Majesty the Emperor of Japan
Tjakra Brigade
Korps Barisan Tjakra Madoera
auxiliary forces of the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army (KNIL)
tonarigumi
a neighbourhood association during the Japanese occupation
tong-tong
a wooden block that could be used to send signals when struck with a wooden hammer
trassi
also spelled trasi, terasi
fermented shrimp paste, dark in colour and with a strong flavour and smell
Tromp, Maarten
(1598–1653)
an admiral and naval hero of the Dutch Golden Age, celebrated for his victories over the Spanish and the English
tuan
a form of address used as a mark of respect
tuan besar
a colonial boss, a gentleman of means, a big shot
U
UN Committee of Good Offices
a United Nations peacekeeping initiative involving military observers from Australia, Belgium and the United States with the aim of monitoring and reporting on the conflict between Indonesia
and the Netherlands in the time leading up to independence
W
warga negara
Indonesian citizenship
war volunteer
oorlogsvrijwilliger, ovw’er
Dutchmen who volunteered to go and fight in the Dutch East Indies with the aim of bringing the colony back under Dutch rule
Z
zanchin
sharp as a tack; watchful, alert
A note on spelling
In his novel De tolk van Java, Alfred Birney spells Indonesian words using the colonial-era spelling system based on Dutch. For the sake of simplicity, this translation only uses the Dutch-based system for the names of characters. Place names, street names, the names of prominent historical figures, and general words and phrases have been rendered in modern Indonesian spelling wherever possible.
About the Author
ALFRED BIRNEY was born in 1951. For The Interpreter from Java, he was awarded the Libris Literature Prize, the Netherlands’ premier literary award, and the Henriëtte Roland Holst Prize. He lives in the Netherlands.
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