Culture

Puputan Square - A Gentle Reminder For Dutch

by olasnavigator | June 20, 2008 at 08:04 pm

322 views | 5 Recommendations | 2 comments

Puputan Square—puputan meaning “untill the end“—lies near the site where one of Bali’s most splendid palaces once stood. When the Dutch arrived in 1906, the Balinese, led by the King of Denpasar, chose to commit suicide rather than surrender. Nearly 4,000 Balinese people, including the royal family died and so began Dutch rule. Commemorated by a monument of a man, woman and two children making a brave but futile stand against the Dutch aggressors. Now, that historical place became a huge, well-kept park in the middle of town, a popular great place for families to hang out in the evenings. On every side of Taman Puputan are the traditional symbols of the power elite. North of the square is the Governor’s Residence, built in Javanese pendopo style. Facing the Bali Museum is the stolid, modern military headquarters complex.

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Uwe Paschen

at 00:30 on June 21st, 2008

Colonialism through out the World has caused great injustices and sufferings as well as the total destruction of way to many races, Languishes and cultures. I am not sure what made our ancestor believe they had the right to destroy and dominate as they did! I do wonder some times if we have learned any thing form all this. The Natives in the Americas are still being treated as sub Humans and countries such as the USA have not yet come clean nor paid any retributions for the crimes that have been committed by the European settlers! France and Germany have now acknowledged the wrong of the Colonial era and are willing and have started to pay compensation for that time! No money will ever be able to pay for what has been destroyed and taken away. Hopefully such madness will never happen again, from any People, yet unfortunately I am not so sure about that!