A look at the Defence news 12 - 18 August
On 15 August, a ceremony was held at the Dutch East Indies monument in The Hague to commemorate the liberation of the Dutch East Indies following the capitulation of Japan, 79 years ago.
This event marked the end of the Second World War. The ceremony honoured all civilian and military victims of the Japanese occupation.
New Bronbeek exhibition tells the story of the Dutch East Indies
The rise and fall of the Dutch East Indies is the topic of the new permanent exhibition at the Bronbeek Museum in Arnhem. The Netherlands Minister of Defence, Ruben Brekelmans, opened the exhibition.
No cause for celebration on anniversary of Geneva Conventions
This year it is 75 years since the Geneva Conventions were established. Last week, the international humanitarian law platform (Nationaal Platform Humanitair Oorlogsrecht) released a statement saying that the rules of this humanitarian law are as relevant as ever and the world should cherish them. The platform unites representatives from the Netherlands Ministries of Defence and Foreign Affairs, and the Red Cross. Even though the platform considers the 75th anniversary a milestone, it also says that there is no reason for celebration, considering the level of human suffering in today's conflict areas.