A short but rare interview in Dutch, given by President Soekarno (1901-1970) to Dutch journalist Willem Oltmans (1925-2004) in Jakarta’s Merdeka Palace in 1963. Oltmans, who was controversial in his home country, but praised for his persistence and his apparent easy access to world leaders, eventually became close friends with Indonesia’s first president. Soekarno, who was still fluent in Dutch in the 1960s, expressed his gratitude for the fact that the relationship between the Netherlands and Indonesia had normalised following the end of the Irian Barat (Papua) conflict, and wholeheartedly invited Princess Beatrix to visit Indonesia. Soekarno also elaborated on a letter he received from Prince Bernhard and the rare species of one-horned rhinoceros and Komodo dragons in Indonesia. We have added English subtitles for your convenience.
