Content note: Period Dutch government wording ('police action') for a colonial military offensive in Indonesia; the bulletin's stated reason is quoted as chalked. This object is shown as it was published. Why
'Politiele actie in Indonesie hervat' (Polygoon newsreel, chalkboard bulletin)
Frame from a Polygoon Hollands Nieuws newsreel (week 52, 1948) on the second Dutch military offensive against the Indonesian Republic, launched on 19 December 1948. Passers-by read handwritten chalkboard bulletins headed 'Politiele actie in Indonesie hervat' ('Police action in Indonesia resumed'). The official term 'police action' covered a large-scale military offensive; as far as it can be read, the bulletin gives the government's stated reason as ending acts of terror and disorder. The newsreel's title for the item is 'Het nieuwe politionele ingrijpen'.
- Date
- December 1948
- Period
- Cold War
- Made by
- Polygoon Hollands Nieuws (Dutch newsreel producer)
- Country
- Netherlands
- Medium
- Film stills
- Issuer type
- Media
- Regime
- First Drees Cabinet
- Leader
- Willem Drees
- Audience
- Domestic public
- Purpose
- Warn or inform
- Techniques
- Euphemism / doublespeak
- Source
- Identified Openly sourced: the speaker is who they say they are
- Source
- Open Beelden (Nederlands Instituut voor Beeld en Geluid), item 1155320, retrieved October 2, 2026
- Rights
- Public domain (Public Domain Mark 1.0 on the Open Beelden item page)
Polygoon Hollands Nieuws (producer) / Nederlands Instituut voor Beeld en Geluid (custodian), via Open Beelden. Page rights statement: 'Public Domain Mark. Je mag het werk zonder toestemming kopiëren, veranderen, verspreiden en uitvoeren, zelfs voor commerciële doeleinden.'
Text on the object
POLITIELE ACTIE IN INDONESIE HERVAT De Nederlandse regering heeft het bestand met de Republiek opgezegd en hervatting der politiele actie in Indonesie bevolen om een einde te maken aan de [illegible]daden en orde-[illegible]ingen. Op Java zijn Nederlandse troepen [illegible] Zaterdag 5 uur [illegible] in actie [illegible] (right board) NED. PARACHUTISTEN BEZETTEN VLIEGVELD VAN DJOKJA
POLICE ACTION IN INDONESIA RESUMED The Dutch government has terminated the truce with the Republic and ordered the resumption of the police action in Indonesia in order to put an end to the [illegible] deeds and [illegible] of order. On Java, Dutch troops [illegible] Saturday 5 o'clock [illegible] in action [illegible] (right board) DUTCH PARACHUTISTS OCCUPY AIRFIELD OF DJOKJA
Handwritten chalk on a blackboard, partly hidden by passers-by's heads; the headline and first sentence are clear, words marked [illegible] could not be read with confidence. Spelling is as chalked (no diacritics). Translation is FRAME's own literal rendering, machine-assisted and not verified by a fluent reader.
