Moluccan diaspora

The most significant Moluccan diaspora community lives in the Netherlands, where it numbers c. 70,000 people as of 2018.

[2] Following the Indonesian War of Independence of 1945–1949, the government of the Netherlands transferred sovereignty over the Dutch East Indies to the United States of Indonesia on 27 December 1949.

[3] Attempts at disbanding the federal State of East Indonesia by the unitary Republic of Indonesia and Moluccan distrust of the predominantly Islamic Javanese authorities in Jakarta led to the creation of the Republic of the South Moluccas (Indonesian: Republik Maluku Selatan, RMS) on 25 April 1950.

[3] After the Indonesian invasion of Ambon and suppression of Moluccan independence, the Dutch government decided on the evacuation of c. 12,000 Moluccan soldiers of the former Royal Netherlands East Indies Army and their dependents to the Netherlands, as they were at risk of retribution and had refused discharge from Dutch service in territories controlled by Indonesian authorities.

[3] As of 2010, its president is the Dutch-born John Wattilete and its leadership is in the hands of second-generation Moluccan Dutch.