The Resistance Star East Asia (or Verzetsster Oost-Azië in Dutch) was created by royal decree on 26 October 1948 by Queen Juliana to commemorate the resistance against the Japanese occupation of Indonesia, which went underground after the capitulation of the Royal Dutch East Indies Army. This resistance suffered tremendous losses in live.
The medal honors the Dutch subjects in the Netherlands East Indies who showed strength of mind, determination, or solidarity, and performed praise-worthily help for Dutchmen that were made a prisoner of war or interned by the enemy during World War II. Also those of the Dutch resistance in Southeast Asia are honored.
Due to the loss of the archive of the Resistance Star a lot of historiography about this award is lost. Since 1948 the Resistance Star is awarded in total of 471 times. The star is a high award and has precedence just after the Bronze Lion.
The bronze six-pointed star with a flaming sun and the words “de geest overwint” (The spirit triumphs) was designed by Frans Smits.
The star is attached to a purple ribbon which has two golden lanes in the middle. The colors are symbolic: the gold-yellow remembers the custom in Southeast Asia to wrap a valuable gift in a gold-colored cloth. At the reverse side the text “maart 1942 – O.Azië – augustus 1945” (“March 1942 – East Asia – Augustus 1945”) is inscribed.
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