Tribute paid to Dutch war casualties in Colombo

05-May-2026

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The Embassy of the Netherlands in Sri Lanka commemorated Dutch war casualties on May 4 near the Commonwealth War Graves Memorial located at the Jawatta Cemetery in Colombo, where Dutch war victims are buried on Sri Lankan soil.

Netherlands Deputy Ambassador Ivan Roodjens laid floral tributes at the war memorial and at the individual graves of Dutch nationals who died in the war. This was followed by a two-minute silence in remembrance.

Following the Second World War, the remains of 36 Dutch nationals were buried in cemeteries located in Colombo, Kandy and Trincomalee.

Since the end of World War II, the Netherlands has commemorated its fallen soldiers and civilians annually on May 4. Since 1961, the commemoration has included not only the 102,000 Dutch Jews and persecuted minorities killed during World War II, but also Dutch soldiers who died in subsequent conflicts, wars and peacekeeping missions.

In the Netherlands, a nationwide two-minute silence is observed at 8.00 p.m. annually. In Amsterdam, commemorative ceremonies are held at Dam Square in the presence of the King, Ministers and Members of Parliament, while similar memorial events take place across all cities in the country at the local level.