Bersiap is the name given by the Dutch to a violent and chaotic phase of Indonesia’s revolutionary period following the end of World War II. The Indonesian word bersiap means ‘get ready’ or ‘get prepared’.  Targeted were Europeans, Indo-Europeans and any alleged pro-Dutch civilians that included mostly native born Indo-European, Indo-Chinese, Christian indigenous people (e.g. Menadonese and Ambonese) and indigenous aristocracy, which made the Bersiap period a chaotic mix of civil war, religious conflict and social revolution.  The Bersiap period lasted from August 1945 to December 1946.

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