Position Paper of Otto Van Rees

Historical Council

Topic:
The Nine Kingdoms of Bali

When the Dutch began to invade and colonize Indonesia for 350 years, they were aggressively
looking for territories that were considered rich in natural resources to be taken over and
monopolized, that is when the Dutch set foot in Bali, at which time the Balinese kingdom was
in the middle of an internal conflict started long ago with the inability of Dewa Agung
defending Bali so that Bali was divided into 9 smaller kingdoms while still recognizing the
King of Klungkung as the legitimate king of Bali. However, the existence of 9 different kings
caused a complicated relationship between Balinese rulers1.

The internal conflict of Balinese kings in the 17th century continued until the war of the
Balinese kings in the late 1900s which increasingly opening opportunities for the Dutch to
further control and monopolize the Balinese territory. With the culture of 9 different smaller
kingdoms, Bali will be easily divided and easily provoked internally, this is evidenced by the
King of Bangli who allied with the Dutch against the Buleleng Kingdom2. It will be difficult for
the Balinese government if they are unable to maintain territory and harmony between leaders
because internal conflicts can disrupt the progress of the economic, social, infrastructure,
education, political and other sectors.

With those aspects of the issue, the representative of Otto van Rees would like to propose the
following solutions:
1. Ratification of the Bali-Dutch committee to seek common ground and discuss further
policies and decisions for the benefit of both. It is hoped that the formation of this
committee can reduce tension and all the remaining negatives so that decision-making
can be achieved neutrally without taking sides.
2. Sending ambassadors for the economic, social, political, and educational sectors on both
sides to investigate each other's status quo. It is hoped that the presence of these
ambassadors can provide a clearer picture of their respective circumstances so that
decisions can be taken as fairly as possible.

1https://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerajaan_Bali#:~:text=Para%20penguasa%20Klungkung%2C%20yang%20dikenal,

%2C%20Gianyar%2C%20Bangli%20dan%20Jembrana. [Accessed on 25 March 2021]

2https://klungkungkab.go.id/halaman/detail/sejarah-
kerajaan#:~:text=Dewa%20Agung%20Jambe%20adalah%20raja,pada%20tanggal%2028%20April%201908.
[Accessed on 25 March 2021]