{{Infobox military award
, name=Resistance Star East Asia
, image=Verzetsster Oost Azie met baton.jpg
, image_size=100px
, caption=The Resistance Star East Asia with corresponding ribbon bar.
, presenter=
Kingdom of the Netherlands
, national_anthem = )
, image_map = Kingdom of the Netherlands (orthographic projection).svg
, map_width = 250px
, image_map2 = File:KonDerNed-10-10-10.png
, map_caption2 = Map of the four constituent countries shown to scale
, capital = ...
, type=
Civil decoration
Civil awards and decorations are awarded to civilians for distinguished service or for eminence in a field of endeavour. Military personnel might also be eligible for services of a non-military nature. There are various forms of civil awards and d ...
, eligibility=
, awarded_for=Dutch subjects in the Netherlands East Indies who showed praiseworthily help for Dutchmen interned by the enemy during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. Also for Dutch resistance in Southeast Asia.
, status= Still living recipients, but not awarded anymore
, description=
, clasps=
, established=26 October 1948
, firstawarded=
, lastawarded=
, total_awarded=471
, total_awarded_posthumously=
, total_recipients=
, individual=
, higher=
Honorable Mention
An award, sometimes called a distinction, is something given to a recipient as a token of recognition of excellence in a certain field. When the token is a medal, ribbon or other item designed for wearing, it is known as a decoration.
An awar ...
,
Bronze Lion
The Bronze Lion ( nl, Bronzen Leeuw) is a high Royal Dutch award, intended for servicemen who have shown extreme bravery and leadership in battle favouring The Netherlands; in some special cases it can be awarded to Dutch or foreign civilians. It ...
, lower= Bronze Cross
, image2=
, caption2=
The Resistance Star East Asia ( nl, Verzetsster Oost-Azië) was created by
royal decree
A decree is a legal proclamation, usually issued by a head of state (such as the president of a republic or a monarch), according to certain procedures (usually established in a constitution). It has the force of law. The particular term used for ...
on 26 October 1948 by
Queen Juliana
Juliana (; Juliana Louise Emma Marie Wilhelmina; 30 April 1909 – 20 March 2004) was Queen of the Netherlands from 1948 until her abdication in 1980.
Juliana was the only child of Queen Wilhelmina and Prince Henry of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. S ...
to honor those Dutch subjects in the
Netherlands East Indies
The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies ( nl, Nederlands(ch)-Indië; ), was a Dutch colony consisting of what is now Indonesia. It was formed from the nationalised trading posts of the Dutch East India Company, which ...
who showed strength of mind, determination, or solidarity, and performed praiseworthily help for Dutchmen that were made prisoner of war or interned by the enemy during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, south-eastern region of Asia, consistin ...
are honored.
The star commemorates the resistance against the
Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies
The Empire of Japan occupied the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) during World War II from March 1942 until after the end of the war in September 1945. It was one of the most crucial and important periods in modern Indonesian history.
In May ...
, which went underground after the capitulation of the
Royal Dutch East Indies Army
The Royal Netherlands East Indies Army ( nl, Koninklijk Nederlands Indisch Leger; KNIL, ) was the military force maintained by the Kingdom of the Netherlands in its colony of the Dutch East Indies, in areas that are now part of Indonesia. The ...
. This resistance suffered tremendous losses of life.
The bronze six-pointed star with a flaming sun and the words "de geest overwint" (English: the spirit triumphs) was designed by
Frans Smits
Frans is an Afrikaans, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Icelandic, Norwegian, and Swedish given name, sometimes as a short form of ''François''. One cognate of Frans in English is '' Francis''.
Given name
* Frans van Aarssens (1572–1641), Dutch diplo ...
. The star is attached to a purple ribbon which has two golden lanes in the middle. The colours are symbolic: the gold-yellow remembers the custom in Southeast Asia to wrap a valuable gift in a gold-coloured cloth. at the reverse side the text "maart 1942 - O.Azië - augustus 1945" (English: "March 1942 - East Asia - August 1945") is inscribed.
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 Lion ( nl, Bronzen Leeuw) is a high Royal Dutch award, intended for servicemen who have shown extreme bravery and leadership in battle favouring The Netherlands; in some special cases it can be awarded to Dutch or foreign civilians. It ...