Fransz, and Davidts. When the Indonesians fought for independence from the Dutch they used the slogan Merdeka ("freedom"), which has the same root with Mardijker. This word had considerable political significance also in Malaysia and Singapore. The term Mardijkers is also used for the so-called Belanda Hitam, soldiers recruited in the Dutch Gold Coast who served in the Dutch East Indies Army and gained their freedom afterward. See also Kampung Tugu Mardijker Creole language African Indonesians Betawi people Belanda Hitam Indian Indonesians Indo people Klingalese Portuguese Indonesians References Footnotes Bibliography Ethnic groups in Indonesia African diaspora in Indonesia Indian diaspora in Indonesia Indonesian people of Portuguese descent Portuguese diaspora in Asia