Cablegram 119 CANBERRA, 3 June 1948, 3 p.m.
IMMEDIATE
ECAFE conference at Ootacamund is considering question of admission of Republic of Indonesia to associate membership.
Netherlands Delegation are sponsoring Indonesia as a whole for associate membership with two seats on the Indonesian Delegation for the Republic if they desire. Republican Delegation will not accept Netherlands sponsorship and have applied for separate associate membership sponsored by India.
2. After careful consideration we have instructed Australian Delegation to support Republic for provisional associate membership on the grounds that Australia has given de facto recognition to the Republic and that nothing in the Renville Agreement of last January can alter the position until the principles of the Agreement have been translated into a final settlement between the Netherlands and Republican Governments. We consider that until final agreement is reached in which Republic’s authority is incorporated in wider government or government for the Republican area is otherwise provided for and Republican interests thereby represented, Republic will continue to have de facto authority. As such it should take its separate place as a de facto authority on any international body dealing with matters of direct concern to it.
3. We hope New Zealand Delegation will be able to support this line. Understand matter comes up for decision on Saturday morning 5th June.
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[AA:A3196, 1948, 0.7837]