2

Burton to Kirby

Cablegram 113 CANBERRA, 2 January 1948

TOP SECRET PERSONAL

Dutch are maintaining that they are keeping to Linggadjati Agreement. [1] The Minister asked Dutch Minister what population would be included in Republic if and when United States of Indonesia were established according to present plans.

Incidentally, Dutch Minister stated that this would be any day now. Reply was that only seven or ten millions were involved, at which Minister pointed out that Linggadjati provided specific boundaries by naming in Article 1 Java, Madura, and Sumatra. [2] Dutch Minister claimed that Article 3, giving right to populations of any territory to establish a special relationship with the Kingdom, meant that the Dutch were acting within the Linggadjati Agreement in setting up separate units. This however, is a misinterpretation of Article 3, which clearly implied the establishment of a United States of Indonesia including the Republic as defined, and after that the right by democratic processes, and after due consultation, to enter into a special relationship. This will be clear on reading Articles 1 and 3.

2. In view of this, it would be unfair if Dutch claims of conforming to Linggadjati remain unchallenged.

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1 The text of the Linggadjati Agreement, signed by Delegates of the Governments of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Republic of Indonesia on 25 March 1947, is given in Volume XI, Appendix I.

2 In Article 1 the Netherlands Government recognised the Republic of Indonesia as having de facto authority over Java, Sumatra and Madura into which Republican territory the areas occupied by Allied or Netherlands forces should be gradually incorporated.

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[AA:A1838, 403/3/1/1, xiv]