Cablegram 185 BATAVIA, 24 July 1948
SECRET
My telegram No. 182. [1]
2. Tamzil informs me that the resolution from the Bandoeng Conference [2] to be discussed by the Conference and the Provisional Federal Government on Monday next proposes the following arrangement for the interim period preceding the transfer of sovereignty to the United States of Indonesia:-
(a) an all-Indonesian Directorate to be appointed by the constituent States and to consist of at least three members (Mansur, East Sumatra, Anak Agoeng, East Indonesia and the Sultan of Djocja are rumoured);
(b) a Federal Council to be established consisting of one representative from each State;
(c) a Representative Council to be established consisting of members appointed or elected by the States on a basis to be decided;
(d) a High Commissioner to be appointed to represent Netherlands sovereignty;
(e) Indonesian and Dutch liaison officers to be appointed by the High Commissioner and the Directorate, to arrange the transfer of sovereignty.
3. The Directorate is to take over all powers held by the Governor-General except those relating to Netherlands sovereignty (defence, external affairs etc.) which will be exercised by the High Commissioner. It is also to call a Constituent Assembly to delineate the constituent States and draw up a constitution for the United States of Indonesia. It presumably is [also] [3] to exercise the executive powers, but will share legislative powers with the Representative Council to which it is to be responsible.
It cannot dissolve the Council and the Council cannot overthrow it.
4. The Federal Council is to be an advisory body, but certain subjects, to be specified later, are not to be dealt with by the Directorate without the Council’s consent.
5. The Bandoeng Conference intended to send copies of this resolution to the Netherlands and Republican governments, the Provisional Federal Government, the Lt. Governor General and the Committee of Good Offices. Copies were given to the Provisional Federal Government and the Lt. Governor General on 17th July, but the latter prevented copies going to the Republic and the Committee last Thursday on the grounds that the resolution should first be discussed at the meeting on 26th July. Professor Enthoven [has] left for the Hague with a ‘constitutional blueprint’ from the Provisional Federal Government, but whether he took a copy of the resolution is uncertain.
6. The Bandoeng Conference is divided over two major issues: the date of the transfer of sovereignty and the question of referring its resolution to the Committee of Good Offices. On the first point, East Indonesia, Pasundan, Madura, South-East Borneo and two territories with consulting votes demand that 1st January 1949 be fixed as the definite date, while East and South Sumatra, East and West Borneo, Banka, Billiton and Riouw urge that this be regarded as provisional only. On the second point, both East Sumatra and South-East Borneo declare they will not support the resolution, the former if this is referred to the Committee, the latter if it is not referred.
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1 See note 2 to Document 211.
2 See Documents 209 and 211.
3 Words in square brackets in this document were added by hand.
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[AA:A4357/2, 48/254, v]