Cablegram K213 BATAVIA, 19 December 1948, 6.40 p.m.
IMMEDIATE SECRET
Schuurman sent for Cochran at 8.30 this morning December 19th and handed him as representing the Committee a copy of the Netherlands memorandum [1] dated December 19th which was simultaneously handed by Beel to the Consular Corps (see telegram 310 [2]) as well as copy of Radio speech made by Beel at 8 A.M.
2. In his radio speech Beel repeated the Netherlands arguments regarding the truce violations and responsibility of the Republic for the disorders throughout Indonesia. He stressed the responsibilities of the Netherlands in the light of history, the Atlantic Charter and Article 73 of the United Nations Charter [3] and stated that the Netherlands could no longer tolerate the existing disorders. In view of the impossibility of peaceful solution with the Republic, Beel announced that the Netherlands had formally denounced the truce and would carry out the ‘purge’ ‘with all police and military means available’.
3. Schuurman informed Cochran that the Dutch troops had crossed the status quo line into Republican territory. He confirmed that telegraphic communication with Kaliurang had been suspended and stated that no clearance would be given to any aircraft including the Committee’s plane to take off for Djocja until further notice.
There are, therefore, no means of communication with Critchley at present.
4. Schuurman informed Cochran that he, Spoor and Beel had consulted regarding the position of members and staff of the Committee in Kaliurang. He assured Cochran that all possible measures would be taken to ensure their safety and that the Netherlands accepted the responsibility for their evacuation, presumably by plane from Djocja when conditions permitted. He said that the Dutch Forces hoped to occupy Djocja quickly and he was confident that the Republic would not be able to destroy the airfield there. To Cochran’s enquiry as to what the Committee could do now Schuurman replied that instructions had been received from The Hague dissolving the Netherlands delegation. He undertook to keep Cochran constantly informed.
5. Cochran pointed out to Schuurman that while Sudjono had received at midnight the Netherlands letter repudiating the truce in view of the suspension of telegraphic communication with Kaliurang, no information could have reached the Republican Government. Schuurman replied that the handing of the letter to Sudjono was the ‘best that could be done’. This is of interest in connection with the Netherlands invocation of Article 10 of the truce agreement [4] and particularly illuminating in view of Sudjono’s arrest about two hours later.
6. Darmostiawan, Sudjono and most of the other Republican leaders in Batavia were arrested last night but Supomo has been left free to maintain contact with the Committee. At approximately 1 A.M.
this morning the office of the Republican Delegation was seized and all the Delegation’s papers including the Committee documents were confiscated.
7. I understand that the Interim Federal Government decree was promulgated at The Hague last night in its original form. The announcement of this indicated that the personnel of the Interim Government would be announced between now and January 1st 1949.
8. Cochran and I will telegraph the latest developments to the Security Council. Officially the Committee is still at Kaliurang but Cochran and I will act as required.
9. Censorship has been imposed on press telegrams from Batavia as from 8 A.M. this morning.
10. Following is full text of letter handed to Cochran by Schuurman last night [5]-
‘I have the honour to refer to numerous letters to the Committee of Good Offices from the Netherlands Delegation concerning the violations of the truce agreement a comprehensive list of which is appended and furthermore to my letters of the 11th [6] and 16th December 1948 [7] and memorandum attached to the latter.
From the above-mentioned documents and the evidence in support thereof submitted to your Committee it is abundantly clear the truce regulations between the Government of the Netherlands and the Government of the Republic of Indonesia signed on January 17th 1948 and the truce regulations are not being observed by the Republic of Indonesia.
The Netherlands Government is reluctantly compelled to notify your Committee according to the provisions of Article Io of the truce agreement that for this reason the said agreement should be terminated and is considered as no longer binding as from Sunday December 19th 1948, zero hour Batavia time.
The Republican Government has been informed accordingly.’
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1 The text of this memorandum is given in United Nations, Security Council Official Records, Third Year, Supplement for December, pp.229-31.
2 Document 389.
3 Article 73 lists obligations of colonial powers in their administration of non-self-governing territories.
4 See Article 10 of Document 22.
5 See Document 384.
6 See Document 364.
7 See Document 381.
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[AA:A1838, 403/3/1/1, xx]