Cablegram K220 BATAVIA, 22 December 1948, 12.05 p.m.
IMMEDIATE CONFIDENTIAL
Last night Cochran and I telegraphed a report [1] to the Security Council in response to the President’s telegraphic request (K218).
[2] We referred to previous reports and to the recent Dutch statements and made the following points:
(a) The Netherlands did not comply with article No. 10 in their repudiation of the truce agreements [3];
(b) The Committee is not aware of any circumstances connected with [the concentration of Republican forces or the manoeuvres of the Republican Army which should have given rise to] [4] apprehensions and alarm leading to precipitate action on the part of the Netherlands;
(c) The tone of the Netherlands letter of December 1[7]th (K210) [5] and requirement of a reply thereto within an impossible time limit gives this letter some features of an ultimatum;
(d) The Netherlands plan for military action must have been in progress during the exchange of correspondence referred to in the Committee’s Special and Supplementary Reports [6] and at the same time the Netherlands Authorities facilitated the transfer of the Committee’s Headquarters to Kaliurang;
(e) The possibilities of negotiations under the Committee’s auspices have not been adequately explored. Recent direct talks cannot deserve negotiations as they took the form of Netherlands demands for complete surrender of the Republic to the Netherlands requests on all important issues;
(f) In commencing military operations the Netherlands acted in violation of the primary obligations of the Renville truce agreement.
2. I presume that you concur in my having joined. Cochran in making this and our previous report in the name of the Committee.
3. Since my K216 [7], all members of Pasundan Cabinet have tendered resignations. I am informed that Puradiredja has announced that he will not now join the interim Federal Government.
4. The Dutch have announced that Sudirman was among those captured in Djokjakarta.
5. Following the despatch of a Belgian military observer to Djokjakarta at 11.45 a.m. yesterday (see K218) Cochran wrote to Schuurman in the strongest terms regarding the delay in discharging Dutch responsibility towards the Committee’s personnel at Kaliurang. I formally associated myself with this letter, as did Narayanan on behalf of the Secretary-General.
6. Schuurman has just informed Pritchett that a message has been received from Kaliurang stating that members of the staff of the Committee have been found and that all are safe and well. Nearly 3 days have thus elapsed before the Dutch have been able to discharge Beel’s promise that measures would be taken to ensure the welfare of the Committee personnel. Schuurman also said that he expected the Committee members in Batavia this afternoon.
However, communication with them from Batavia has not yet been established.
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1 The text of the report from the Committee of Good Offices to the Security Council on the Indonesian Question dated 21 December is given in United Nations, Security Council Official Records, Third Year, Supplement for December, pp.287-94.
2 Document 418.
3 See Document 22.
4 Words in square brackets have been inserted from a copy on file AA:A4357/2, 48/254, vi.
5 The cited copy incorrectly referred to a Netherlands letter dated 15 December. The date has been corrected from a copy on 5 file AA:A4357/2, 48/254, vi. The reference is to Schuurman’s letter to Cochran of 17 December (see Document 381 and note 3 thereto).
6 See note 1 to Document 366 and note 6 to Document 382.
7 Document 404.
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[AA:A1838, 854/10/4/3, i]