Memorandum GOC./R./1 BATAVIA, 4 March 1948
REPORT ON RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN INDONESIA
The Committee has discussed the Security Council’s resolutions.
2. With regard to the Canadian resolution, I suggested the Committee should report at least once a month. This was opposed, however, by Herremans, who argued the Committee should not bind itself to regular reports, and it will clearly be necessary to maintain pressure in the Committee to see that the resolution is carried out and that the Committee keeps the Council fully informed of developments.
3. Already some use has been made of the resolution. Informally it has been brought to the attention of the Netherlands that unless they appoint their representatives to the main committees immediately, so that the latter can get down to work next week, the Good Offices Committee will be obliged to report their failure to the Security Council.
4. On Madura and West Java, the Committee will submit a series of questions on political developments. in the case of West Java questions have already been referred to the parties with a request that answers be given within three days. [1] The parties have also been requested to submit for comment both the questions and the answers to the West Java Conference now in session at Bandoeng, and informed that the Committee wishes to attend the Conference as observers when these questions are being considered. Copies of the Committee’s letters and of the first series of questions are attached. [2] Both the Belgian and the United States delegations oppose the Committee sending representatives to Bandoeng at once to attend and report on the West Java Conference.
5. The Netherlands’ reaction to the Committee’s letter has been explosive. Riphagen, who is leading the Netherlands Delegation in the absence of Van Vredenburch, called on Herremans, who is chairman of the week, to explain that Van Mook was extremely angry at the way in which the request had been made. He informed Herremans that the Netherlands would not agree to the Committee’s questions and the parties’ answers being submitted to the Conference, nor to the Committee attending such a discussion by the Conference at Bandoeng. I have come to regard such an explosive reaction as inevitable if the Dutch are confronted with positive action by the Committee.
6. informal discussions are continuing, but if the Netherlands persist in their present policy it will be up to the Committee to report factually to the Security Council.
7. It is understood that Van Mook has sent an invitation to Hatta to participate in informal talks. The basis of the talks would be along the lines set out in my K. 80 and K. 85. [3] There is general agreement in Republican circles that their response should be along the lines of paragraphs 4 and 5 of my K. 80, with the additional provision suggested by Kirby that the Republican representatives be chosen by the Republic.
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1 Document S/AC.10/93 of 3 March 1948. Not published.
2 Not published.
3 Documents 81 and 94.
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[AA:A1838, 403/3/1/1, xvi]