Cablegram 1 NEW DELHI, 1 January 1949, 8 p.m.
IMMEDIATE SECRET
Government of India propose that a conference at ministerial level of the representatives of the Governments of Egypt, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, China, Burma, Siam, Ceylon, Pakistan and Australia should meet in New Delhi on 10th or 16th January to discuss ways and means to deal with the Indonesian issue. The Indian Government sincerely hope that you will respond favourably to the suggestion which they are also conveying to you through Bedi. The Prime Minister has asked us to support it to you.
Nehru feels that continued Dutch intransigence is more than a mere possibility and that the Indonesian cause will be greatly helped if interested governments in the region were to consider among themselves what action they should take to help the Security Council deal effectively with Dutch resistance in defiance or evasion of the proposals for a prompt and just settlement of the Indonesian problem. The conference is stated to be not designed to supersede the Security Council but only to lend the Council the support derived from the united understanding of the countries of this region amongst themselves.
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[AA : A5009/2, A7/3/13, ii]