Cablegram 34 CANBERRA, 20 January 1949, 10 a.m.
IMMEDIATE SECRET
Your 50 and 53. [1] You will now have had my full statement [2] today.
2. Reference para. 2 of your 53. Arab contention is utterly indefensible. If Arabs maintain this line you should not hesitate to point out that Arabs have done themselves and the United Nations great harm by their defiance of and resort to force against U.N. decision on partition, which was a just decision reached in accordance with U.N. principles. As a matter of fact Arab states have no interest in this region.
3. It occurs to me that you might join with India at a suitable moment to introduce a resolution which might embrace following points:-
(a) emphasise acceptance by countries present of United Nations purpose and principles.
(b) endorse intervention of Security Council on Indonesia.
(c) request Security Council to insist on immediate implementation of Council’s direction regarding liberation of Republican Leaders.
(d) assert principle that no aggressor should be permitted to gain any advantage from resort to force.
(e) insist accordingly on orderly withdrawal of Dutch troops.
(f) recommend the Security Council, acting either by itself or through its Committee of Good Offices, to lay down terms of settlement in Indonesia.
(g) point out that the Security Council should represent not merely eleven but all 58 United Nations in a crisis of this nature, and decide in any event to request General Assembly to include matter on its agenda at New York session.
(h) recommend that Australia, India and Pakistan be requested to submit these views to the Security Council and the General Assembly.
(i) pledge all countries represented to provide economic assistance for Indonesia for rehabilitation purposes.
4. I have had a talk with the Prime Minister. We are in accord with your view that matters should not get into hands of extremists and thereby embarrass future regional arrangements of the successful functioning of the United Nations and its organs.
Any move to impose boycotts might be dangerous because such things are within exclusive authority of U.N.
Best wishes for success in your efforts.
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1 Document 111 and 112.
2 A reference to Evatt’s statement, delivered on 20 January, concerning the New Delhi Conference on Indonesia. See Department of External Affairs, Current Notes, Volume 20, No. 1, 1949, pp.111-12.
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[AA : A1838, 401/3/1/1, vi]