Cablegram 233 NEW DELHI, 28 March 1949, 7.40 p.m.
IMPORTANT
Our 232. [1] Following is text:-
‘The approval of the Canadian proposal [2] by the Security Council means weakening of its resolution [3] of January 28th, since the Canadian proposal aims at reaching an ‘agreement’ as to the implementation of that resolution, particularly the paragraphs 1 and 2 whose terms are imperatively and clearly framed.
The main thing to be done is the restoration of the Republican Government to Jogjakarta, because the resolution calls in paragraph 1 upon the Government of the Republic to cease fire, and not upon the ‘Indonesian Leaders’ as the Dutch Delegate [4] tries to suggest.
In paragraph 2 the Council calls upon the Government of the Netherlands to release immediately and unconditionally all political prisoners and to facilitate the immediate return of the officials of the Republican Government to Jogjakarta, and states that the Netherlands Authorities shall afford to the Republican Government such facilities as may reasonably be acquired for effectively functioning by the Republican Government [sic].
If agreement is to be reached on such facilities, the Canadian proposal is alright, but not any agreement is needed for immediate release of political prisoners and restoration of the Republican Government to Jogjakarta.
The vague wording of the proposal is its greatest danger. Since from the British press and from well-informed foreign observers it is known that Holland wants to keep her troops in Indonesia indefinitely, that Holland would only allow the future United States of Indonesia some foreign representation in a joint diplomatic service with the Dutch gradually (no time limit is mentioned) she would be prepared to transfer finance to the control of Indonesia, it is evident that the ‘unconditional’ transfer of sovereignty is only a high sounding but empty phrase.
The proposed The Hague conference will be of no value if the Dutch do not change their attitude substantially.
As to the Republic, from the very beginning of her struggle she has been fighting for full sovereignty for the whole of Indonesia.
She can never accept a sovereignty [whose]5 whole lawmaking and law-enforcing authority is challenged by a Union Statute and/or other agreements preceding the ‘unconditional’ transfer of sovereignty.’
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1 Dispatched on 28 March, it advised that Cablegram 233 (Document 326) would contain the text of a statement made in New Delhi on 25 March by Maramis, Foreign Minister of the Republican Emergency Government.
2 See Document 312.
3 Document 168.
4 J.H. van Roijen.
5 Word in square brackets inserted from a copy on file AA :
A5009/2, A7/3/13, iii.
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[AA : A1838, 403/2/3/2, iii]