379

Department of External Affairs to Australian Delegation, United Nations

Cablegram 226 CANBERRA, 6 May 1949, 5.30p.m.

IMMEDIATE RESTRICTED

INDONESIA

Immediately following telegram [1] is text of message sent to High Commissioner’s Office, London. We had originally prepared a stronger message but in view of K.306 [2] from Batavia already repeated to you it was not sent.

We have not yet had time to ascertain from Critchley the circumstances surrounding this sudden change in attitude on the part of the Dutch. It will be recalled that on previous occasions similar steps have been taken in order to avoid public criticism at the Assembly and at the Security Council. We cannot, therefore, assume that this recent move is more than an endeavour to avoid Assembly criticism.

We have gone no further, therefore, with the United Kingdom than to urge that Assembly discussion will not embarrass current negotiations and that the matter should be settled before the end of this current session of the Assembly. The Assembly should make it clear that any failure on the part of the Dutch to endorse the suggested Republican and Netherlands statements and to act in the spirit of the statements would be met with the determined opposition of the United Nations.

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1 Document 378.

2 Document 376

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[AA : A1838, 401/3/1/1, vi]