Cablegram K233 BATAVIA, 28 July 1949, 11.40 a.m.
CONFIDENTIAL
Delegations and the Commission are at present in Djokjakarta negotiating the cease-fire. On T.N.I. initiative the three basic documents, the cease-fire order, the partition and regulations [1], have been slightly modified. Final agreement will be left pending the agreement on the Military Manual [2] which is to supplement them.
2. Negotiations on the Manual have progressed on military definitions, the organisation of a central joint board and local joint committees to administer the cease-fire. The only outstanding problem is the delineation of the zones of patrol which of course is the key stone of any cease-fire agreement.
3. The Netherlands proposals are vague and suggest zoning based on a status quo of all military forces. The T.N.I. believes this proposal to be impracticable and suggest to ensure law and order and prepare the way for the transfer of the sovereignty, the Netherlands forces should withdraw to the main city in each residency. This proposal is politically impracticable for the Dutch. The Republicans also insist that the issuance of a cease- hostilities order prior to the delineation of zones will cause difficulties in all areas and they claim that unless definite criteria for the delineations are determined in advance then negotiations between local commanders will fail.
4. The Commission is seeking a compromise between the parties on the basis of some rearrangement of the forces of both parties.
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1 See Document 436.
2 See note 4 to Document 440.
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[AA : A3094/1, 2/1]