Office of the Historian

119. Memorandum From the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy) and James C. Thompson, Jr., of the National Security Council Staff to President Johnson1

Washington, March 24, 1965.

SUBJECT

  • Your meeting with Ambassador Bunker, today at 1 p.m.2
1.
Ambassador Bunker is seeing you at 1 p.m. today in connection with his mission to Indonesia. He is seeking general guidelines from you on the purpose of his trip. He will be leaving for Djakarta this weekend and will probably stay for a week or ten days.
2.
As you know, Bunker was deeply involved in the Indonesian problem when he served successfully as United Nations Mediator for the West Irian (West New Guinea) dispute between the Indonesians and the Dutch in 1962. He is devoting this week to an intensive updating on the current state of U.S.-Indonesia relations.
3.
We would suggest that you stress the following points in your talk with the Ambassador:
(1)
It is clearly in our interest to do what we can to arrest Indonesia’s apparent drift into the Communist camp under the auspices of the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI). At stake are 100 million people, vast potential resources, and a strategically important chain of islands.
(2)
There is disagreement both in our Djakarta Embassy and in Washington as to (a) Sukarno’s real intentions; (b) the Indo power balance between Communists and non-Communists; and (c) what the U.S. can and should do—some recommend a “deep freeze” for Sukarno & Co.; others believe in a continued effort to win back their interest and friendship. You want his best judgment on these points.
(3)
You would therefore like him to consult in depth with Ambassador Jones, with other members of the Country Team, with Sukarno, and with a broad spectrum of top Indonesian officials.
JCT Jr

McGB
  1. Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Memos to the President, McGeorge Bundy, Vol. 9, Mar.–Apr. 14, 1965. Secret. Also from Thomson.↩
  2. President Johnson met Bunker from 1:30 to 1:38 p.m. (Ibid., President’s Daily Diary) No other record this meeting has been found. Jones was informed officially of Bunker’s mission in telegram 860 to Djakarta, March 19. (National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, POL 7 US/BUNKER)↩