501.BC/7–2247: Telegram
The Acting United States Representative at the United Nations (Johnson) to the Secretary of State
669. Following letter received by SYG’s office from Jonkheer Snouek Hurgronje, permanent representative of the Netherlands to UN:
“In pursuance to the letter addressed to you by Mr. E. N. Van Kleffens, then representative of the Netherlands to the UN, on 26 March 1947, No. 174/51, I have the honor, under instructions from my Government, to communicate the following to you:
From the discussions which have been carried on with the Indonesian Republic since the signing of the Linggadjati Agreement on March 25, it has become clear that the present Government of the Republic is either not prepared or not able to implement that agreement. Furthermore the truce concluded on October 14, 1946 has in reality never been complied with by the Republican forces; the Government of the Republic themselves have not denied that hostilities were committed by their forces. During the last few months acts of violence both on demarcation lines in Java and Sumatra and against East Indonesia and Western Borneo have rather increased than decreased. They were accompanied by a senseless destruction of valuable economic assets. By maintaining the food blockade a part of the population of Indonesia was brought to the verge of starvation. Hostages are still being imprisoned and held in Republican territory and a hostile and inflammatory propaganda was maintained. The Netherlands as the state with whom the sovereignty of this territory rests and which consequently is ultimately responsible for maintaining law and order cannot allow these inimical actions to continue. It has become patently clear that the present Republican Government is incapable of maintaining security, law and order in their territory whilst refusing cooperation with the Netherlands Government to create the necessary conditions thereto. In these circumstances Her Majesty’s Government have with the utmost reluctance been compelled to authorize the Lieut. Governor General to resort to police measures of a strictly limited character. The Netherlands Government wishes to stress that it maintains its unalterable decision to carry out [Page 984] the political program based upon the principles underlying the Linggadjati Agreement. The Netherlands Government confidently hopes that circumstances will soon permit to resume constructive cooperation with the Republic as desired by innumerable Indonesians in Republican territory, which cooperation already successfully exists with the states of East Indonesia and Borneo.”