501.BC Indonesia/1–2548: Telegram

The Consul General at Batavia (Livengood) to the Secretary of State 1

priority

Graham 114. Following is text of GOC press statement released evening January 25.

“The Committee of Good Offices wishes to make clear that the delegation of the Netherlands and the delegation of the Republic have both accepted unconditionally as an agreed basis for the political negotiation the 6 principles presented by the Committee at the preliminary meeting on board the USS Renville on 17 January. Because of the recent misunderstanding arising from the letter of the Republican delegation concerning these principles made public at the preliminary meeting on 19 January,2 the committee discussed the question in Jogjakarta today with members of the Republican Government. After these discussions, the President of the Republic addressed the following letter to the chairman of the committee.

...I have the honor to state the position the Republic of Indonesia has taken with regard to the 6 political principles as set out in S/WR 10/Conf2/4 (mytel 102, January 193) and which form together with the 12 principles agreed upon on January 17, 1948 a basis for reaching a political settlement.4

The Government of the Republic of Indonesia has accepted these 6 political principles unconditionally as was stated in the letter of the delegation of the Republic of Indonesia on January 15.5

As did the Netherlands Government, the Government of the Republic of Indonesia reserves its right comment subsequently on any of the principles. Also to refer to any matters connected with these principles which considers appropriate.’6

The committee expects that the negotiations between the 2 delegations will be resumed on Wednesday, 28 January, or as soon thereafter as the US aircraft is available to transport the Republic delegation from Jogjakarta”.

[
Livengood
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  1. Repeated in telegram 30, January 26, to The Hague.
  2. For text, see SC, 3rd yr., Spec. Suppl. No. 1, p. 67.
  3. Telegram not printed.
  4. For text, see SC, 3rd yr., Spec. Suppl. No. 1, p. 76.
  5. For text of letter, see ibid., p. 75.
  6. In telegram 72, January 26, from Batavia (Graham 115), it was explained that the letter was not quoted in the press statement which “merely stated ‘the President of the Republic addressed a letter to the chairman of the committee stating that the Government of the Republic of Indonesia accepted the 6 political principles unconditionally’”. (501.BC Indonesia/1–2648) On January 23 the cabinet headed by Prime Minister Sjarifuddin resigned, and Vice President Hatta was requested to form a new cabinet; the latter was announced February 2, with Hadji Agoes Salim as Minister for Foreign Affairs.