100. Memorandum of a Conversation Between Secretary of State Dulles and Foreign Minister Luns, Mark Hopkins Hotel, San Francisco, June 23, 19551
SUBJECT
- Imprisonment of Dutch Citizens in Indonesia
The Foreign Minister called at his own request on the Secretary in the latter’s suite at the Mark Hopkins Hotel on the morning of June 23. He explained at the outset that his purpose was to impress on the Secretary the gravity with which the Dutch Government regarded the imprisonment, torture, and trial of 35 Dutch citizens in Indonesia.
According to the Foreign Minister these were Netherlands citizens resident in Indonesia, mostly businessmen and planters, who were arrested late in 1953 on charges of attempting to overthrow the Indonesian Government. They had been held incommunicado for six months. Recently they have been brought to trial under circumstances such that the lawyer defending them was forced to flee the country under threats against his life. Friendly Indonesians have told the Dutch of the false witness borne against them and the details of the torture to which they have been submitted.
The Foreign Minister said that he took this matter up personally with the Foreign Minister of Indonesia when the latter was in The Hague a year or so ago, and the Indonesian disclaimed any knowledge of the matter whatsoever. Since then the Dutch have sent the Indonesian Government countless notes to no avail. Representatives of friendly Asiatic countries at the Bandung Conference intervened in the matter with the Prime Minister of Indonesia who likewise disclaimed any knowledge of the matter.
Contrary to our expectation Mr. Luns did not raise the question of the possible employment of an American lawyer to defend the prisoners. He did indicate that after two arbitrary interruptions of the trial, he feared that there would be suddenly announced heavy sentences [Page 171] against the prisoners. He mentioned that there had been some improvement in the procedures of the court since the American [French] and British Ambassadors sent observers to the trial.
The Foreign Minister concluded by saying that he had already discussed this matter with Mr. Macmillan2 and Mr. Spaak.3 He had also considered raising it in the UN but had been advised against this course by his legal advisers.
The Secretary inquired what action on our part the Minister had in mind and volunteered that public opinion in such matters is a great force. If there was some way in which it could be brought to the attention of the UN the pressure of opinion thus generated might be helpful.
The Foreign Minister said that he hoped that the British, Belgian, and American Ambassadors in Djakarta would be instructed to protest to the Indonesian Government either by formal note or orally.
The Secretary said that he was not familiar with the background and details of this matter which appeared to be a crime against humanity. He said that he would study immediately upon his return to Washington the circumstances of the case with his advisers and whether and in what form the United States might take some action.
The Foreign Minister pressed very hard to secure assurance that we would in fact take some action. He said that Mr. Hoover and Mr. Robertson had been approached on the subject in Washington, and that he had brought over with him copies of a White Book which the Dutch Government had published on the case just a few days before he left The Hague.4 He attempted to draw an analogy between these prisoners and our flyers in China.5 The Secretary pointed out the distinction and noted that there are many ugly cases of forced imprisonment and torture, and that the difficulty is to establish an international basis for protest by a third government. He again promised to give the matter his personal attention upon his return to Washington. He also repeated his suggestion to Mr. Luns that the latter explore any and all possibilities whereby this matter could be brought before the General Assembly of the UN.
In leaving, Mr. Luns said that he would not emphasize to reporters the sole purpose of his call on the Secretary, and that he intended [Page 172] to say that he had discussed a number of questions with the Secretary including the case of the Dutch prisoners in Indonesia.
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 396.1–GE/6–2355. Confidential. Drafted by Merchant. Secretary Dulles and Foreign Minister Luns were in San Francisco for the 10th anniversary celebration of the founding of the United Nations.↩
- British Foreign Minister Harold Macmillan.↩
- Belgian Foreign Minister Paul-Henri Spaak.↩
- Reference is to the Netherlands Government’s White Paper, entitled “Administration of Justice in Indonesia: An Account of the Treatment of Netherlands Prisoners and Defence Counsel in Indonesia, 1953–1955,” given to Hoover on June 14. (Memorandum of conversation; Department of State, Central Files, 656.56D13/6–1455)↩
- For documentation concerning efforts to obtain the release of U.S. flyers imprisoned in the People’s Republic of China, see volume II.↩
- Printed from a copy that bears this typed signature.↩