Ext 6116/46(S) 'Secret Weekly Political Intelligence Summaries, nos 356-416, August 1946-November 1947' [‎317ar] (645/978)

33725
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25
produce to be undertaken by
Board. The return of estates to
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Erratum
Page 25, lines 1 and 2.
For “ the Board ” read “ an
These proposals were accompanied by a
lengthy commentary, the final paragraph
of which makes it clear that the Commis-
sion-General have reached the final stage
of their negotiations for the implementa
tion of the Agreement; also that they con
sider it will be impossible to entertain any
modifications of the new proposals, which
have been drawn up as the result of pre
vious consultations with the Republican
Delegation. The memorandum ends by
stating that, in view of the pressing
urgency, the Commission-General feel that
they must demand an answer from the
Republican Delegation within 14 days.
Should this answer reject the proposals or
prove unsatisfactory, the Commission-
General consider that it will then be
necessary to decline to enter into further
discussions in the matter and will refer
the question of what other steps are to be
taken to the Netherlands Government.
The Commission-General have expressed
the hope that His Majesty’s Government
and the U.S.A. will exert their influence
to persuade the Indonesians to respond
favourably to the proposals. They have
also conveyed the impression that, in the
event of the proposals being rejected, the
answer to a delicate situation might pos
sibly be found in joint Anglo-American
arbitration. It is understood, however,
that Mr. Sjarir’s first reaction is on the
whole favourable. He and his colleagues
* are now considering the proposals at a
Cabinet Meeting at Jogjakarta. But they
are intensely suspicious of the sincerity of
the Dutch and cannot forget that when out
lining the scheme orally, Mr. Jonkman told
Mr. Sjarir quite bluntly that unless an
agreement was reached the Dutch would
resort to force.
In the meantime the local situation is
aggravated by an increasing tendency to
wards separatist movements within the
framework of the United States of Indo
nesia, which the Indonesians suspect the
Dutch of encouraging.
The Soendanese movement to create an
independent State of Pasoendan (see Sum
mary No. 392) was suddenly brought into
* 23rd May,
is, unarmed
rprised and
ainistrative
Soendanese
) the Dutch
ad hoc Board.” the build-
ied with by
ed guards.
le Times is
e discovered
mu jer Factory An East India Company trading post. .
Explosives, sufficient to put the factory An East India Company trading post. out
of operation for several months, were found
and a number of men were arrested.
Reports state that some of these men belong
to the Republican National Army.
While the Dutch daily newspaper in
Batavia, Nieuwsgier is carrying a number
of articles by the Editor, written after his
visit to the interior, which are considered
well balanced and not unfriendly to the
Republic, Dutch and Republican commen
tators. generally speaking, are indulging
in mutual recriminations. The Indo
nesians are bitter on the subject of the
arrival of additional Netherlands forces
and, since the latest Dutch proposals have
been made public, tension in general has
increased. The Republican newspaper
Nasional, published in Jogjakarta, denies
the Dutch accusation that the Indonesian
leaders have shown a lack of will to
co-operate, and describes the proposals as
the N.E.I. Government’s last card.
(See also this Summary under “ Low
Countries ”.)
Siam
When the Legislature reassembled on the
10th May, it was the Prime Minister’s
intention that he and his Government
should resign as soon as certain matters of
a more or less routine nature had been
dealt with, which, he estimated, would
occupy about a week. He believed that the
effect of this action would be for both
Houses to express the wish that he should
return to office and undertake the task of
forming a new Cabinet, In discussing this
matter with H.M. Ambassador, he
appeared confident of his ability to count
on wholehearted support from the Consti
tutionalists and Independents and, by
clearing up certain misunderstandings, he
hoped also to win the support of the Co
operatives, thus ensuring a safe majority
over the followers of both Nai Kuang and
the ex-Dictator, Luang Pibul. He
expressed the view that, while it was