Ext 6116/46(S) 'Secret Weekly Political Intelligence Summaries, nos 356-416, August 1946-November 1947' [‎251v] (510/978)

26
Indonesia
Earlier radio messages from Jogjakarta
to the contrary notwithstanding, after a
week of discussion Dr. Soekarno was able
to announce the formation on 3rd July of a
Coalition Government.
When the left-wing parties withdrew
their opposition it was thought that the
way had been opened to re-admit M. Sjarir
to the Premiership. M. Sjarir, however,
did not take the helm, being unwilling to
do so unless he was given full powers to
negotiate a settlement with the Dutdh.
Instead, the new Government, which have
announced their intention of following M.
Sjarir’s policy, are headed by Dr. Amir
Sjarifoeddin, a member of the Socialist
Party and Minister of Defence in the
Sjarir Cabinet, which portfolio he
continues to retain. He will be assisted by
two Deputy Prime Ministers, Dr. A. K.
Gani, who also retains the portfolio for
Economic Affairs, and M. Setiadjit, a new
comer to the Cabinet without portfolio,
but, nevertheless, well known and the Indo
nesian representative at the World Federa
tion of Trade Unions Congress recently
held at Prague. The Ministries of
Finance, Justice, Education and Labour
are also filled by newcomers, while the
particularly important post in the present
crisis of Minister for Foreign Affairs
has been given to M. Hadji Agoes Salim,
formerly M. Sjarir’s deputy in that
Ministry, but who is at the moment out of
the country, at the head of the Indonesian
Delegation to the Middle East.
The new Government is representative of
almost all the recognised political parties
and contains more than a sprinkling of
left-wing adherents, including one Com
munist. It is interesting to note, however,
that all the more important posts have been
filled by men who occupied responsible
positions under M. Sjarir.
On 29th June, Dr. van Mook addressed
yet another Note of considerable length and
detail to President Soekarno, requiring to
be furnished within a week with a clarifi
cation of a large number of points in Dr.
Soekarno’s letter of 27th June in reply to
the aide-memoire of the Netherlands Gov
ernment.
The first task of Dr. Sjarifoeddin’s new
Government, therefore, was to take this
matter in hand. Press reports recorded
the new Prime Minister as having
expressed confidence in his Govern
ment’s ability to reach a final settle
ment with the Dutch by peaceful
means. Nevertheless, the Republican
reply, which was handed to Dr. van Mook
on the evening of 6th July, again rejected
the Dutch proposal for the formation of a
joint gendarmerie. And, although it
accepted all Dr. van Mook’s other requi^T-
ments, it did so in terms so vague that
Dr. van Mook pronounced it to be entirely
unacceptable and referred to The Plague
for further instructions.
In the meantime an emergency Cabinet
meeting was called at Jogjakarta to
consider the exceedingly critical position.
Dr. Sjarifoeddin also broadcast a statement
on the situation on the evening of 7th July.
But, although he declared that the
Indonesian Republic was prepared to
recognise the de jure authority of the
Netherlands during the period of
transition, he made it clear that the
Indonesian Government were not prepared
to agree to a joint gendarmerie, or to
brook any interference in the authority
which they held it their right to exercise.
The tone of this broadcast, as reported,
conveyed the impression that it was more
an endeavour to justify the Republican
stand than a last moment attempt at
conciliation.
Meanwhile, however, M. Thamzil, the
Republican Acting Minister for Foreign
Affairs, had seen both Mr. Mitcheson and
Dr. Foote, the U.S. Consul-General, on the
morning of 7th July. Both warned him
in the most forthright terms of the danger
of the situation and advised immediate
acceptance of the Dutch proposals. M.
Thamzil saw H.M. Consul-General, Mr.
Mitcheson, again the following morning
and said that the Republican Government
were preparing a supplementary Note
clarifying their previous reply and making
their answer more positive, as Mr.
Mitcheson and Dr. Foote had suggested.
This supplementary reply was delivered
to Dr. van Mook on the evening of 8th July.
It expressed clear and positive agreement
on all points of the Dutch proposals, except
on that for the joint gendarmerie on
which it left the door open for discussion.
The Dutch consider the reply as satis
factory An East India Company trading post. as could be hoped and, as a result,
they have called off the military action
which was to have begun on the night of
9th July, under authority from the Hague.
Negotiations to set up the Interim
Government are expected to start almost
at once and discussions on the question of
the joint gendarmerie have already begun.
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