INDIES’ SELF-RULE

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22494, 25 November 1947, Page 5

INDIES’ SELF-RULE

DUTCH STATUTE FEDERAL STATES CLARIFICATION MOVE (N.Z.P.A.—Reuter—Copyright.) (11 a.m.) BATAVIA, Nov. 24. The Netherlands Government is preparing a statute clarifying the future political status of Indonesia says the A.A.P.-Reuter correspondent who quotes well-informed Dutch sources in Batavia. The statute in some respects would be comparable with the British Statute of Westminster. It would include a political programme for Indonesian self-government under the Cheribon agreement which was signed last March with the Republicans, providing for the creation of a federal United States and Indonesia in union with the Netherlands Kingdom under the Dutch Crown. All Indonesian territories which sought self-government would be invited to sign. The East Indonesian Premier, Dr. Warauw, has already referred publicly to his Government’s interest in the signing of the statute. Dutch sources are unable to say whether the Republic will be invited to sign. It will probably depend on the substantive discussions which are to take place next month at the instigation of the Security Council’s committee of “good offices.” The Dutch view is that these talks are unlikely to be fruitful unless they are preceded by a cease-fire agreement.

Further progress in the cease-fire negotiations was reported today by the Security Council’s committee of “good offices."

The Dutch and Indonesians agreed to prohibit sabotage, intimidation and reprisals, including the destruction of property and to accept the principle of the release of prisoners by each party without regard to the number held. A message from The Hague says that the report from Batavia that the Netherlands Government is preparing a new Statute of Westminster has mystified authoritative quarters here. They said there was no question of Indonesia getting “Dominion status" but an agreement was being prepared to legalise Indonesia’s status as a member of the projected United States of Indonesia.