IMPORTANT STEP TO RESTORATION OF PEACE IN INDIES

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 22941, 9 May 1949, Page 5

IMPORTANT STEP TO RESTORATION OF PEACE IN INDIES

(10 a.m.) BATAVIA, May 8. New hope of peace for the peoples of Indonesia was born yesterday when the Dutch and Republican delegations, which have been meeting for a month under the auspices of the United Nations Commission, announced a preliminary agreement on the main points of the Security Council’s directive of March 23.

The terms of the preliminary agreement provide for the restoration of the Republican Government to the residency of Jogjakarta. Dr. Soekarno and Dr. Hatta gave personal assurances that they favour a cease fire, co-operation in the restoration of peace and the maintenance of law and order and participation in The Hague round-table conference. They undertook to urge the adoption of such a policy on the Republican Government after restoration to Jogjakarta.

The preliminary agreement does not conclude the meetings which are to continue until the final agreement is reached and signed on terms of the Security Council directive of March 23. Early next week, the joint DutchRepublican committees are to start work on technicalities of the restoration of the Republican Government to Jogjakarta, arrangements for bringing guerrilla warfare to an end and cooperation in the maintenance of law and order.

The Netherlands Government reaffirmed its willingness to ensure the immediate discontinuance of all military operations and to release immediately and unconditionally all _ political prisoners arrested by them since December 17, 1948.