INDONESIAN CASE FOR U.N.O. AGAINST DUTCH

Grey River Argus, 21 February 1949, Page 5

INDONESIAN CASE FOR U.N.O. AGAINST DUTCH

NEW YORK, Feb. 18

Dr L. N. Palar, chief Indonesian republican delegate, told the Security Council that the Dutch Army in Indonesia was completely on the defensive as a result of Republican infiltration. He claimed that this was the first true picture of the military situation in Idonesia. The Dutch military position was comparable to a series of pockets inside Republic-held territory. “While we' have permitted the larger cities to fall to the enemy, our army and supplies were kept intact,” he said. “Then we infiltrated behind the Dutch lines and set up areas of resistance.” Dutch censorship had kepc this information from the United Nations Good Offices Commission and Security Council. He reaffirmed an earlier' report of a mutiny in the Dutch Army on Sumatra, resulting in the execution of 213 Dutch soldiers.” A report received from the emergency Government in Sumatra stated the Republican administration was functioning under military governors throughout Java outside the Dutch-occupied towns. It stated the Republican Army had moved into former Dutch-occupied districts at Bankumas, Pekalongan, Semarang, Surabaya, Malanqbesuki, and Madura, and Dutch losses were estimated at 1500 casualties. The report claimed that Dutch military action was now taking the shape of reprisal measures against the civilian population and that 100 civilians were killed by the Dutcn west of Jogjakarta on January 28 and that sixteen victims were beheaaed. The Netherlands has informed the United Nations Commission of Indonesia, the former Good Offices Committee which was recently expanded, that it will make every effort to make satisfactory progress in the talks relating to the formation ot an Interim Government of Indonesia by March 1. ’