MOVES FOR PEACE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26530, 4 August 1947, Page 5

MOVES FOR PEACE

Action by Security Council in Indonesia REPORTED CEASE FIRE ORDER WASHINGTON, Aug. 2. The Dutch Ambassador, Dr van kleffens, conferred with the Undersecretary of State, Mr Robert Lovett, for half an hour to-day on the Indonesian situation, but declined to tell reporters anything about the conversation. Asked about the relationship between the United Nations cease fire order and the United States offer of “ good offices,” the Ambassador declared: “It is all helpful to what I confidently expect will be a peaceful solution.” At New York, the United Nations announced that Faris El Khouri (Syria), president of the Security Council, has sent a cease fire order to Dr Sjarifuddin. The communication was radioed to Jogjakarta. An identical communication was addressed to Holland through Dr van Kleffens. ! A Batavia message states that the Republican Government entirely agreed with the proposal in the Security Council for the cessation of hostilities in Indonesia, according to an official statement broadcast by Jogjakarta radio. The statement added as a condition: “That at the beginning, and in order that it might be effectively carried out, troops of both sides to be withdrawn behind the demarcation lines fixed in October, 1946. “In order to guarantee that there should be no more threats or breach of peace or act of aggression, it is necessary that the Security Council should order the Netherlands to withdraw its troops from the territory of the Indonesian archipelago. “ The Republic earnestly appeals to the Security Council to send a commission chosen by the Council’so that it can be convinced and see for itself the actual situation in Indonesia to enable a speedy settlement of the conflict.”

The Republican Government has not yet received the Security Council’s resolution calling for cessation of hostilities. The statement accused the Dutch Government of being guilty of breaking the Cheribon agreement and said the republic accepted the consequences of that unilateral breaking of relations. Liberated from the bonds that bound her in a position of member state of the future Federation of Indonesia, the republic now assumed full liberty of action so that it might be taken up formally as a sovereign State into the family of nations. 3 It was quite prepared, after receiving an invitation to send representatives to New York to provide the Security Council any information necessary. It expressed gratitude to Australia and India for having put forward and defended its case.

The announcement by Jogjakarta radio that the Indonesians would cqase fighting “provided the Dutch troops return to the positions they had before fighting began and eventually get out of the entire archipelago,” , caused some surprise for it was thought the Republican Government would warmly welcome the “ cease fire.” Some delegates had expressed the opinion that the Netherlands Government would be the more reluctant of ths two to end hostilities since it seemed to be only a matter of days before the Dutch troops would defeat the Republican forces. The first part of the Security Council’s session on Monday is. expected now to be devoted to both juridical aspects of the council’s competency to deal with the conflict, and to the Indonesian insistence on the withdrawal of Dutch troops to their original positions, which was the sdme condition that Mr Gromyko advocated . during the Security Council debate yesterday. It is also believed at the United-Nations that the offer by the Phillipines to help to arbitrate the dispute following so closely the United States offer of its “good office” may presage =nme kind of collective mediation effort. “Gladly Accepted” Dr Van Kleffens told the Security Council to-day that the Netherlands Government “gladly accepts” the United States offer to mediate in the Indonesian dispute. Dr Van Kleffens said his Government was ready to begin consultation with American officiels immediately. Mr Valentine Lawford (Britain), indicating qualified agreement with the Netherlands view that the Indonesian conflict, was an internal matter, said the American offer obviated action by the council at this time. He recommended the council to confine its action to taking a note of the American offer, leaving the Indonesian question dormant on the council’s agenda pending the outcome of the mediation efforts. Mr Lawford proposed that the Security Council drop the Australian resolution, which called for immediate cessation of hostilities and arbitration by a third party. Mr Herschel Johnson (United States) said the Security Council should issue an immediate cease-fire request to both sides. Such, a step could be taken without weighing the merits of the case and without prejudice to the legal or moral rights of anybody involved. Mr Johnson declared that the United States wanted to avoid any attempt by the Security Council to determine the question of Indonesian sovereignty and the ques- , tion of United Natjons jurisdiction over the case . Mr ’ Johnson hoped that America’s mediation would be fruitful, and gave implied support' to the British view that, except for a cease-fire request, the Security Council should drop the case for the present. Mr Johnson submitted an amendment to the' Australian resolution, making it state simply that the council calls on the parties to cease hostilities immediately and settle their differences by “arbitration or other peaceful means.” Question of Jurisdiction During the hours of the debate over the Council’s right or capacity for ' action, Colonel Hodgson (Australia) repeatedly intervened to urge the Council not to become bogged down over his proposal that something should be done to stop the bloodshed. The chairman vainly appealed for a limited debate, and the suggestions offered included one from France that the World Court at The Hague should decide whether the United Nations had jurisdiction in Indonesia Thp Chinese representative said the fighting in Indonesia was not civil war and not an international war, but was a colonial war. ' Colonel Hodgson declined to accept the French addition to the United States amendment on the ground tnat it unnecessarily “ cluttered it up and raised doubts about the Council’s competence." Dr van Kleffens intervening, said nobody would be gladder than the Netherlands Government if hostilities ceased, and would be glad to stop them at the “earliest possible moment,” but he could go no further yet. Soviet Amendment Opposed Colonel Hodgson opposed the Rus sian amendment to the Australian resolution that the forces of both parties be withdrawn to the original Dositions held before hostilities began Colonel Hodgson said this question had given the Australian Government more worry than anything else, but finally it was decided not to include such a clause in the original resolution because of the many factory involved. Dr van Kleffens told* the Council that the Netherlands'would not accept responsibility for the terrible retaliations which would occur if such a withdrawal had to be carried out.