Dutch Order Immediate Formation of Federal Indonesian Government

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26959, 20 December 1948, Page 5

Dutch Order Immediate Formation of Federal Indonesian Government

NZPA—Reuter—Copyright Rec. 9 p.m. THE HAGUE, Dec. 18. A royal decree, which takes effect immediately, has been issued establishing an interim federal government in Indonesia, The decree provides for a Federal Council, a representative People’s Council, and a Council of Secretaries of State. All authority and power previously vested in the Crown and Dutch Parliament will be transferred to the new federal Indonesian Government. The Indonesian Republic is not represented on any of the three bodies. A Government announcement said the decree was aimed at the establishment of a government for Indonesia, which in Dutch opinion, responded nearest to the wishes of the greater majority of Indonesian people. The establishment of an interim Government was expected to realise, as near as possible, the ultimate aim of a completely free sovereign federal State united with the Netherlands in a NetherlandsIndonesian union. As the establishment of the interim administration will obviously take some time, provision has been made for the gradual transfer of powers, and the federal interim Government would not be fully established as originally planned by January 1, 1949. The decree provided for inclusion in the interim Government of “ those areas whose representatives so far have not co-operated in the present federal arrangement.” The Associated Press says the reserve with regard to the date of the formation of the ipterim Government suggests that the Dutch do not want to close the door entirely on negotiations.

Police Action Against Terrorist Elements

The Netherlands Government announced that it was taking police action ” in Indonesia against terrorists and undisciplined elements of the republic who render any constructive policy impossible.” A Dutch spokesman said the decision followed after the breakdown of informal conversations with the Indonesian RepuDlic because the latter failed to comply with truce obligations. The aim of the Netherlands Government to establish a sovereign Indonesian federation as an equal partner was unchanged, said the spokesman. It was known that the Republicans planned a campaign of ‘ wholesale terrorist action” to follow the announcement of the interim Federal Government. Since August, , rr j° r ? than 300 Indonesian civil servants haa been murdered. „ . . _ A message from Batavia says a Dutch army communique reported that Dutch paratroops landed near Jogjakarta at dawn to-day and captured an airfield without. opposition. After the. capture of the airfield, further airborne troops were landed Dutch troops crossed the status quo line in Central and East Java and m Central Sumatra. _ tri1 _ The communique added that Dutcn marines were landed on the norm coast of East Java. . . The Netherlands had. denounced the truce with the Republicans and commenced a “ purge ’ against terrons-

ing powers ” in Republican territory, said Dr Louis Beel, a high representative of the Crown, in a broadcast today. “ The recovery of this sick country cannot begin properly until Republican territory has been purged of its terrorising powers,” he said. “This purge will be carried out consistently and thoroughly. With all the police and military means available, we shall restlessly pursue gangs and terrorists and we shall no longer allow them to carry on their practices, either in the territories already under our control or in the territories which we are now going to liberate.” Addressing the Dutch armed forces, Dr Beel said: “You do not advance in order to occupy enemy territory, but to bring justice and security where lawlessness ruled before. Show by your deeds that nobody, whoever he may be, has anything to fear from you if he fulfils his peaceful task.” Dr Beel at a press conference declined to. give operational news of Dutch military action against the Republicans, but said action began at midnight. The Good Offices Committee and the Indonesian delegation'm Batavia were informed half an hour before the operations began. Republican leaders would be treated with the courtesy due to their rank and Repuolican troops would for the moment be treated as prisoners of war, but arrangements would be made to return them to civil life.