THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES MONDAY, MARCH 28, 1949. INDONESIA

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27041, 28 March 1949, Page 4

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES MONDAY, MARCH 28, 1949. INDONESIA

The plan which the Security Council has agreed upon for the settlement of the conflict in Indonesia does not, in the broad outline which has been published, hold much promise of success. The Dutch have already rejected the Security Council’s request that the Republican Government be restored in Jogjakarta, and the suggestion of a round table conference at The Hague has been rejected by the Republicans, who insist that they will not enter into such negotiations until their Government leaders have been freed and the Government restored. The Council is not likely to add to its prestige by- such plans, especially with the watchful audience of Asia. In its December session the Council twice issued an instruction to the Dutch concerning the “ police action ” against the Republican capital, and each time it was completely ignored. The Council has been content not to pursue these matters any further and has gone on to give formal approval to a plan which the course of debate has already made sufficiently plain is most unlikely to produce results. At the same time it has to be borne in mind that there is a chance that one or other of the parties may at any time compromise on some point in grudging admission that half a loaf is better than no bread. The history of the Indonesian deadlock is such, however, that this appeal’s to be a remote possibility. The Dutch have maintained that there is very little difference between the points of view of the Netherlands Government and of the Republican Government, and also that they are almost in complete agreement with the Security Council. This is true in so far as all three have a common goal—the establishment of an independent United States of Indonesia, but the Dutch intend that goal to be reached more gradually than the Republicans want it. Last December the Dutch announced their intention of proceeding to give independence to the non-Republican States. No mention was made of what was intended about the Republic—but the abrupt termination of the truce and the simultaneous attack on Jogjakarta told the rest of the story. It has been explained that the Netherlands authorities believed, that by force they could put their whole plan into operation. Opinion' in many parts of the world did not agree that the means could be justified, and in the event they have proved to have failed. The Dutch forces are still tracking down guerrillas, who have the support of the native population, and there has been a loss of ftonfidence in the Dutch in the non-Re-publican States. It would appear that the real obstacle to progress at the moment is the reluctance of the Dutch to admit their sudden action was hopelessly wrong, and this they must do if they restore the Jogjakarta Government.