Javanese Now

Isolated

Good Prospects of Settlement

In Dutch Indies

THE new year brings more hopeful prospects of settlement in Indonesia.

Though the negotiations through the Commission of Good Offices of the United Nations have not yet brought any material results into the open, there is to be seen a distinct change for the better in the overall situation.

As the most important fact there is the appeal of the Comitee Negara In donesia Serikat (The Committee for the United States of Indonesia) started by 12 Indonesian leaders on the initiative of R. Abdul Kadir (Director of General Affairs and Deputy Lieutenant Governor General). It asks all political unions, in Indonesia to combine for the formation of the Federated States of Indonesia, as set out in the Agreement of Linggard jati..

This appeal was answered with en thusiasm by millions of people all over Indonesia, where they are free to speak their mind and where they have shown they are sick of all the mrest, looting, plundering and murder which has been going on for more than two years in some parts of their country.

Even more important is the fact that the leader of the movement is Professor Hoesein Djajadiningrat who is Indonesia’s leading statesman. He comes from a well known aristrocratic family in West Java, and has held many positions of culture and trust.

With him in this movement are the leaders, of the Madoerese, from East Java: the Pasoendan, in West Java; the new state of Sumatra’s East Coast; the Riouw Council, the Dayak Council and of the Council of Kalimantan Tenggara and other Borneo states: and all other parts of Indonesia where the work of re habilitation and reconstruction is al ready in full swing where the popula tion have returned to their work and where they can reap the fruits of their labour once again.

In December, the West Java confer ence was attended by 147 representa tives of the people of West Java, who gave 142 votes for the establishment of the State of West Java, as per article 4 of the Linggardjati Agreement.

One may mention also, the visit of the Netherlands Prime Minister (Dr.

Beel) and three other Dutch Cabinet Ministers, who are anxiously watching all these developments. A few days ago Dr. Beel broadcast an appeal a last appeal, as he called it to the so-called Republican Government, to fall in with these efforts to establish the United States of Indonesia.

In the midst of this scene there is the “Javanese Republican Government of Djokjo,” still playing its old game of hindering the solution of the Indonesian problem, still hoping against hope to dominate a centralised Indonesia against all these tendencies for a federal union of the archipelago.

The political developments of recent weeks and the economic advances in all the other territories have left the “Re public” more or less isolated.

It has still the chance of playing an important role in further development under the auspices of the Good Offices of the United Nations. If all prospects are not deceiving, they will take that chance; and, though there are still nlenty of difficulties ahead, the prospects for an early solution of the Indonesian problem have never been better than at the be ginning of 1948.

No need to emphasise that this solution would have good repercussions all over the Far East and the Pacific countries.

Of course, the Australian Pinks would

not like it especially the Waterside Workers Union, which more or less directs the foreign policy of Australia.

Federal Council Is Formed

mHE Lieutenant-Governor-General of 1 the NEI, Dr. van Mook, on January 13, declared the preliminary Fede ral Council for Indonesia constituted.

The council consists of eight Indone sians from non-Republican parts of the archipelago. The council will prepare a Constitution for the preliminary Federal Government of Indonesia in consultation with Dr. van Mook.

Dr. van Mook, speaking at a simple ceremony in Batavia, said there was no trick or manoeuvre behind the formation of the council. He said he had deliber ately left the road entirely free for a complete reunion of the whole of Indo nesia.