Indonesian dialog, 50 years ago

Indonesian dialog, 50 years ago

In 1949, a sequence of monumental episodes occurred. It began
with the emergence of the Resolution of the UN Security Council
of Jan. 28, which signaled a turning point in the world body's
attitude toward Indonesia. The resolution called upon the
Netherlands to return the leaders of the Republic of Indonesia,
detained in Bangka, to Yogyakarta. It endorsed the transfer of
sovereignty over Indonesia by the Netherlands to take place at
the earliest possible date, and no later than July 1, 1950.

Then the Conference of Indonesia sponsored by Jawaharlal Nehru
was held in New Delhi on Jan. 20 and Jan. 22, participated in by
15 countries, including Australia. A resolution was passed,
recommending to the UN Security Council that the Republican
Government be restored, and that power of Indonesia be
transferred by Jan. 1, 1950. It is significant in that the
resolution made mention of the transfer of power, meaning
authority.

A remarkable political development ensued in the U.S. Senate,
where support for Indonesia's cause for independence grew
stronger, manifesting in the Resolution of Feb. 7, 1949. The
resolution called for stopping all economic cooperation aid
(under ECA) to the Netherlands. A compromise amendment on April 2
was introduced. The Brewster Amendment then gained support from
Democrat senators.

The reversal of the American position was apparent in the more
active role asserted by its representative, Merle H. Cochran, in
the Committee of Good Offices (which by the Security Council
Resolution of Jan. 28 was transformed into the UN Commission for
Indonesia, acting as the Security Council representative in the
Indonesian dispute).

Cochran's role was instrumental in the realization of the
well-known Room-Van Royen Agreement of May 7, 1949 on the return
of the Indonesian government to Yogyakarta. On July 6, president
Sukarno, vice president Moh. Hatta and the other Republican
leaders returned to Yogyakarta from Bangka.

A tremendously important episode followed, which manifested in
the convening of the first Inter-Indonesian Conference in
Yogyakarta on July 19, 1949 and July 22, 1949 between the
delegation of RI and that of the Federal Consultative Assembly.
The second Inter-Indonesian Conference followed in Jakarta on
July 31 and Aug. 2.

The conference provided for the framework to solve fundamental
questions in the political, administrative, economic and
financial sectors in anticipation of the transfer of sovereignty
from the Netherlands. In the dissertation of Anak Agung Gde Agung
on the Renville Agreement (Jan. 17, 1948) the above Inter-
Indonesian conferences were called as manifesting the "Indonesian
dialog".

On Aug. 15, the delegation of RI, the Federal Consultative
Assembly and the members of UNCI assembled in The Hague. On Aug.
23, the Round Table Conference was opened with the Netherlands.
This resulted in a historic moment on Dec. 27, 1949, which took
place at Dam Palace in Amsterdam. In the ceremony, the Charter of
transfer of sovereignty and recognition was signed by Her Majesty
the Dutch Queen Juliana.

However, the federal structure lasted for seven and a half
months, as on Aug. 17, 1950 the unitary state system of the
Republic was restored. In September 1950, Indonesia became the
60th member of the UN.

The most outstanding values discernible from the interplay
between the monumental international episodes and the internal
political development in Indonesia 50 years ago were the
exemplary skills in statesmanship and international diplomacy
performed by the founders of the Republic and the Indonesian
leaders at the time, backed by an effective consistency in the
resistance movement of the military.

On top of it, the "Indonesian dialog" had already proven its
worth 50 years ago.

S. SUHAEDI

Jakarta