Evening star., 1948-12-20
Warfare in Indonesiu

VOII0tS III IIIOOtlSSlO
It is disheartening thing that the
Dutch, almost on the eve of Christmas,
have found it necessary to go to war
against forces of the Indonesian Republic
in Central Java and Sumatra. What
makes the event particularly depressing
is that 1t seems to put the stamp of utter
futility on year long peace
making effort by the United Nations.
The effort began In July, 1947. At that
time, to cope with provocative" acts by
Indonesian Republicans, the Netherlands
government launched what it euphemis-
tically described as police action" There
upon the U. N. Security Council issued
cease-f1re order, which both sides agreed
to obey. Despite the agreement, however,
the shooting went on-a fact that led the
Council to organize a Good Offices Com
mittee made up of representatives of
Australia, Belgium and the United States.
Then, after many weeks of painstaking
negotiation, the committee established a
truce early this year.
But the truce-designed to bring about
a permanent settlement creating an in
dependent United States of Indonesia
cooperating closely with the Netherlands
failed to promote any progress toward
agreement, and now the Dutch have re-
nounced 1t altogether. Resorting again
to euphemism, they have undertaken a
new police action" against what they
describe as terrorist and undisciplined
elements" in the Indonesian Republic
These elements have been in control of
parts of Central Java and Sumatra con-
tanning about a third of the 10000 900
population of the East Indies, which the
Netherlands government ruled as colony
until Japan began to march in 1941.
In connection with their military meas
ures, including seizure of the Republics
top leaders, the Dutch have announced
the establishment of stop-gap Indo-
nesian regime to carry out plans for the
eventual formation of federated Indies
government to be linked with the Neither
lands crown. Their contention Is that
the dissident Republicans-wllose forces
apparently are no match for theirs though
capable of conducting guerrilla warfare
cannot maintain order in Central Java
and Sumatra, are fomenterS of chaos and
terrorism, and have made it impossible
to work out settlement along the lines
envisioned in the truce drawn up last
January.
The rights and wrongs of this issue are
by no means clear. The only thing clear
is that the Dutch-even though they may
sincerely regard their action as justified
have precipitated situation exposing
key power of the Western world to propa-
ganda charging colonial imperialism in
the Far East. As far as the West as
whole is concerned, the Indonesian strug-
gle thus is full of serious implications in
terms of relations with nationalist minded
Asia-a fact underscored by the anti
Netherlands statement Just made by
Premier Nehru of India.
The question today is whether the
United Nations can do anything about
the situation. As a member of the un-
successful Good Offices Committee, the
United States has called upon the Security
Council for new action. That is where
the issue properly belongs, but only the
wishful will suppose that it can be settled
there unless the Dutch-not less than the
Indonesian Republicans a genuine
desire to arrive at peaceful solution on
a fair give-andtake basis. The record
to date does not encourage optimism.