501.BC Indonesia/2–448: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Consulate General at Batavia 1
44. For Usgoc 57. Following GOC’s statement prepared by Kirby, Graham, and van Zeeland New York and telegraphed to Neth Govt:2
“As a C of GO we think that it is our duty any time we are requested to do so by either party to state, with a view to achieving clarification, our understanding of our own suggestions as addressed to both parties.
In consequence, we think it useful to repeat or complete explanations and/or understandings given before, formally or informally, to both parties.
The C of GO was requested by both parties to go to Djokjakarta in January to inform fully the Republican Government of the meaning and purport of the proposals made or accepted by the Netherlands delegation, and to make one more effort to try to bring about an agreement between the parties.
Following a method often used by the Committee of Good Offices in relation with both parties, the Committee met with the Republican authorities, in Kalioerang on 13 January. Questions were asked by members of the Republican Delegation and answered impromptu by representatives of the Committee. Of course, the Committee can be committed only by its concerted views, duly expressed by itself. The Committee of Good Offices wishes to emphasize that the views of its individual representatives, as set out in the summary record of the meeting at Kalioerang, on 13 January obviously stand in an entirely different position from the Committee’s concerted statement containing the 5 points (Document Reference) and cannot commit the Committee. The Committee’s position has been stated clearly in document S/AC.10/Conf. 2/13 annexed.3
To meet the circumstances, and help bring the parties closer together, the Committee of Good Offices considered it its duty to express its own understandings of several matters, including the 6 principles which it sponsored. This was done by the document referred to (reference omitted). Those 5 points were communicated to the Republican authorities in the course of the exchange of views. As soon as materially [Page 90] possible, they were unofficially communicated to a member of the Netherlands Delegation as a matter of information, it being understood that those points involved only the responsibility of the GOC, could not bind the parties, and did not require their agreement.
They were officially communicated to both parties on January 17 when the 6 principles were also officially presented to the parties, with a request that they accept them within 48 hours.
As far as those 5 plus 1 opinions are concerned, some misunderstanding temporarily arose; it centered on para. 2 of these opinions which reads4 ...It has been established doctrine of the GOC that it had no power to define or determine the status of the parties. To the Committee of Good Offices the parties are what they are in the eyes of the Security Council, that is “Parties to the Indonesian dispute”.’
The Committee of Good Offices could and would not go further without infringing upon the limits of the GO mission.
The acceptance by the Netherlands and the Republic of the 12 principles and the 6 further principles was unconditional and in identical terms. The statement of the 5 points contains the views of the Committee; it is not binding on the parties. The only documents binding on the parties are the truce agreement, the 12 principles and the 6 principles.
The parties have clearly shown their understanding of that position by their unconditional acceptance of these principles, an acceptance which, in the case of the Republic, was made after receipt of the letter referred to above (S/AC. 10/Conf. 2/13).
Any conclusions leading towards confirmation or denial of any right or de facto action by either party would be outside the clearly stated position of the GOC.
The Committee of Good Offices issues this statement to the parties to clear up any misunderstanding which, in regard to these matters, has arisen and to avoid in the future any such misunderstanding.
Consequently the Committee wants to emphasize that, today, the two parties have unconditionally and in identical terms accepted the 12 principles and the 6 principles as a basis for the coming discussions. The importance of those misunderstandings, happily cleared at present, dwindles, if compared with the essential elements obtained towards a just and lasting settlement, by the very agreement on the truce and the 18 principles. In that spirit, the Committee hopes that the parties will, from now on and without further delay, devote all their energies to the continuance and successful completion of the political negotiations.