131 Australian Government to Addison

Your 148 [1], D.616 [2], D.617 and 150. [3]

Your comments regarding reference to Security Council are noted.

At the same time, you do not suggest any alternative means of dealing with present situation. The information you gave to the Netherlands Ambassador is noted, but it is apparent from events that the warning has not been heeded. We and you have both offered to both parties good offices and, while it is clear the Republican representatives would welcome such mediation and have actually asked for your intervention (your D.616, paragraph 6), no such willingness has been shown by Dutch.

2. Clearly, we cannot be inactive when military operations a-re in progress in Indonesia. To begin with, the situation immediately raises problems here, as Dutch are still purchasing supplies in Australia. But, apart from immediate problems, it is vital to Australia that the situation be not allowed to deteriorate.

3. Once before, Lord Killearn was able, acting in a personal capacity, to bring the two parties together. The Dutch should now be persuaded to accept mediation, either by third government or by a person such as Lord Killearn.

4. If it is clear that mediation is unacceptable, then there seems little to prevent the matter going to the Security Council either from Indonesians direct to the Secretary-General (Article 99 [4]) or through the medium of another government.