'Aneta' this morning reports Radio Moscow's despatch that Suripno,
the Republic's representative at Prague, and the Soviet Ambassador
at Prague have concluded an agreement for the establishment of
diplomatic relations between the Republic and the U.S.S.R. [1]
2. Suriotjondro, Republican Government Secretary for Foreign
Affairs at Batavia, is without advice from Djokja and says that
the report has taken him completely by surprise. The Republic have
had practically no communication with Suripno since the March
crisis in Czechoslovakia, but they know that he is very active in
various youth movements and likely to be under strong communist
influence. If there is any truth in the report, Suriotjondro
thinks that Suripno has most probably acted on his own initiative.
3. Whether the report is true or not, Suriotjondro feels that it
has come at a most inopportune time and remarked that if it is not
true, not the least of the Republic's worries will be the
composition of a disclaim[er] inoffensive to the Soviet. 4. The
Netherlands Government have reserved comment until they receive
official information regarding the report.
5. I understand from Critchley that the Netherlands Delegation
raised this question at the meeting of the Political Committee
last Friday when they attacked Republic's extension of foreign
relations [2], and that the Republican Delegation intends to deny
the report at the next meeting of this Committee. [3]
1 The Republican Government sent Suripno as its envoy to Eastern
Europe before the Netherlands launched its first 'police action'
in July 1947. Suripno tried to negotiate, on behalf of the
Republic of Indonesia, a consular treaty with the Soviet Union. In
January 1948 a consular treaty was initialled. However,
Sjarifuddin, then in the middle of negotiating the Renville
Agreement, did not wish the Soviet treaty to be concluded. The
Hatta Government also declined to proceed further with the treaty.
However the Soviet Government announced on 22 May, through its
Ambassador in Prague, its ratification of the consular treaty.
Left wing elements in the Republic interpreted the Soviet move as
formal recognition of the Republic and as a promise of
considerable material aid once consuls were exchanged.
2 In the Political Committee on 21 May, Van Vredenburch referred
to several incidents: Yemen's reported recognition of the
Republic; a report that Palar had been appointed 'Envoy
Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of the Republic'; a
statement of Sjahrir that the Republic was considering opening an
office in Penang; reports of Republican contacts with the Soviet
Union; and the Republic's claim for separate associate membership
of ECAFE (see Document 130 and note 5 thereto). He declared that
these incidents had led his Government to believe that the
Republic was bent upon extending its foreign relations and called
upon the Government of the Republic to recognise the sovereignty
of the Netherlands in the Indies and to readjust its position on
foreign relations.
3 In the Political Committee on 28 May, Roem replied that while
the sovereignty of the Netherlands was not challenged, recognition
of that sovereignty could not affect or modify the status of the
parties (the Netherlands and the Republic) particularly with
regard to the Security Council. He repudiated any understanding
which would restrict the Republic's right to conduct its foreign
relations.
