Press release Reports reaching the Committee of Good Offices from
its Military Assistants in the field have shown that on the whole
the implementation of the evacuation of Republican troops from
Netherlands-controlled areas has proceeded smoothly and without
serious incident. The Committee has been informed that owing to
the good progress which has been made and because of unavoidable
delays in completing the movements in certain areas local
Netherlands commanders have been authorised to extend the original
twenty-one day period of the evacuation [1] where they consider
such an extension warranted and necessary. By midnight on 7th
February when the twenty-one day period ended more than 11,000
Republican combatants had been evacuated from pockets in Java. It
is known that at least 4,000 have been evacuated since then
although this figure will doubtless be revised upward as further
reports are received covering the period between 7th and 10th
February. In Sumatra few Republican groups were located behind
Netherlands forward positions and hence evacuations have been on a
small scale. Republican units in some areas have however withdrawn
from the status quo line in preparation for the delimitation of
demilitarised zones. In one area in East Java the situation is not
yet satisfactory. Around Loemadjang no evacuation of Republican
combatants has yet been effected. However new and promising steps
have been taken in the area to effect contact with Republican
commanders in inaccessible regions and it is expected that the
major difficulties will be resolved within the next few days. For
the rest none of the pockets remain which were known to have
existed in the extreme Western part of Java in West Java, Central
Java and the remainder of East Java. The bulk of these evacuees
was moved by rail and truck convoy to concentration centres from
which they were transported by ship and rail to Republican
controlled territory. Most of the evacuees were concentrated at
Cheribon for movement by sea to Rembang. Over 8,000 have been
shipped out of Cheribon. Many more have been moved out by train.

In Republican controlled territory trains and trucks have conveyed
approximately 5,000 through Gombong. Several hundred have been
sent by truck to Maloewoeng. Of Republican groups remaining in
Netherlands-controlled areas of Java (exclusive of East Java) most
are awaiting transportation. Considerable congestion has occurred
in Cheribon and Gombong and attempts are being made to regulate
the inflow until out-going distribution can be effected. The
creation of demilitarised zones constituting the second phase of
the truce agreement has been proceeding in both Java and Sumatra.