INDONESIAN STATUTE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26627, 25 November 1947, Page 5

INDONESIAN STATUTE

PREPARATIONS BY DUTCH CLARIFICATION OF POLITICAL STATUS Rec. 0.15 a.m. BATAVIA, Nov. 24. The Netherlands Government was preparing a Statute clarifying the 'future political status of Indonesia, says .the AAP-Reuter correspondent, who quotes well-informed Dutch sources in Batavia. The Statute in some respects would be comparable with the British Statute of Westminster. It would include the political programme for Indonesian self-govern-ment of the Cheribon Agreement signed last March with the Republicans providing for the creation of a Federal United States of Indonesia in union with the Netherlands kingdom under the Dutch Crown. All Indonesian territories which sought self-government would be invited to sign. The East Indonesian Premier, Mr Warouw, has already referred publicly to his Government’s interest in signing the Statute. Dutch sources were unable to say whether the Republic would be invited to sign. It will.probably depend on the substantive discussions which will take place next month at the instigation of the Security Council’s Committee of Good Offices. The Dutch view is that ‘these talks are unlikely to be fruitful unless preceded by a cease-fire agreement. • • Further progress in the cease-hre negotiations were reported to-day by the Security Council’s Committee of Good Offices. The Dutch and Indonesians agreed to prohibit sabotage, intimidation and reprisals, including destruction of property, and to accept the principle of release of prisoners by each party without regard to the number held.