Linggadjati Agreement

Last updated
Linggadjati Agreement [lower-alpha 1]
A newsreel about the ratification of the Linggardjati Agreement on 15 November 1946 by Indonesian and Dutch representatives.
Typepolitical accord
Signed15 November 1946 (1946-11-15)
LocationLinggadjati, Kuningan Regency
Parties
Linggadjati participants: Sukarno, Wim Schermerhorn, Lord Killearn, and Mohammad Hatta at the meal Overeenkomst van Linggadjati. Deelnemers aan de conferentie Ir. Soekarno , Prof., Bestanddeelnr 901-9574.jpg
Linggadjati participants: Sukarno, Wim Schermerhorn, Lord Killearn, and Mohammad Hatta at the meal

The Linggardjati Agreement (Linggajati in modern Indonesian spelling) [lower-alpha 1] was a political accord concluded on 15 November 1946 by the Dutch administration and the unilaterally declared Republic of Indonesia in the village of Linggajati, Kuningan Regency, near Cirebon in which the Dutch recognised the republic as exercising de facto authority in Java, Madura and Sumatra.

Contents

Background

In 1942, the Japanese occupied the Dutch East Indies. On 17 August 1945, two days after the Japanese surrender, Indonesian nationalist leader Sukarno declared Indonesian independence. The Dutch viewed the Indonesian leadership as collaborators with the occupying Japanese, and were determined to reassert their control over the nation by force. [1] Fighting broke out, which developed into a full-scale war of independence between Dutch forces and Indonesian republicans. By mid-1946, both sides were under pressure to negotiate. In July, 1946, Acting Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies Hubertus van Mook organised a conference in Malino at which representatives from Borneo and eastern Indonesia backed the proposal for a federal United States of Indonesia with links to the Netherlands. [2]

The negotiations

Sutan Sjahrir (left) and Wim Schermerhorn drafting the agreement Drafting Linggadjati Agreement 26 November 1946 KR.jpg
Sutan Sjahrir (left) and Wim Schermerhorn drafting the agreement

On 3 July 1946 a new Dutch government (Cabinet- Beel) was formed, and this government established a Commission-General to set up a new political structure for the Dutch East Indies. This four-member commission, headed by former Dutch Prime Minister Willem Schermerhorn traveled to Jakarta to negotiate with the republican delegation arrived in Indonesia on 14 September. These negotiations with the Indonesian authorities began on 7 October 1946 and a ceasefire in Java and Sumatra was agreed to and signed on 14 October. Recognizing their still weakened position following World War II, the Netherlands were more prepared to negotiate with the republic than they were later in the Indonesian National Revolution. In November, the negotiations then moved to Cirebon from where it was easier to communicate with Sukarno and Hatta.

Most of the negotiations took place at the residence of the Kwee family of Ciledug, now a museum, in the hill station of Linggadjati around 25 km south of Cirebon, although the final document was actually initialed in Cirebon. [3] [4] [5] [6] The Dutch side comprised the following:

On the Republican side were:

Former British ambassador to Egypt Lord Killearn acted as intermediary in the early stages, but he was not needed as the two sides established good relations. [7] The two sides initialed the draft agreement on 15 November. [8]

The agreement

The form of the federal United States of Indonesia agreed at Linggadjati LinggadjatiPlan.jpg
The form of the federal United States of Indonesia agreed at Linggadjati

The agreement comprised an introduction, 17 articles and a final clause. According to the terms, the Netherlands agreed to recognize the Republic as exercising de facto authority over Java, Sumatra and Madura (Article 1). The Republic would become one of three constituent states of the federal United States of Indonesia, along with the State of Borneo and the Great Eastern State, comprising the region of the Eastern Dutch East Indies known as the Great East. Any region that did not want to join the USI could determine its relationship with the USI and the Netherlands through a democratic process. (Articles 2, 3 & 4). The constitution of the USI would be drawn up by an elected Constituent Assembly. The Netherlands Indies, together with the Netherlands, Suriname, and the Netherlands Antilles, would form a Netherlands-Indonesian Union with the Dutch monarch as official head of this Union (Articles 5, 7 & 8). Both the United States of Indonesia and the Union which would be established by 1 January 1949 at the latest (Article 12). Once the agreement was signed, both parties would reduce their armed forces (Article 16). Any disputes regarding the agreement would be resolved by arbitration in the event that joint consultation failed. The last resort was to be a ruling by the president of the International Court of Justice. [9] [10] [11] [12]

Both sides made concessions. The republicans committed to the establishment of a federal Indonesian state, while the Dutch conceded the inclusion of Sumatra in the Republic of Indonesia as well as Java. The two sides reached a compromise on the form of the relationship between the USI and the Netherlands. The Dutch had wanted a political union (Dutch : staatsverband), while the republicans had wanted merely an alliance (Dutch : bondgenootschap). The final agreement was for the USI to be a "sovereign and equal partner in a union", although the Dutch succeeded in persuading the republicans to agree to the Dutch monarch being the head of this union. [13]

Ratification and signing

The Dutch Commission-General subsequently issued an "Elucidation" to the agreement, interpreting it as a "program of principles" to bring the status of the Dutch kingdom into line with the political facts in the Dutch East Indies. On 10 December 1946, the Dutch government announced its own interpretation of the agreement in a statement from Foreign Minister Jan Jonkman. As a result of pressure from the Dutch Catholic Party, which wanted to conduct missionary activities in the West Papua, Jonkman stated that the region would not after all be handed over to the United States of Indonesia, a statement at odds with article 3 of the Linggadjati Agreement. On 19 December, the Dutch parliament ratified the agreement on the basis of the Commission General's Elucidation. [14]

Although the agreement called for the Dutch and the Republican sides to cooperate in the establishment of a federal system, van Mook began to do so unilaterally, and in December, organised the Denpasar Conference which resulted in the establishment of the State of East Indonesia. This increased Republican opposition to the agreement, especially from the Indonesian National Party, Masjumi and followers of Tan Malaka. This led to the establishment of an opposition group, the Republican Fortress (Indonesian : Benteng Republik). Supporters of Prime Minister Sjahrir and the agreement, including the Socialist Party of Indonesia and the Communist Party of Indonesia formed the Left Wing (Indonesian : Sayap Kiri). In order to ensure ratification of the agreement, the Central Indonesian National Committee was increased in size through the appointment of government supporters and this, together with resignation threats from Indonesia leaders Sukarno and Hatta, ensured the agreement was ratified by the Indonesian side on 5 March 1947. [15]

The agreement was signed in Jakarta at 5.30pm on 25 March 1947 in the presence of 70 guests from the Netherlands, Indonesia and other nations. The signing was followed by speeches from Schemerhorn, van Mook and Sjahrir. There were celebrations on the streets of Jakarta and Palembang, South Sumatra. However, the agreement had been interpreted differently by the two sides, particularly regarding the meaning of the terms "cooperation" and "federal". [15] [16] [17]

Subsequent developments

Both sides were unhappy with the agreement, and one member and two advisers to the Commission-General resigned in protest after it was signed. The Dutch were unhappy with the Republic establishing foreign relations, including with the Arab League, and with the Indonesia maintaining governors in the area that had become the State of East Indonesia. Meanwhile, the Indonesians complained about Dutch establishment of states in East Indonesia and West Borneo. [18] [19] The Dutch public's reception of the agreement was mixed – a survey found 38% of respondents supporting the agreement and 36% opposing it. One telegram to members of the Dutch Parliament compared the Linggadjati agreement with the Dutch capitulation to Germany in 1940, questioning why the agreement "extradited seventy million Indonesians to Sukarno". [20]

On 27 May 1947, the Commission General proposed the establishment of a federal council headed by a representative of the Dutch crown to serve as an interim government, as well as a joint police force and the regulation of food distribution. The Republic would not be allowed to have an independent foreign policy. The Dutch would cooperate with "various political entities of Indonesia" rather than exclusively the Republic. The Dutch side asked for a response in 14 days. The Indonesian side viewed this as an ultimatum – capitulate to the Dutch or face military action as it would mean de jure Dutch sovereignty over Indonesia. Sjahrir agreed to an interim government, but with the Republic comprising half the membership and East Indonesia and Borneo the other half, with no Dutch participation. He also rejected a combined police force. The Dutch rejected these counter-proposals, but the concessions that Sjahrir had made cost him political support, leaving him fatally weakened. He resigned on 27 June. Sukarno then declared a state of emergency and took personal charge of the negotiations. [21] [22]

On 29 June, van Mook wrote to Sukarno to repeat the main points that he believed must be agreed on, including continuing Dutch sovereignty and the joint police force. New Prime Minister Amir Sjariffuddin accepted the de jure Dutch authority, but refused to agree to the joint police force. The Dutch then also demanded an end to Republican hostilities, and the food blockade of Dutch-controlled areas by midnight on 16 July. The Republicans agreed to a ceasefire if the Dutch would also be bound by it. The Indonesian side also suggested arbitration under Article 17 of the agreement. However, on 20 July the Dutch abrogated the Linggadjati Agreement and following a recommendation by van Mook, Dutch Prime Minister Louis Beel ordered the army to commence military intervention. This began on the night of 20–21 July in form of Operation Product. [23] [24]

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 Popularly misspelled as Linggarjati.
  1. ↑ Ricklefs 2008, p. 341-344.
  2. ↑ Ricklefs 2008, pp. 358–360.
  3. ↑ Wehl 1948, p. 145.
  4. ↑ Post, Peter (2019). The Kwee Family of Ciledug: Family, Status, and Modernity in Colonial Java. Volendam: LM Publishers. ISBN   9789460224928 . Retrieved 11 November 2019.
  5. ↑ Taylor 1960, pp. 28–29.
  6. ↑ Frederick & Worden 1993.
  7. ↑ Fischer 1959, p. 95.
  8. ↑ Fischer 1959, p. 96.
  9. ↑ Ricklefs 2008, p. 361.
  10. ↑ Wehl 1948, p. 146-148.
  11. ↑ Kahin 1952, p. 196.
  12. ↑ Taylor 1960, p. 29.
  13. ↑ Taylor 1960, p. 30.
  14. ↑ Taylor 1960, pp. 30–31.
  15. 1 2 Kahin 1952, pp. 199–206.
  16. ↑ Wehl 1948, pp. 159–161.
  17. ↑ Taylor 1960, p. 31.
  18. ↑ Wehl 1948, p. 59.
  19. ↑ Taylor 1960, p. 33.
  20. ↑ Burgers 2010, pp. 509–510.
  21. ↑ Taylor 1960, pp. 35–36.
  22. ↑ Kahin 1952, pp. 206–208.
  23. ↑ Taylor 1960, pp. 37–38.
  24. ↑ Kahin 1952, pp. 211–212.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indonesian National Revolution</span> 1945–49 Indonesian conflict and diplomatic struggle against Dutch rule

The Indonesian National Revolution, also known as the Indonesian War of Independence, was an armed conflict and diplomatic struggle between the Republic of Indonesia and the Dutch Empire and an internal social revolution during postwar and postcolonial Indonesia. It took place between Indonesia's declaration of independence in 1945 and the Netherlands' transfer of sovereignty over the Dutch East Indies to the Republic of the United States of Indonesia at the end of 1949.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hubertus van Mook</span> Dutch colonial governor (1894–1965)

Hubertus Johannes "Huib" van Mook was a Dutch administrator in the East Indies. During the Indonesian National Revolution, he served as the Acting Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies from 1942 to 1948. Van Mook also had a son named Cornelius van Mook who studied marine engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He also wrote about Java - and his work on Kota Gede is a good example of a colonial bureaucrat capable of examining and writing about local folklore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Socialist Party of Indonesia</span> Former political party of Indonesia

The Socialist Party of Indonesia was a political party in Indonesia from 1948 until 1960, when it was banned by President Sukarno.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indonesian National Party</span> Political party in Indonesia

The Indonesian National Party was the name used by several nationalist political parties in Indonesia from 1927 until 1973. The first PNI was established by future President Sukarno. After independence, the new PNI supplied a number of prime ministers, and participated in the majority of cabinets in the 1950s and 1960s. The party was fused into the Indonesian Democratic Party in 1973. In the years following the reforms of the late 1990s, a number of parties claiming to be the continuation of previous PNIs stood in elections, but gained only a handful of seats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Proclamation of Indonesian Independence</span> 1945 Indonesian independence document

The Proclamation of Indonesian Independence was read at 10:00 on Friday, 17 August 1945 in Jakarta. The declaration marked the start of the diplomatic and armed resistance of the Indonesian National Revolution, fighting against the forces of the Netherlands and pro-Dutch civilians, until the latter officially acknowledged Indonesia's independence in 1949. The document was signed by Sukarno and Mohammad Hatta, who were appointed president and vice-president respectively the following day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sutan Sjahrir</span> Indonesian politician and independence leader

Sutan Sjahrir was an Indonesian politician, and revolutionary independence leader, who served as the first Prime Minister of Indonesia, from 1945 until 1947. Previously, he was a key Indonesian nationalist organizer in the 1930s and 1940s. Unlike some of his colleagues, he did not support the Japanese during the Japanese occupation and fought in the resistance against them. He was considered to be an idealist and an intellectual.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Renville Agreement</span> 1948 UN-brokered Dutch–Indonesian ceasefire

The Renville Agreement was a United Nations Security Council-brokered political accord between the Netherlands, which was seeking to re-establish its colony in South East Asia, and Indonesian Republicans seeking for Indonesian independence during the Indonesian National Revolution. Ratified on 17 January 1948, the agreement was an unsuccessful attempt to resolve the disputes that arose following the 1946 Linggadjati Agreement. It recognised a cease-fire along the Status Quo Line or so-called "Van Mook Line", an artificial line which connected the most advanced Dutch positions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prime Minister of Indonesia</span> Position in Indonesia

The position of Prime Minister of Indonesia existed from 1945 until 1966. During this period, the prime minister was in charge of the Cabinet of Indonesia, one of the three branches of government along with the People's Representative Council and the president. Following his 1959 decree, President Sukarno assumed the role and powers of prime minister until his resignation in 1966.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Operation Kraai</span> 1948 Dutch military offensive in Indonesia during the National Revolution

Operation Kraai was a Dutch military offensive against the de facto Republic of Indonesia in December 1948, following the failure of negotiations. With the advantage of surprise the Dutch managed to capture the Indonesian Republic's temporary capital, Yogyakarta, and seized Indonesian leaders such as de facto Republican President Sukarno. This apparent military success was, however, followed by guerrilla warfare, while the violation of the Renville Agreement ceasefire diplomatically isolated the Dutch. This led to the Dutch–Indonesian Round Table Conference and recognition of the United States of Indonesia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timeline of the Indonesian National Revolution</span>

This is the timeline of Indonesian National Revolution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dutch–Indonesian Round Table Conference</span> 1949 Dutch recognition of Indonesian independence

The Dutch–Indonesian Round Table Conference was held in The Hague from 23 August to 2 November 1949, between representatives of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Republic of Indonesia and the Federal Consultative Assembly, representing various states the Dutch had created in the Indonesian archipelago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">State of East Indonesia</span> 1946–1950 state of the Dutch East Indies then Indonesia

The State of East Indonesia was a post–World War II state formed in the eastern half of Dutch East Indies. Established in December 1946, it became part of the United States of Indonesia (USI) in 1949 at the end of the Indonesian National Revolution, and was dissolved in 1950 with the end of the USI. It comprised all the islands to the east of Borneo and of Java.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Operation Product</span> 1947 Dutch military offensive in Indonesia during the National Revolution

Operation Product was a Dutch military offensive against areas of Java and Sumatra controlled by the de facto Republic of Indonesia during the Indonesian National Revolution. It took place between 21 July and 4 August 1947. Referred to by the Dutch as the first politionele actie, in Indonesia, the military offensive is more commonly known in Indonesian history books and military records as Agresi Militer Belanda I.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central Indonesian National Committee</span> Government body of independent Indonesia

The Central Indonesian National Committee, also known as the Central National Committee, was a body appointed to assist the president of the newly independent Indonesia. Originally purely advisory, it later gained assumed legislative functions. The Working Committee of the KNIP became part of the People's Representative Council when Indonesia became a unitary state in 1950.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malino Conference</span>

The Malino Conference was organised by the Dutch in the Sulawesi town of Malino from 16 to 25 July 1946 as part of their attempt to arrange a federal solution for Indonesia. From the end of World War II, Indonesian Republicans had been trying to secure Indonesian Independence from the Dutch colonial control.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Third Sjahrir Cabinet</span> Fourth cabinet of Indonesian government

The Third Sjahrir Cabinet was the fourth Indonesian cabinet. It served from October 1946 to June 1947, when it fell due to disagreements related to the implementation of the Linggadjati Agreement and subsequent negotiations with the Dutch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Federal Consultative Assembly</span> 1949 committee during Indonesian independence talks

The Federal Consultative Assembly, (BFO) was a committee established on 8 July 1948 to discuss the form of the planned federal United States of Indonesia. Its membership comprised the leaders of the various federal states established by the Dutch in the areas they occupied following their attack on the areas of Indonesia controlled by republican forces during the Indonesian National Revolution (1945–1949). It took part in negotiations with the Dutch in August and September 1948, and participated in the Dutch–Indonesian Round Table Conference at which the Dutch agreed to hand over sovereignty to the United States of Indonesia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">State of Pasundan</span> 1948–1950 Dutch client state then state of Indonesia

The State of Pasundan was a federal state (negara bagian) formed in the western part of the Indonesian island of Java by the Netherlands in 1948 following the Linggadjati Agreement. It was similar to the geographical area now encompassed by the current provinces of West Java, Banten and Jakarta.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States of Indonesia</span> 1949–1950 federal state in Southeast Asia

The United States of Indonesia was a short-lived federal state to which the Netherlands formally transferred sovereignty of the Dutch East Indies on 27 December 1949 following the Dutch–Indonesian Round Table Conference. This transfer ended the four-year conflict between Indonesian nationalists and the Netherlands for control of Indonesia. It lasted less than a year, before being replaced by the unitary Republic of Indonesia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Denpasar Conference</span> 1946 conference

The Denpasar Conference was held from 7–24 December 1946 at the Hotel Bali, Denpasar and resulted in the establishment of the State of East Indonesia, part of the United States of Indonesia.

References

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.