The Linggarjati Agreement

Its historical background and significance
The Netherlands and Indonesia have a long history together which has had a fundamental effect on both nations. This history began with trading, later evolving into a colonial relationship. In this relationship, the interests of the Dutch had priority in practically everything. For the Netherlands, the ties with Indonesia led to far reaching development in commerce, agriculture and science, which determined the image of this small country on the North Sea well into the twentieth century. As for Indonesia, the balance of the advantages and disadvantages is, until today, a subject of intensive discussion. Obviously, a conclusive formulation is not simple.

Nevertheless, the presence of the Dutch led to the formation of the colonial state of the Dutch East Indies, which to a certain extend was also accepted by the inhabitants of the archipelago as being their “own” country. During the years preceding the Second World War, the movement for Indonesian national independence intensified. The Dutch government however, opposed any proposal for fundamental reform. They considered it too early and had no intentions of giving up the profits resulting from their holdings in the “East”. Besides, it was argued, Indonesia would not be able to “stand on its own feet” without Dutch leadership.

In those years, the Dutch could well afford such an attitude. That changed however, when Japan occupied the Dutch East Indies from March 1942 until August 1945. Following that period, the Dutch had to redefine its attitude towards the country. The defeat of the Royal Dutch East Indies Army (the KNIL) by the Japanese and the subsequent occupation had weakened the position of the Dutch. Meanwhile, during that same period, the Indonesian nationalistic movement succeeded in organising itself.

On August 17th, 1945, Sukarno and Hatta proclaimed the independent Republic of Indonesia. This led to a conflict with the returning Dutch authorities, a conflict that would endure until December 27, 1949, when the sovereign Republic of the United States of Indonesia was recognised. The in-between years were marked by conflict and negotiations with the Dutch who were attempting to regain control and were making a last effort to organise Indonesia in line with their own interests. The Dutch demanded a federal Indonesia, in which not only the interests of the many minorities, but also their own interests would be secure, and opposed the Republic's concept of a unitary state. The end result did indeed meet the Dutch wishes in form, albeit not in content. The independent Indonesia succeeded in establishing its own priorities. Hence, the federation disappeared and six months following the transfer of sovereignty, a unitary Indonesian state became a fact.

From August 17, 1945, until December 27, 1949, the Netherlands and the Republic of Indonesia were basically opponents. Large armies were deployed by both sides and bitter battles were unavoidable, but contiguous with this were continuous efforts to find a solution by means of negotiations. This led to a series of conferences, among which the negotiations that were conducted at Linggarjati from November 11 through 13, 1946, played a memorable role.

At Linggarjati, profound historical decisions were made - at least in principle - which set the stage for further consultations. It was here that the Kingdom of The Netherlands recognized the Indonesian Republic as ruling Java and Sumatra whilst concurrently recognizing Dutch sovereignty, and declaring itself willing to cooperate in the formation of the federal “United States of Indonesia” desired by the Dutch. This Federation of Indonesian States would be united with the Netherlands in a common bond to be called the Dutch-Indonesian Union. This agreement was signed by both parties on March 25, 1947.

The Linggarjati Agreement however, did not result in a workable solution. The formulation was too vague, permitting both parties leeway for their own interpretations. As a result, in the years following, there were two outbreaks of war which the Dutch euphemistically called ‘police actions'. Although these military campaigns resulted in changing the balance of power in the field, they did nothing to solve the underlying problems. The subsequently necessary negotiations however, were consistently based on the principles established at Linggarjati. These same principles can also be found in the results of the Round Table Conference, which took place in The Hague in October 1949, clearing the way for the transfer of sovereignty.