Linggadjati Agreement
Encyclopedia
The Linggadjati Agreement, also known as the Cheribon Agreement, was a political accord concluded on 15 November 1946 by the Dutch
administration and the unilaterally declared Republic of Indonesia
. Negotiations took place 11–12 November. The Dutch side was represented by Lieutenant General Governor Hubertus van Mook, the Indonesian side by Prime Minister Sutan Sjahrir
.
Negotiations had begun in October 1946 and a ceasefire in Java and Sumatra was agreed to. Recognising 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 the terms of the agreement, the Netherlands agreed to recognize Republican rule over Java, Sumatra
and Madura
. The Republic would become a constituent state of the United States of Indonesia, which should be established by 1 January 1949 at the latest and form a Netherlands-Indonesian Union together with the Netherlands, Suriname
, and the Netherlands Antilles
. The Dutch Queen
would remain official head of this Union.
However, on 25 March 1947 the House of Representatives ratified a 'stripped down' version of the treaty, which was not accepted by the Indonesians. Further disagreements rose over the implementation of the agreement. On 20 July of the same year, the Dutch administration canceled the accord, followed by military intervention in form of Operatie Product
, the first of two events known as politionele acties
('police actions').
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
administration and the unilaterally declared Republic of Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. Negotiations took place 11–12 November. The Dutch side was represented by Lieutenant General Governor Hubertus van Mook, the Indonesian side by Prime Minister Sutan Sjahrir
Sutan Sjahrir
Sutan Sjahrir , an avant garde and idealistic Indonesian intellectual, was a revolutionary independence leader...
.
Negotiations had begun in October 1946 and a ceasefire in Java and Sumatra was agreed to. Recognising their still weakened position following World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the Netherlands were more prepared to negotiate with the Republic than they were later in the Indonesian National Revolution
Indonesian National Revolution
The Indonesian National Revolution or Indonesian War of Independence was an armed conflict and diplomatic struggle between Indonesia and the Dutch Empire, and an internal social revolution...
. In the terms of the agreement, the Netherlands agreed to recognize Republican rule over Java, Sumatra
Sumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
and Madura
Madura
Madura is an Indonesian island off the northeastern coast of Java. The island comprises an area of approximately 4,250 km². Madura is administered as part of the East Java province. It is separated from Java by the narrow Strait of Madura.-History:...
. The Republic would become a constituent state of the United States of Indonesia, which should be established by 1 January 1949 at the latest and form a Netherlands-Indonesian Union together with the Netherlands, Suriname
Suriname
Suriname , officially the Republic of Suriname , is a country in northern South America. It borders French Guiana to the east, Guyana to the west, Brazil to the south, and on the north by the Atlantic Ocean. Suriname was a former colony of the British and of the Dutch, and was previously known as...
, and the Netherlands Antilles
Netherlands Antilles
The Netherlands Antilles , also referred to informally as the Dutch Antilles, was an autonomous Caribbean country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, consisting of two groups of islands in the Lesser Antilles: Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao , in Leeward Antilles just off the Venezuelan coast; and Sint...
. The Dutch Queen
Wilhelmina of the Netherlands
Wilhelmina was Queen regnant of the Kingdom of the Netherlands from 1890 to 1948. She ruled the Netherlands for fifty-eight years, longer than any other Dutch monarch. Her reign saw World War I and World War II, the economic crisis of 1933, and the decline of the Netherlands as a major colonial...
would remain official head of this Union.
However, on 25 March 1947 the House of Representatives ratified a 'stripped down' version of the treaty, which was not accepted by the Indonesians. Further disagreements rose over the implementation of the agreement. On 20 July of the same year, the Dutch administration canceled the accord, followed by military intervention in form of Operatie Product
Operatie Product
Operatie Product, was the first of two major Dutch military offensives against the Republic of Indonesia during the Indonesian National Revolution. It took place following Dutch assertions that Indonesia cooperated insufficiently in the implementation of the Linggadjati Agreement, which had been...
, the first of two events known as politionele acties
Politionele acties
"Politionele Acties" refers to two major military offensives undertaken by the Netherlands on Java and Sumatra against the Republic of Indonesia during its struggle for independence in the Indonesian National Revolution...
('police actions').