The Sunday Star (September 8, 1946)
British decide to quit Indies by Nov. 30
BATAVIA, Sept. 7 (AP) – The British announced today a final decision to withdraw their 20,000-man occupation force from the Netherlands Indies by November 30, regardless of the status of Dutch-Indonesian negotiations.
The withdrawal decision, a spokesman said, was made because Britain’s two occupation objectives under the Potsdam Agreement – the evacuation of Allied prisoners of war and internees, and the disarming of the Japanese – would be completed by then.
A Foreign Office spokesman in London said British operations in the islands had proceeded according to plan, but refused further comment on the evacuation announcement.
Referring to the troubled Indonesian political situation, the British spokesman said “His Majesty’s government is anxious that an agreement may be reached by political discussion, but the future of the Netherlands East Indies is not their responsibility. The Dutch and Indonesians must work out the problems themselves.”
Russia charged before the United Nations Security Council last winter that British military actions in Indonesia constituted a threat to world peace. The Russians said British troops were helping to suppress Indonesian independence desires. Britain replied that, she was merely carrying out an Allied assignment to disarm the enemy and evacuate prisoners.