The Negotiations Begin
After protracted discussions, all sides agreed to hold the talks at a neutral venue. The United States made available the troopship USS Renville, which was anchored in Jakarta Bay, and the first formal session of the CGO began on 8 December 1947.
The republican delegation was led by Amir Sjarifuddin, with Johannes Leimena as his deputy. On the Dutch side, the delegation was led by Jhr. Van Vredenburg, with Col. Abdulkadir Widjojoatmodjo as his deputy.
On 26 December as negotiations stalled, the CGO issued a "Christmas Message", a proposal calling for a truce with the Van Mook line as military boundary. However, Dutch forces withdrew to positions held before the July 1947 military action and the republicans would take over civilian administration upon returning to those areas. The Indonesian side accepted the proposal in its entirely, but the Dutch gave only partial agreement and put forward 12 counter proposals. Among these was a demand for free elections for people to decide their relationship with the future United States of Indonesia and for both sides to guarantee freedom of assembly and speech. The Dutch not accept troop withdrawals or Indonesian civilian administration in those areas returned to their control. The Dutch also opposed any international observation of the agreement.
Read more about this topic: Renville Agreement
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