Round Table Conference Held In History Today, 23 August 1949

The Round Table Conference in The Hague, the Netherlands became an important record in today's history, 23 August 1949, for Indonesia. (Wikimedia Commons)

JAKARTA - History today, 73 years ago, August 23, 1949, the Round Table Conference (KMB) was held in The Hague, Netherlands. This diplomacy was carried out by Indonesia as an invitation to gain recognition of independence from the Netherlands.

The Dutch delegation was led by Van Maarseven. Meanwhile, Indonesia was represented by Mohammad Hatta. As a result, the Netherlands recognized Indonesia as an independent country de facto and de jure. Not everyone is satisfied. Bung Karno especially. He condemned the attitude of the Dutch who did not want to let West Irian go.

Diplomacy is considered the most reasonable way to maintain complete independence. Indonesia also chose that option. even though it was ridiculed. Sultan Sjahrir was behind it. He stirred up the narrative of diplomacy because he saw Indonesia's power which was not much.

Instead of Indonesia being rich, the military fleet with modern weapons doesn't even have it. The possibility of winning by taking up arms was a dream in broad daylight. This means that the option to take up arms is tantamount to handing over Indonesia to the Dutch.

Diplomacy is also the backbone. A series of agreements were concluded with the Netherlands. These include the Lingarjati Agreement to Roem-Royen. Initially, the series of agreements caused a lot of harm to Indonesia. However, recently Indonesia began to turn things around.

Mohammad Hatta (right) leader of the Indonesian delegation at the Round Table Conference in The Hague, Netherlands, 23 August-2 November 1949. (Wikimedia Commons)

In the KMB agreement, for example. The Dutch finally wanted to recognize Indonesian sovereignty. All of this was thanks to good diplomacy led by Mohammad Hatta in The Hague, Netherlands from August 23 to November 2, 1948. However, the KMB had to be paid dearly because West Irian was not part of Indonesia's territory.

“Irian's problem is also difficult to solve. According to historian Kahin, many Dutch officials in Indonesia were not interested in the still closed Irian Jaya. It was also quite loud that the general voice in the Netherlands did not want Irian, including the rulers who were quite large in number. To run the government in Irian, the Netherlands spends 10 million guilders every year.”

"But the Dutch government is of the opinion that if Irian Jaya is not arrested, the Dutch Parliament will not accept the KMB approval. Therefore, according to Kahin, the reason for detaining Irian was not an economic reason, as is generally thought by Indonesia, but rather a socio-psychological one,” said G. Moedjanto in the book Indonesia of the 20th Century, Volume 2 (1989).

The results obtained from the KMB did not necessarily satisfy the Great Leader of the Revolution, Soekarno. West Irian has not been handed over by the Dutch. In fact, Bung Karno once said that without West Irian, Indonesia would not be complete.

Circumstances of the Round Table Conference in The Hague, Netherlands on 23 August-2 November 1949. (Wikimedia Commons)

Bung Karno then fought for West Irian to belong to Indonesia. Various diplomacy was carried out. However, failed to get an answer. When the Indonesian military began to improve, Soekarno ventured to confront the Dutch by promoting the liberation of West Irian through the Tri Komando Rakyat on December 19, 1961.

“Now I ask the brothers and sisters, the international community, why the Dutch have made West Irian a puppet of Papua. The Dutch instigated the people of West Irian to carry out a policy of dividing the sovereignty of the Republic of Indonesia by establishing the State of Papua, raising the Papuan flag, and creating the national anthem of Zoogenamde.

The holding of the Round Table Conference in Deen Haag, the Netherlands is an important record in the history of today, 23 August 1949.