Renville Agreement

an agreement ending the first colonial war (1947–48) of the Dutch imperialists against the Republic of Indonesia, a war unleashed by the Netherlands in violation of the Linggadjati Agreement of 1947. The Renville Agreement was signed on Jan. 17, 1948, by the governments of the Republic of Indonesia and the Netherlands. The negotiations were conducted at the port of Jakarta on the “neutral territory” of the American ship Renville with the participation of the Good Offices Committee set up by the United Nations. The agreement comprised an armistice proper, 12 political principles governing the procedure and nature of future negotiations, and six additional principles of the Good Offices Committee.

The terms of the Renville Agreement were less favorable to the Republic of Indonesia than the terms of the Linggadjati Agreement. There was to be a cease-fire and a disengagement of troops along a provisional line. The territory of the republic was thereby greatly reduced; Dutch occupation was maintained over the greater part of the islands of Java and Sumatra, including all the port cities and oil-bearing regions. The Renville Agreement recognized Dutch sovereignty over all of Indonesia until the formation of the United States of Indonesia as provided for in the Linggadjati Agreement, in which the republic would constitute just one state.

Taking advantage of the deterioration in the domestic situation in the Republic of Indonesia, the Netherlands abrogated the Renville Agreement in December 1948 and started the second colonial war (1948–49). However, in the spring of 1949 the Netherlands was again forced to begin negotiations with the republic (seeROUND TABLE CONFERENCE OF 1949).