Van Mook Line

The Van Mook line in Java. Areas in red were under Republican control.

The Van Mook Line, also known as the Status Quo Line, named after Hubertus van Mook was an artificial boundary which separated Dutch and the Republic of Indonesia on Java during the Indonesian National Revolution. It was established following the Renville Agreement in January 1948 which ended the first Dutch police action Operatie Product.

The line was surrounded by a no man's land which covered an area about 10–15 km wide. In late 1948, the Republic's military violated the armistice by infiltrating guerrilla forces into Dutch-occupied areas. This prompted the Dutch to launch a second full-scale offensive known as Operatie Kraai in December 1948.

Bibliography

• Cheong, Yong Mun (1982). H.J. Van Mook and Indonesian Independence: A Study of His Role in Dutch-Indonesian Relations, 1945-48. The Hague: Nijhoff.
• Kahin, George McTurnan (1952). Nationalism and Revolution in Indonesia. Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Press. ISBN 0-8014-9108-8.
• Kahin, George McTurnan; Audrey Kahin (2003). Southeast Asia: A Testament. London: Routledge Curzon. ISBN 0-415-29975-6.