Malino Conference

The Dutch summoned 39 Indonesians who represented the (rajas), Christians, and other ethnic groups from Kalimantan and East Indonesia and who were in favor of maintaining some sort of link with the Netherlands.

This was in sharp contrast to the policy of the British forces occupying Java and Sumatra, who prevented the Dutch from interfering in administrative concerns.

[4][3][5] Van Mook began making approaches to prospective delegates in April 1946, asking them to attend and participate in a conference to discuss the structure of a government in eastern Indonesia.

Because of the ongoing political instability in Borneo, it was decided to focus the endeavor to establish a federal state on the Great East region.

Van Mook subsequently decided to hold the Denpasar Conference in December 1946 to discuss the establishment of a government in this region.

It was attended by representatives of the self-governing areas in the State of East Indonesia, who proposed a law establishing a Provisional Senate.