and native regents; carried out listening sessions with agricultural and forestry officials
from Java and Madura;49 sent surveys to Binnenlands Bestuur officials, regional heads
of the Outer Islands and small farm leaseholders;50 and advertised in numerous vernacular
newspapers for opinions from local organisations and civic associations
regarding IEV’s demands.51 The first response from Indonesians arrived from
Sumatra’s West Coast where several women’s associations held public meetings in
Padang and Padang Pandjang. The meetings passed motions from voting members
to reject IEV’s demand.52 Java reacted slower than Sumatra because many nationalist
and civic organisations there followed a boycott by the Union of Political Associations
of the Indonesian People (Permufakatan Perhimpunan Politik Kebangsaan Indonesia,
PPPKI), which had objected to the Spit Commission appointment.53 Chapters of the
Catholic Youth Organisation, a part of the Javanese Catholic Party (Pakempalan
Politik Katolik Djawi, PPKD), in Blitar and Magelang rejected the idea of granting
land rights to Indo-Europeans, arguing that it would disrupt the economic, social,
and political stability of the native population.54 Responses continued to flood in during
the next four years until the Spit Commission announced its summary of findings
in 1935. Indonesians grabbed the opportunity given by the Spit Commission to voice
their opinions, even though they were unconvinced that their rejection would be
taken seriously.55 Nevertheless, the exercise gave Indonesians a taste of participating
in the making of an important public policy.