UNREST IN JAVA

Press, Volume LXXXI, Issue 24736, 29 November 1945, Page 3

UNREST IN JAVA

PART PLAYED BY YOUNG INDONESIANS DUTCH SHIPPING OFFICIAL'S COMMENT Young Javanese between the ages of 14 and 20, who were used by the Japanese as internment camp guards and. for any other work that they wanted, have been responsible for most of the present unrest in Java; according to Mr A. J. Ramondt, of the Netherlands Ministry of Shipping, who was in Batavia only a week ago, and who arrived in Christchurch by air yesterday. Mr Ramondt described these young Javanese, who are known as He* Ho's, as being irresponsible and without any political ideas. Mr Ramondt, who was in Japanese hsnds in Manila for three years, was formerly president of Eastern and Philippines Shipping Agencies, which was a combine of Dutch shipping and air lines. He went to Java on behalf of the Netherlands East Indies Shipping.Organisation to assist in restoring shipping facilities. Now he has been appointed representative of the Netherlands Ministry of Shipping in" the Philippines, with headquarters in Manila. He is visiting the. Dominion to see his wife, who is a daughter of Mr and Mrs W. H. Montgomery, of Little River, and his small son, both of whom have been here since their release from the Japanese. Military Training Mr Rsmondt'said that as soon as the Japanese established their rule in the Netherlands East Indies, they called in the assistance of the young Javanese, who were used for every, kind, of work the Japanese wanted'to be done. They were also fed by the Japanese, and some were given a little military training. These Hei Ho's were used as internment camp guards as part of the Japanese general scheme to lower the prestige of the white people. There would be fewer than a dozen.Japanese in charge of a camp, and 50 or more JavEnese, who took pleasure in lording it over their former masters. The lowest estimate of the number of these Hei Ho's was 80,000, which' wasi comparatively *■ small, compared with Java's total population of several millions

"When the Japanese surrendered the Hei Ho's went back to their various villages, because they were afraid. of counter-measures being taken against them," said Mr Ramondt. "The general attitude of the rest of the population was very good. The internees were not allowed to leave- their camps at first, but later they obtained rjasses to move about in their districts, and by the end of September they were able to travel all over Java. The travellers were received very well indeed by the population, and were given food and attentiqp by the native Red Cross." Mr Ramondt said that the Japanese also made ■ use .of .several political parties which had been seeking independence. After the .Japanese surrender , the unfortunate situation aroi=e that the Allied forces were unable to occupy Java rtraight away/ During the waiting period the Hei Ho's and the political parties had an opportunity to reconsider the situation. i'

"At present the, Hei Ho's can be considered as nothing more than looters, murderers, and robbers, who are not under the control of any party,", said Mi- Ramondt. "The Indonesian Nationalist,? are x different. We could, I am sure, come to iin understanding with the nationalists, but unfortunately they have no control whatsoever over. the Hei Ho's. Japanese Help "We are sure that .some of 'these Hei Ho's have some' Japanese officers who have disobeyed: the orders of. the Supreme Allied Commander to surrender. It is said that; there are even a few German officers who are foment-, ing unrest. The. Japanese, although they accepted the terms of the surrender, apparently gave some "of their younger officers the - opportunity to escape,; and . they are stirring up trouble." .

Mr Ramondt said that at present there was sporadic sniping in Batavia, but there were some districts, where Europeans could move freely. There were others.where_they could not .venture to go, however, and between, October 1 and November 15 more than, 600 people had disappeared in-Batavfa. They had gone to call, briscßSfetfo'dyj or had not kept to the proper roads. Four hundred of them were .Japanese; •. The fate of many was .unknown, but apparently a few had been kidnapped, for Dutch Ambonese' troops had released 100 kidnapper people >fr6m' an Indonesian police .station. . "The actions of. the Allied forces ■have been greatly hampered by the fact that there are more than 100,000 internees in central-Java, .the. moun« tains, and near Batavia," added, Mr Ramondt "We are afraid that if any strong action is taken, most of these internees will be massacred. .The idea is to get out as many as possible. About 60,000. of them, mostly women and children, who have been in Japanese hands for more than three years, are concentrated in the Bandoeng area, where the climate is better." -