CHINESE LOSSES IN INDONESIA

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25250, 31 July 1947, Page 7

CHINESE LOSSES IN INDONESIA

ASSURANCE GIVEN BY DUTCH

ALLEGATIONS AGAINST REPUBLICANS

(Rec. 9 p.m.) BATAVIA, July 30. The Netherlands East Indies Government has given an assurance to China that it will do its utmost to prevent further destruction of Chinese property in Indonesia. The assurance is understood to have followed a meeting between the Lieuten-ant-General (Dr. Van Mook) and the Chinese Consul-General (Mr Chiang), who is believed to have * expressed strongly the Chinese Government’s attitude.

Additional reports of Republican destruction of Chinese property in practically all areas where Dutch forces have begun “police action” are daily reaching Batavia. It is impossible to estimate Chinese losses, but it is understood that they already amount to many million guilders. The principal destruction has been in the Chinese residential sections of towns, rice factories, and Chinese produce stocks. Some observers say the Republicans are destroying Chinese property because they fear the Chinese will sell their produce to the Dutch, thus assisting them to obtain the foreign credits needed for economic rehabilitation of the occupied areas. In Nanking the Chinese Vice-Min-ister of Foreign Affairs (Mr George Yeh) accused the Indonesian Army to-day of repeated acts of violence and arson against “the defenceless, neutral Chinese population of Java.” He said such acts were a serious offence against international law and humanity, and asked the Indonesian authorities to order their troops to refrain strictly from them in future. He added that at the same time the Netherlands Government should fulfil its moral and legal obligation to protect Chinese lives and property.

The Chinese Government has appropriated 1,000,000 guilders for the relief of Chinese in Indonesia.