ARMY FEUDS IN INDONESIA

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28471, 28 December 1957, Page 9

ARMY FEUDS IN INDONESIA

Battle In South Celebes (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 10 p.m.) NEW YORK, December 26. The Indonesian Army Chief of Staff, Major-General Abdul Haris Nasution, has sent a personal aide to investigate a fierce battle between two Army units in Macassar, the capital of South Celebes, the United Press reported from Jakarta today.

The agency quoted an Army spokesman as saying the aide was ordered to “localise” the feud and prevent it from breaking out somewhere else. Eight soldiers and a civilian were killed in the hour-long battle on Sunday, the United Press said. A spokesman had said the fight was caused by a personal controversy, but he did not elaborate.

The Army intelligence chief, Lieutenant-Colonel Achmed Sukendro, confirmed reports that two “foreign nationals” were arrested after the November 30 attempt to assassinate President Soekarno, the United Press reported. Colonel Sukendro told a press conference that the prisoners were members of the Malayan Overseas Youth League. The Netherlands diplomatic mission in Jakarta reported today that 10,000 Dutch citizens would be evacuated from Indonesia by the end of the month. It listed a schedule of 10 more sailings for Dutch nationals aboard Dutch, British and Italian ships. All Dutch employees of the Indonesian State-owned shipping line, Pelni, are to be paid off at the end of the month, the American Associated Press reported. The firm employed 30 Dutchmen as pilots, captains, engineers and technicians.

Indonesia planned to shop for military equipment in Communist countries because a proposal to buy such material from the United States had not been answered by Washington, an Indonesian source said yesterday in Jakarta, according to the “New York Times.” The correspondent in Jakarta quoted the source as saying: “Our proposal was submitted to the United States earlier this year, and in spite of our pleading we have not yet received a definite answer. We cannot wait any longer.”