Lack Of Plans Denied

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28472, 30 December 1957, Page 7

Lack Of Plans Denied

(Rec. 8 p.m.) JAKARTA, Dec. 28. Dr. Djuanda, the Prime Minister, today denied that the Indonesian Government’s measures to gain Dutch West New Guinea were taken without adequate planning. The anti-Dutch reprisals had been taken by the Government in accordance with pre-viously-made plans, he said. Observers said the Premier, who gave an interview to correspondents of the Pia and Antara news agencies, was apparently replying to the attack made earlier by Dr. Hatta. Dr. Djuanda referred to the decisions of the financial and economic sections of the State Commission for Realisation of Abrogation of the 1949 Round Table Conference Agreement with Holland. He also mentioned various other Government measures, including those dealing with profit transfers of Dutch enterprises and the bill on foreign investments. He said all these were directed toward the making of normal political and economic relations between Indonesia and Holland He said their chief aim was to do away with privileges enjoyed by Dutch interests in Indonesia and to promote develooment of a strong national Indonesian economy. The time to realise these plans and decisions was shortened. “I think we will never make a start with their realisation if we are to wait until all internal problems have been properly settled,” he said. Pia news agency quoted Dr Djuanda as having admitted that the workers by-passed the Government in the taking over of Dutch enterprises. The agency said Dr. Djuanda said this was because each of the enterprises had its own plans to disrupt Indonesia’s economy, and the workers, aware of this, had taken measures on their own without waiting for the Government.