ARMS DROPS IN INDONESIA

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28551, 2 April 1958, Page 6

ARMS DROPS IN INDONESIA

Admission By Rebels (N.Z. Press Association — Copyright) SINGAPORE, March 31. The Indonesian rebel Minister of Defence (Colonel Burhanuddin Harahap) admitted today that foreign aircraft had regularly dropped supplies to the rebel forces. The British United Press said he would not name the countries involved, but said that negotiations had been arranged at Singapore and Taipeh—mostly for rifles, bazookas, and hand grenades. [ The Jakarta Government has repeatedly claimed that aircraft [ have dropped supplies to the I rebels and has made allegations implicating Nationalist China. The rebel Minister of Trade and Supplies (Dr. Sumitro) and Major J. M. Pantouw are understood to have left Singapore early today in an aircraft reported to belong to China Air Transport of Formosa. The aircraft was, believed to be .heading for Labuan, North Borneo, en route to Manila. [ Padang Radio today claimed ' that the Jakarta forces in Sumatra were showing signs of [weakness and that many senior I officers and their men were joining the rebels in areas of Langkat and Medan, on the east coast. The British United Press quoted a Caltex Oil Company official, broadcasting over the company radio, as saying that the company's installations at

Dumai had suffered from a wave) lof lawlessness and looting in the' last few days. President Syngman Rhee of! South Korea had offered his navy, army and air force to the Indonesian rebels to help in their fight against the regime of President Soekarno, and had urged the other anti-Communist Asian na-| tions to do the same, the “New York World-Telegram and Sun" reported today.