Indonesian Arms Deal With Russia Denied

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28554, 7 April 1958, Page 11

Indonesian Arms Deal With Russia Denied

(Rec. 8 p.m.) JAKARTA, April 6. An Indonesian Army spokesman has denied reports that the central Government has purchased a number of Russian Mig jet fighters and Ilyushin bombers He qualified his denial by saying it was made “on the basis of my information.” “It would be wrong,” he said, “to assume that we are now trying to buy weapons from the Soviet bloc to crush the Padang rebellion. Attempts to buy arms were initiated months before the rebellion broke out.” The Indonesians had concluded a deal for the purchase of torpedo boats and small arms from Jugoslavia. the United Press reported from Singapore. Reliable sources said the Jakarta Government had also contracted for purchases from Czecho-slovakia-Russia's agent in its Egyptian arms deals—but added that the details were not yet known, the United Press said. But these and other arms-pur-chase reports—including one which said President Soekamo had arranged to buy Soviet aircraft from the Czechs—were dismissed as nonsense by a spokesman at the Indonesian Consulate in Singapore. Meanwhile rebel forces retreated on two fronts before Indonesian Government troops in

the Barisian mountains and the loss of the rebels' only major lifeline to the outside world wss imminent. the United Press reported. Rebel Government officials admitted that their troops bad had to fall back before heavy troop, mortar, and air attacks by central Government drives from Pakanbaru and Rengat toward the rebel strongholds of Bukittinggi and Padang. Rebel leaders in Bukittinggi made plans to "take to the hills” and continue their revolution with guerrilla warfare if necessary. The rebel Interior Minister. Dahlan Djambek. Mid Government troops had overrun the key town of Lubuk Djambi. about 80 miles south-east of Bukittinggi. and were within 25 miles of the vital petrol supply road from neutral South Sumatra. the United Press Mid. He Mid another arm of the Central Government force had broken through rebe> defences at Bankinang and was engaged with a battalion of rebel trows about 80 miles north-east of Bukittinggi. There was no report on the success or failure of a rebel counterattack at Siantar. about SO miles south of the north Sumatran capital of Medan. This wu designed as a diversion to take the pressure off Bukittinggi and the rebel port of Padang.