REBEL AMBUSH IN SUMATRA

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28606, 7 June 1958, Page 13

REBEL AMBUSH IN SUMATRA

Minister Escapes After Attack

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 9 p.m.) NEW YORK, June 6.

Dr. Suprapto, Attorney General of Indonesia, and Lieutenant Colonel Rusli, national chief Of military police, escaped unhurt from an ambush by Indonesian rebels six miles from Bukittinggi. the former rebel capital on Sumatra, on Wednesday, a “New York Times” correspondent in Jakarta reported today. The correspondent, Tillman Durdin, said that the Indonesian news agency, Perubire Indonesia, reported last night that Dr. Suprapto and Colonel Rusli were travelling along the highway from Padang to Bukittinggi with a military police escort when they were waylaid. x The news agency dispatch did not say how the attack was made bus said that no-one was hurt and the rebels escaped into the mountains. Durdin said that Government troops occupied the large towns in the region but the countryside was still largely dominated by rebel bands. Sumatran officials of the revolutionary government were reported to have separate retreats 'in mountainous areas only short distances from Padang and Bukittinggi. Dr. Sjafruddin Prawiranegara. head of the revolutionary government. was reported to be living on the slopes of Mount Merapi, which overlooks Bukittinggi.

Mr Durdin said that only about 50 per cent, of the West Sumatran civil servants were reported back on their jobs, which were mostly low-ranking ones. The others, for the most part remaining in their homes, refused for the time being to go l?ack to work either for fear of rebel reprisals or opposition to the central Government.

Occupied in reinforcing main points. Government forces were finding it difficult to take the offensive against rebel bands, the correspondent said. An Antara news agency report had said six tons of arms and ammunition were seized recently in a clean-up operation in the Banderalam area of West Sumatra.