DUTCH NEW GUINEA

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29373, 28 November 1960, Page 18

DUTCH NEW GUINEA

U.N. ‘Scrutiny’ Of Holland’s Policy

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) THE HAGUE, November 26. Holland has agreed for the first time to subject its policy in New Guinea to the scrutiny and judgment of the United Nations. The announcement to this effect came in a joint communique issued after talks between the Malayan Prime Minister (Tunku Abdul Rahman) and the Dutch Prime Minister (Mr de Quay) last night.

The communique said: “It was agreed that the Malayan Prime Minister. Tunku Abdul Rahman, who has already held similar talks on the New Guinea issue with other Governments as well as with the United Nations Sec-retary-General. Mr Hammarskjold. would, in the light of the outcome of these talks, consider whether later discussions might be useful.”

! The Tunku has previously seen | members of the Indonesian and I Australian governments and Mr Hammarskjold. Last month the Tunku said Malaya feared the 10-year-old New Guinea dispute between Holland and Indonesia might lead to war in South-east Asia. The Tunku. who arrived in the Hague yesterday, had a two-and-a-half-hour conference with the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister (Dr. Luns) and the State Secretary in charge of Dutch New Guinea (Mr Bot). U.N. Commission The Tunku told a press conference today that he hoped agreement could be reached on the dispatch of a United Nations team or commission to study the situation in Dutch New Guinea. The Malayan Prime Minister had been asked about a passage in the joint communique which said that the Tunku “notes with satisfaction that the Netherlands Government are willing to subject their policies in Netherlands New Guinea to the scrutiny and judgment of the United Nations.” Asked if this meant some form of trusteeship, the Tunku replied: “If the United Nations suggests the sending of a team or commission to examine the situation in Netherlands New Guinea. I understand that the Dutch Government is prepared to listen.” He said: "‘Whatever is stated here about sending a team, I have to communicate this to the Indonesian Government. Once Indonesia agrees I think the United Nations will send a team at once.” The Tunku added that it would be easy for Mr Hammarskjold to send such a team, which could, for example, consist of representatives of India, Australia and possibly Malaya, or any other country except the parties involved. He did not think it would be wise to include in the team one of the two contending parties because there would always, be obstructions if that were the case. “They should be countries who have nothing to gain by it and go to New Guinea with an unbiased mind.” The Tunku said that the United Nations could not form a judgment on the New Guinea dispute without sending a commission. He said that the word “scrutiny” in the communique, to which the 'Dutch Government was willing to submit its policies, “means sending a team to investigate, which would then report to the United Nations. From that report the United Nations could form its own judgment, and when the judgment is formed, according to this paragraph in the communique, the Dutch Government is quite willing to abide by the judgment of the United Nations. “I assume that is the intention of the Dutch Government. Of course, a government may change its mind, but I think a government should not,” he said. The Tunku said that the New Guinea issue “might easily come before the United Nations next year. , , ~, “I have to work fast and hard, he said. He said he was coming back to Holland in March next year, when he would be in London for the Commonwealth Prime Ministers’ conference. Hammarskjold’s Views Asked about the views of Mr Hammarskjold on the New Guinea problem. the Tunku .replied: “Mr Hammarskjold’s view is that the last word is with the Dutch Government J because the Dutch Government is the sovereign Power exercising sovereignty over Netherlands New Guinea. Whatever the Dutch Government feels he would have great respect for and the last word rests with them.” Asked whether this meant that Indonesian claims to sovereignty over West New Guinea were not recognised, the Tunku replied: "The next party to the Dutch is the Indonesian.” The Malayan Prime Minister agreed with a questioner that the Dutch Foreign Minister, had himself said in the United Nations General Assembly that Holland was willing to have its policies in New Guinea scrutinised by the United Nations, but. he said, this statement had now been “pinned down. You can say anything in the General Assembly, but you are not pinned down,” he said. Asked whether the Indian Prime Minister, Mr Nehru, had been consulted in his efforts to mediate in the New Guinea issue, the Tunku said: “I have not seen him yet, but I may talk to him. Actually there are only two countries concerned: Holland and Indonesia. I have obtained the views of the Netherlands Government in this matter. If the Indonesian Government agrees I do not think there is any need to consult any more countries.” Tunku’s Next Steps Asked what his next steps would be. the Tunku said that he would now be seeing the Indonesian Foreign Minister (Dr. Subpndrio) when he got back to Kuala Lumpur. "I expect he will

be there because that is the arrangement.” Asked whether he would also be seeing the Australian Prime Minister (Mr Menzies) he said. “That’s afterwards.” In his introductory statement before questions were asked, the Tunku said: “Where there has been a bone of contention on a certain subject, and w’here the parties concerned cannot come to any satisfactory settlement. I think it is always best to leave it to the United Nations to help them out of the trouble. I think Indonesia is quite willing to leave the matter to the United Nations. “Of course, the final say must rest with the Netherlands Government and as you see in the joint communique the Netherlands Government feels my efforts are not influenced by any hope of gain or any personal motive except a sincere desire to uphold peace in that part of the world. “I feel that if trouble were to break out, neither Holland nor Indonesia would gain anything by it. The only people who will gain will be the Communists who will always try to cash in and exploit the situation. Just look at Congo, Laos, and other Eastern places. “Leave It To U.N.” “Therefore. where the two nations stand to gain from the settlement of this issue, I think the best thing is to leave it to the United Nations, and to let the United Nations decide what it should do. This matter has been brought to the United Nations and time and time again the decision has been that it should be left to the Dutch and Indonesian governments to settle the issue. “We know that no proper effort has been made for a number of years. As this problem goes on the feelings between the two countries become worse and there is a danger that something terrible might happen,” the Tunku said. “I am sure both countries would not like to see anything bad or terrible come out of this issue. So I have done my little bit going round the countries of the world and talking with the various leaders, indicating what I feel should be done in this matter. I have had sympathetic listeners to what I have to say because no country can be committed in this matter. They have been listening with a great deal of sympathy and understanding” The Malayan Prime Minister said: “Before I came to Holland I saw Mr Hammarskjold and he was good enough to set out his own views about the question of West New Guinea and these views of Mr Hammarskjold’s I communicated to the Prime Minister of the Netherlands Government yesterday. I am happy to feel that the Dutch Prime Minister and Foreign Minister have also listened to what I have to say, and as a result of the talks we had after dinner last night we agreed to issue a communique saying that Holland was willing to submit its New Guinea policies to the scrutiny of the United Nations. “That is as far as we can hope to get at this stage. I do not doubt I shall have to have talks with the Indonesian representative when I get back. I would not rest until I felt some satisfactory solution is arrived at on the New Guinea question.