NEW GUINEA DISPUTE Indonesia May Accept Compromise Proposal

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29713, 5 January 1962, Page 11

NEW GUINEA DISPUTE Indonesia May Accept Compromise Proposal

(N.Z. Prist Association—Copyright) NEW YORK, January 4. Indonesia was reported today to be ready to compromise with Holland over West New Guinea, the Associated Press reported from Djakarta. This move was reported to be a result of pressure from the United States and Australia on the Indonesian leaders. The Associated Press quoted a Government source in Djakarta as saying details of the Indonesian concession had already been conveyed to the Governments of the United States and Australia.

The informant said the Indonesian Government was prepared to drop its claim to sovereignty and to offer the 700.000 Papuans the right of eventual self - determination if HoHand. handed over administration of the territory to Djakarta. The informant »aid Indonesia's readiness to accept administration instead of sovereignty over West New Guinea was a concession to pressure from the United States and Australia, which administered the eastern half of the island. He said the compromise reflected “the most liberal s and" Indonesia could take The Indonesian position was that the Papuans should be given an opportunity to experience Indonesian admini- «• ration before deciding on their future

If a transfer of administrate was agreed uoon. the informant said. Indonesia would be willing to discuss permitting Dutch officials to remain in New Guinea until an orderly change in administration could be made That was what the Foreign Miniser (Dr Subandrio' meant last week when he said Indonesia would be prepared to consider giving New Guinea a great measure of autonomy tinder Indonesian administration. it was explained. President Soekarno. who earlier had ordered his armed forces to stand by for an invasion of New Guinea at any moment, would set nut on a tour of Celebes Island today. Associated Press said. It was reported he would make an series of speeches declaring his determination to use force if necessary to end the New Guinea dispute A Dutch Governmen’ spokesman at The Hague said it was difficult to determine how much of the statements by Indonesian officials reflected their real intentions and how much was psycholog cal warfare. Associated Press reported. Reports from Washington said, however, that United States officials who had been trying to bring the two sides together for talks remained hopeful. Debate in The Hague In The Hague the Dutch Foreign Minister (Dr. J. M A H Luns) said yesterday Holland would do everything in her power to prevent the use of force by Indonesia but would not capitulate to the threat of war. In the strongest speech heard in the two-day Parliamentary debate. Dr. Luns, speaking with obvious emotion, said the Indonesians, if they attacked, would be branded as aggressors before the world He said the debate was taking place ‘ against a background of military threats.” Indonesia had pursued a s milar course during the United Nations debates on New Guinea. “Such blackmail makes reasonable negotiation extremely difficult,” he said. “The Dutch Government for its part has always been prepared, and still is prepared. to observe the greatest possible degree of reasonableness. But he who goes to the conference table in spite of the fact that his partner has put the knife on the table does not go to negotiate but to capitulate—and that we shall not do.” He said the Government was prepared to seek every means of restoring diplomatic relations with Indonesia “which were never broken off by us." He could well understand the confusion that must reign about the mood that prevailed in Djakarta Some news reports said that President Soekarno had rejected the Dutch proposal of talks without prior conditions. “I hope the last word has not been said on this." the Foreign Minister said “The Dutch Government will do its utmost to prevent a resort to violence by Indonesia. Sfiould Indonesia nevertheless do so, then the sole responsibility for this fatal course would rest upon Indonesia. "The use of violence would not primarily be a blow against Holland or the Papuan population, but would be aggression againet the international legal order." Visit To Britain During the debate the floor leader of the Protestant Political Reformed Party <Mr Cornelia van Dis) expressed surprise that the Queen should receive President Soekarno on a State visit to Britain after his wartime statement that “We shall wipe out America and we shall break Britain." Dr. Soekarno is due to visit Britain in May. Mr van Dis blamed Britain and the United States for supplying arms to Indonesia which would be used against the Dutch if Indonesia attacked New Guinea. He also said West Germany was supplying arms and. claimed Denmark was allowing Indonesian factories to make arms under licence Mr van Dis said Australia completely shared Holland s view that the principle of self-determination should be guaranteed and maintained m New Guinea.

The Prime Minister (Professor Jan de Quay) said the Government was willing to negotiate with Indonesia, as it had said on Tuesday, within a broader framework. Replying to criticism of the Foreign Minister as an “obstacle to a solution of the New Guinea problem,” the Prime Minister said the Cabinet was “unanimously completely confident in the way that Mr Luns is carrying out its policy.” (The Government announced on Tuesday that it would negotiate without prior insistence on Papuan selfdetermination.) Contact Through U.N.

Mrs Stoffels van Haaften. (Liberal), said she though the first contacts between Holland and Indonesia should be through the United Nations and the people of New Guinea should be included in the talks. Dr. J. Meulink, for the Anti-Revolutionary (Protestant) Party, said self-determ-ination for the Papuans was an “irrevocable promise.”

The Communist leader, Mr Paul de Groot, tabled a resolution inviting the Government to hand over the administration of West New Guinea to the Indonesians, but it lacked the minimum five supporters. Mr Jacob Burger (Labour), said: “This Government cannot negotiate with Indonesia and I doubt whether it actually wishes to negotiate.” Mr Pieter Blaisse (Catholic People's Party), said the interests of the Papuans were of primary importance

Replying to the debate. Professor de Quay said his Government felt “essentially responsible” for the people of West New Guinea, “and we cannot jettison this responsibility."

The debate ended without a vote. Observers' Comment

Political observers in The Hague said today that the main points that had emerged from the two-day debate were:—

(1) The majority of the House had given its support to the Dutch policy of dropping the prior conditions of self-deter-mination for the Papuans for talks with Indonesia. (2) In the absence of an explicit vote of confidence, which was not known in Dutch Parliamentary procedure, the Chamber had in fact given the Government the green light on fur-

ther moves planned but not yet revealed. (3) The Government advocacy of talks with Indonesia under the chairmanship of a neutral third party, preferably the United Nations, had

met with approval. (4) Both the Cabinet as a whole and the Foreign Minister in particular had emerged from the meeting with Parliament unscathed, in spite of strong opposition attacks, and speculation about a Cabinet crisis or the resignation of Dr. Luns could be regarded as unfounded.