Soekarno Vows To Take New Guinea This Year

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29714, 6 January 1962, Page 13

Soekarno Vows To Take New Guinea This Year

(NZ.P.A -Rent er—Copyright)

MACASSAR (South Celebes), January 5.

President Soekarno swore before a crowd of 1,000,000 Indonesians standing in pouring rain yesterday that, with God’s help, Indonesia would “have West New Guinea back” this year. No bomb, no fleet, no army could stop Indonesia, he said.

Speaking of his claim to Da'.ch-administered Wes: New Guinea (West Irian), he said: ‘‘lndonesia does not ask for negotiations. We ill only come into negotiat.ons if their purpose is the transfer of the administration to us.” Djakarta Radio said yesterday that 250.000 fully equipped Indonesian troops were standing by in East Indonesia under secret orders. ready to march against the Dutch. Indonesian Government sources told reporters that Indonesia might forgo formal sovereignty temporarily while actually administering "West I-ian” —but this would be •he greatest possible concession. Group In Macassar President Soekarno, who arrived in Macassar with 11 Cabinet Ministers, his service chiefs, 10 foreign envoys, and the Soviet Cosmonaut. Major Gherman Titov, told the huge rally: "If the Dutch will not understand our national claim to West Irian, the Indonesian people will attack the terriHe said that “no single Power in the world” could prevent this. President Soekarno said the Dutch Prime Minister 'Professor Jan de Quay) has told his Parliament that the Dutch were prepared for negotiations without preconditions on self-determina-tion for the Papuans.

President Soekarno said: “I tell Mr de Quay that the purpose of any negotiations must be the transfer of the administration of West Irian from the Netherlands to Indonesia. Without this purpose, any negotiations are of no avail.” He added: "The spirit of ‘.he Indonesian nation keeps flaming. We are fully determined to free our brothers from the colonialists. If the Dutch will not understand this, the Indonesian people will attack West Irian.” President Soekarno said he had appointed the members of a general mobilisation committee and a "theatre command” to direct the armed forces to liberate “West Irian.” The committee would report to him not later than January 15. U.S. Criticised His speech also indirectly criticised the United States. He said: “Some country has advised Indonesia not to use force to solve the West Irian issue. Why does not that country blame the Dutch? Say to the Dutch: ‘You are wrong: give the administration of West Irian to Indonesia’.” Macassar and the South Celebes, he said, which had taken the Dutch so long to conquer, were the main base in the struggle for West New Guinea. They had the best harbour and the best airport in east Indonesia, and their people

had the most fiery spirit. It was to Macassar, after the Dutch had tried to return to Indonesia in 1945, that they had sent Captain Raymond Westerling, a man Indonesians accuse of killing 40.000. The demand for West New Guinea was not just his. President Soekarno said. It was that of Macassar and all Indonesia. Dutch "Cheating” Dr. Soekarno said that Indonesia had tried to use peaceful means to get the territory but had been lied to and cheated by the Dutch. “And if one day ships go out to invade West Irian I can do nothing,” he said. Tpming to the foreign ambassadors, the President said: “If the people want to invade, your Excellencies, I can do nothing.” The giant crowd in the great park in the centre of the strategic city of Macassar roared approval for every sally of the President against Holland and shouted to him to give the command to sail against the Dutch now.