‘FIRM ACTION’ BY INDONESIA SOON

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29723, 17 January 1962, Page 11

‘FIRM ACTION’ BY INDONESIA SOON

Dutch Attack Claimed To J Be On High Seas

(N Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) KUALA LUMPUR, January 16. . The Dutch attack on Indonesian patrol boats south of West New Guinea would result in “firm action soon” by the Indonesian armed forces,. Major-General Ahmad Jani, Chief of Staff of the “West Irian liberation operation,” said today according to Radio Djakarta.

According to General Jani, both sides had been conducting patrols in “the border area” recently. The radio quoted him as sayiqg that Dutch and Indonesian patrol boats had been meeting frequently on the high seas, but no action bad taken place previously. Crews on each side had been content to keep an eye on the enemy.

“But now the Dutch have attacked us suddenly and because of this the Indonesian armed forces will take firm action soon,” General Jani said.

General Jani said that yesterday’s conflict between Dutch and Indonesian naval vessels lasted an hour. The Dutch said thr Dutch patrol ships caught a small flotilla of Indonesian torpedo boats off New Guinea, sank one and possibly a second. The Indonesian version today was that the tight was in Indonesian waters, in the neighbourhood of A— Island, 100 miles south of New Guinea, and that the Indonesians were attacked ir. the open sea. Dutch Force General Jani said the Dutch force consisted of one destroyer, one frigate and one aircraft. He said the attack was sudden. Emerging from a hurriedly called meeting of the operation staff over which President Soekarno presided, he warned that the Indonesian Government was taking steps to counter the Dutch attack. He would not say what these were.

General Jani said the Dutch Navy had been active for several weeks, particularly in the Moluccas, a fact which had prompted Indonesia to step up its own patrols. He said Indonesian action was “purely patr ’ activity” and when two hostile patrol units were in the same area ■ clash was alv.a-s possible. “The Dutch Navy attacked Indonesian warships on the high seas," he said. “Ships of the Indonesian Navy which were patrolling around the Aru Islands were suddenly attacked by Dutch units comprising a destroyer, a frigate an J aircraft.

“The Indonesian units, comprising torpedo boats, put up fierce resistance.” If it was Indonesians who were attacking they would" have used bigger ships than tornedo boats, the General said.

General Jani said yesterday’s loss would have no effect and Indonesia would increase sea and air patrols around “West Irian.” Reuter reported from

Djakarta that President Soekarno today called a sudden meeting of senior Ministers and service chiefs. It was believed that it was called to discuss the sea battle, but no communique was issued. Dr. Soekarno looked grave when they left. Later the Foreign Minister (Dr. Subandrio), asked whether diplomatic channels negotiations were now closed, said: “No. but we had better see ”

The Indonesian Navy has about 12 Russian-built torpedo boats and a number of others built in West Germany.

A naval spokesman recently said that Indonesia could now match Dutch naval strength in West New Guinea Part of the Indonesian Navy is believed to be in the waters facing New Guinea.

Indonesia recently bought heavy cruisers, destroyers, submarines and other naval craft from Russia, Poland. Jugoslavia and Germany “Not all of them have arrived yet.” the spokesman said.

“We must possess greater naval strength than the Dutch have in Europe Our present policy of confrontation of the Netherlands must be intensified-so that we can liberate West Irian back from the Dutch colonialists.” he said

The Indonesian Navy had been assembling a fleet since last month for a possible armed assault on West New Guinea. according to the spokesman. In The Hague, a special session of the Dutch Cabinet was called last night to discuss the clash.

A Dutch Foreign Ministry spokesman said Holland was still willing to talk with Indonesia abcut the West New Guinea dispute Th a Amsterdam Catholic newspaper, “De Volkskrant,” said the situation “has suddenly become serious,” and “now our forces have had to

crush a first full-scale Indonesian invasion attempt, it must be feared that Soekarno has definitely decided to take New Guinea by the use of arms.”

Hie British United Press reported from The Hague today that Dutch military leaders have decided to strengthen their armed forces in West New Guinea.

Defence officials said they included a three-month extension of services for marines, infantry, and Air Force personnel. Indonesian youths of New Guinea origin are streaming into West New Guinea, the Minister for Veterans Affairs (Brigadier Sambas Atmadinata) announced today. Brigadier Sambas, who accepted a number of transistor radio receivers given for dropping to people in New Guinea, said Indonesian youths were "realising President Soekarno’s order to liberate the Indonesian territory from the clutches of the Dutch.”

Shock troops and a police mobile brigade have come into camp in Porong, West Java. The commandant of the training camp. Commissioner Sumirat, told reporters the physical characteristics of the country were approximately those of West New Guinea and the troops were being schooled by experts in conditions they are likely to meet there.

In Bandung, Mr Frits Maurits Kiriheo, a New Guinea student from Leyden University, in Holland, and a leader of the New Guinea National Party, told reporters he expected the Dutch resistance to last for about three months once the Indonesians got ashore. The Left-wing trades union federation, Sobsi, has submitted to the government names of 10,000 members who volunteered to fight the Dutch and has offered to recruit three million more.

(Earlier Reports, Page 18.)