Australia Renews Indonesian Appeal

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29799, 16 April 1962, Page 13

Australia Renews Indonesian Appeal

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) NEW YORK, April 14. Australia, concerned that the West New Guinea dispute might spread to its borders, has renewed its appeal to the Indonesian Government to settle it peacefully.

The appeal came after a threat by President Soekarno yesterday to go to war with the Netherlands because the possibility of a peaceful settlement had diminished. The Australian appeal was contained in a message delivered to the Foreign Minister (Dr. Subandrio) by the Australian Ambassador in Djakarta (Mr Patrick Shaw) United Press International reported In Amsterdam, yesterday, thousands of people took part in a protest march, organised by the Opposition Labour Party, against the dispatch of Dutch troops to West New Guinea. They carried banners calling for the success of the plan, submitted to Holland and Indonesia by Mr Ellsworth Bunker, the third party in recent negotiations in Washington. The plan calls for the

Dutch withdrawal from West New Guinea over two years, and replacement by Indonesian- administrators under United Nations supervision Political circles at The Hague said the Cabinet had accepted the plan as a basis for renewed talks with Indonesia. These were imminent The Indonesian Foreign Minister (Dr Subandrio) was quoted by informed sources as saying Indonesia had no intention of relaxing its mobilisation under Dr. Soekarno's West Irian campaign as long as the Dutch continued to reinforce their forces in the disputed territory. Dr. Subandrio said: “The President is of the opinion that there are no indications that the Netherlands will settle the issue peacefully by handing over the administration to Indonesia—the only way to normalise relations between the two countries.”