More Evacuations In West New Guinea

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29829, 23 May 1962, Page 13

More Evacuations In West New Guinea

(N -Z J’_A.-Reut«r— Copyright) HOLLANDIA, May 22. Holland is to evacuate temporarily Dutch women and children from another six West New Guinea districts, authorities announced today.

The information bureau in Hollandia said the evacuation was “a temporary' precautionary measure now that military activities to repel Indonesian aggression will fully develop.”

The announcement na.aed the areas of Askokonao, Kaimana and Fak Fak in the south-west, and Uorong, Steenkool. and Inanwatan in the Vogelkop district in the extreme west

The Hollandia correspondent of the Netherlands News Agency said the women and children would be sent to the less threatened north coast U.N. Talks

Yesterday, the Dutch representative at the United Nations (Mr C. W. A Schurmann) called on the Secre-tary-General (U Thant) for further discussions on the situation in West New Guinea. It was Mr Schurmann’s second call on U Thant in four days. On Friday. Mr Schurmann delivered a Note from the Dutch Prime Minister. Dr. Jan de Quay, on the Indonesian parachute landings in the disputed territory. The Note has not yet been published, but will be circulated today as a Security Council document. Speculation on the possibility of an early Security Council meeting on the issue grew stronger yesterday. Some observers thought the council might be asked to demand a halt in the fighting going on in several parts of the Dutch-administered territory. But a spokesman for the president of the Security

Council, Dr. T. F. Tsiang (China), said that no approach had been made yet by the Netherlands to lay the West New Guinea dispute before the council President Soekarno of Indonesia yesterday ordered United Press International to suspend its operations in Indonesia temporarily, the news agency reported in a dispatch from Tokyo. The news agency said that its manager for Indonesia telephoned Tokyo from Djakarta with news of the suspension. The U.P.I. report of the suspension order said: “On May 14, U.P.l.'s Singapore bureau, through a translation error made in monitoring the Indonesian radio, carried a report that President Soekarno had been assassinated by a gunman.

“This report was corrected within the hour when other Indonesian casts made it clear that Soekarno had escaped the assassination attempt without injury. May 14 was a holiday in Indonesia and it was not possible for correspondents to file directly from Djakarta.” The news agency report said that "the Indonesian Government has suspended numerous newspapers in the past, usually for periods of two weeks.”

Announcing the decision to the press. LieutenantColonel Sutjipto. secretary of the Supreme War Adminis-

tration, said the action has been taken against United Press International for thesake of security and public order. It is temporary in nature.

•‘lt regarded as necessary to take measures against actions which could influence the spirit of the Indonesian people in their struggle to win West Irian,” he said. “For this reason the United Press International in Djakarta has been closed down until further notice.” Cables to Djakarta

A cable to the Djakarta office of United Press International from the news manager of the company’s Asia division, Mr Donald J. Brydon said: “We are conducting the most intensive investigation to determine who was at fault and you may be sure we will take firm disciplinary action. “Please convey to President Soekarno and all members of the Indonesian Government my personal regrets and most sincere apologies over this unfortunate incident."

Mr Leroy Hansen, the Asian news editor cabled: “Please convey to President Soekarno our congratulations on his wellbeing.” Mr Robert Udich, manager for South-east Asia for United Press International, also asked his congratulations to be conveyed to the President.

The “Indonesian Herald,” which is regarded in Djakarta as being the voice of Government opinion today denounced “anarchic application” of press freedom. What United Press International had done was an “unforgiveable” act. “Those protagonists of what is called ‘freedom of the press,’ like Lincoln White and the International Press Institute, who always rush to the defence of wayward journalism should do its soul-searching before blaming Indonesia for having violated the freedom of expression. . . .” Attlee Has Operation.— The former British Prime Minister, Lord Attlee, aged 79. had a “moderately restful” night after his operation for the removal of a duodenal ulcer yesterday.