INDONESIA’S AIMS

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29998, 6 December 1962, Page 14

INDONESIA’S AIMS

Empire In Pacific ? (N.Z. Press Assn.—Copyright) SYDNEY, December 4. Indonesia proposed to become the major military power in the Pacific, the new Belgian Ambassador to New Zealand (Mr' Leon van den Berghe) said in Sydney today. “She is building large armies, navies and air forces to accomplish this," he told reporters. “The East has Khrushchev, the West, Kennedy and possibly soon, the Pacific will have Seokarno,’’ he said. Mr van den Berghe, aged 49, arrived in Sydney today after having spent nearly three years in Indonesia as the Belgian Ambassador. He said the build-up of arms in Indonesia was aimed at creating an Indonesiancontrolled Pacific Empire. “She tested the determination of the West during the Dutch dispute over West New Guinea, and won,” he said. “Now they are preparing to capture Portuguese Timor in their drive. “Government - controlled newspapers are already stirring up hatred against the island. “The people are being told it would be to the small island’s best interests to be controlled by Indonesia. “The next step it follows will be armed aggression,” he said. He said Russia was giving huge sums of money, arms and machinery to the country. “But at this stage she (Indonesia' remains nonaligned to any foreign power,’’ Mr van den Berghe said. He said at present Indonesia was spending 60 per cent, of all aid on arms, aircraft and ships. President Soekarno knew where he was going and wanted history to remember him.