Seria Falls To British But Hostages Not Free

Press, Volume CI, Issue 30004, 13 December 1962, Page 17

Seria Falls To British But Hostages Not Free

(N .Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) LABUAN, December 12. British troops have retaken all the oil town of Seria in Brunei except the police station, where nine European hostages are being held by armed rebels. General Sir Nigel Poett, commander of British Far East land forces, said today the revolt was collapsing before advancing British forces in Brunei and Sarawak. “We are confident order will soon be maintained,” he said.

General Poett, in a press interview, said that Kuala Belait, the adjoining town to Seria, and Limbang, in northern Sarawak, had also been retaken this morning. General Poett said 120 Royal Marine Commandos who landed in Lawas, near Limbang, occupied the territory without any resistance. Limbang was taken after some fighting in which both sides suffered casualties. His troops were not attacking the Seria police station because of the personal safety of the hostages involved. He believed the hostages would be released soon. Asked whether there would be a negotiated settlement for

the release of the hostages, General Poett would only say: “No negotiations have taken place.” He said it was too early to tell whether the rebellion would develop into a jungle guerrilla warfare, but he did not rule out such a possibility. The general military situation was under control and the main problem now was for the Sultan of Brunei to deal with the political problem in the country. The Resident of the Fifth Division of Sarawak, Mr Dick Morris, and his wife, Dorothy, were freed from the rebels when British troops took Limbang this morning, according to official sources. Mr Morris and his wife, both Australians, had been held captive by the rebels in Limbang police station since the rebellion broke out on Saturday.

In Singapore, an official spokesman of the British unified service command announced that five Royal Marine Commandos had been killed in the Limbang operation. More than 100 tough Kenyah and Kayan tribesmen loyal to the British have arrived in Miri, an important oil town in Sarawak, near the Brunei border, to reinforce security forces there, according to official reports. The tribesmen from the Upper Baram river, near the Miri region had received hollow bamboo sticks with red feathers—a traditional appeal for help—which the British Resident sent up-river when the armed uprising broke out in Brunei. The tribesmen will be used for defence duties in the Lutong area close to Mirk A Sarawak Government statement said there appeared to be rebel defections in the Sibuti area, south of Miri, and there were signs of considerable disorganisation among the insurgents. North Borneo police announced that 47 rebels were arrested yesterday in the Brunei Bay area. Seventeen of them were captured in the Sipitang area and 30 in the Pantai district. Assistance is being given to security units by loyal Brunei Malays. About 400 Kenyan and Kayan tribesmen have fanned

out from the Sarawak town of Marudi, close to the Brunei border, to prevent insurgents from withdrawing to tbe jungle. Missionaries Leave Twenty - nine Australian missionaries—lB adults and 11 children—were flown out last night from Lawas, northern Sarawak, near the border of Brunei, which had been threatened by rebel elements, reliable sources saiid in Labuan today. The missionaries were flown out “just in time,’’ before tihe expected attack by tbe rebels. One of the pilots who operated a single-engined aircraft used in the airlift was Pastor Bruce Morton, aged 37, of the North Borneo Evangelical Mission. The other pilot, Mr Robin Devondish, also a mission member said he had not flown a plane for two years although he used to have a commercial licence in Australia. Mr Devonddsh said he had to get special permission from the Labuan airport control tower to land. The missionaries said local men were worried that rebels from nearby Brunei might come and take them as hostages. “We decided to leave because we did not want the local population to suffer,” they said.

They added that rebels were around the Lawas area, but they believed there were no rebels in Lawas itself.