Military Airlift To Borneo

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30215, 21 August 1963, Page 15

Military Airlift To Borneo

(N.Z.P A.-Reuter—Copyright)

SINGAPORE, August 20 Gurkha infantrymen were today Bonn from Singapore to reinforce British troops in the British Borneo territories. An Army spokesman declined to g.ve the numberof the troops but said the> were definitely reinforce ments and not just replace ments. A British Gurkha officer was fatally wounded last Thursday by a band of armed raiders in Sarawak where British troops have been on the alert since the Government ordered a roundup of arms in April Guerrillas, said to have come from Indonesiar Borneo have staged raids of increasing frequency on long houses and villages tn t>>rder areas At the same tune, many young Sarawak Ch-nese wh •ppose the federation of Malaysia are reported to have left their homes and to be drilling tn the jungles.

The First Battalion, Queen’s Own Highlanders, is due to return to Singapore tonight aboard the aircraft ~arrier. Albion They were relieved tn Borneo last week bv a bat abort of the Green Jackets A Roval Navy spokesman <aid he did not knew how long the Albion would stay n Singapore or if it would et’--n to Borneo waters. Other Royal Navy war ’hips, including two destroyers, a frigate, and two minesweepers. were still cruising >ff Borneo, he added. In Djakarta the Indonesian Foreigr Minister, Dr Subandrio, today denied reports that guerrillas from Indonesia had been involved in recent clashes with Gurkha roops near the Sarawak border “It is not true that th< -aids were launched from Indonesian territory and -t - <!sc not true that the raiders etrea’ed into Indonesian territory.” he told reporter “What is now happening >n Saraw’ak is internal disturbance —and it is not Indones.a’s problem.”

Dr. Subandrio said he had discussed “border security" in Borneo during a private conference yesterday with the Defence Minister and Chief of Staff of the Armed F rces, General A H Nasution A message from Jesseiton says a United Nations team started work in North Borneo today by studying documents related to the formation of the Federation of Malaysia. A multi-racial crowd of about 10.000 persons chanting “We Want Malaysia" greeted the four-man team when they arrived at Jesseiton airport yesterday to ascertain the feelings of the people of North Borneo towards Malaysia No incident was reported The Philippines is still uncertain whether it will limit its observers joining the Untteo Nations teams tn British North Borneo and Sarawak to four or to press its request to the British Government to allow more, says a report from Manila The Philippines had originally requested the British Government to allow 10 Filipino observers to join the

teams, but Britain first limited the number of observers from the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaya to two each and then later agreed to four from each country Protest To Britain A British Embassy spokesman said the Philippines had formally protested against a British decision not to allow a Philippine air force plane to transport Filipino observers to the Borneo territories. The Note said the decision was hardly compatible with the friendly relations existing between the two Governments. The Note recalled that the Philippines had permitted British aircraft to land in the Philippines in the spirit of friendly relations maintained by the two countries tn accordance with the principle of reciprocity the British Government should have done no less As a result of the British refusal, the Note pointed out. the Philippine observers have had to take a roundabout route by commercial aircraft through Singapore.