Confrontation's New Look

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30629, 21 December 1964, Page 13

Confrontation's New Look

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

SINGAPORE, December 20. A new pattern of Indonesian military’ pressure, on a smaller scale and with less ambitious objectives, appeared to be developing against Malaysia, “The New York Times” reported.

Officials in Singapore believe the long border between Indonesian and Malaysian Borneo had been elfectively sealed.

“Malaysian and British troops have established military superiority there, at least for the time being,” one official said.

Efforts to send large groups of Indonesian guerrillas led by regular Indonesian troops into the Peninsula of Malaya also had halted.

Instead of landing groups of up to 100 heavily equipped guerrillas with the objective of establishing jungle bases, Indonesia was now sending in parties of 10 men or less. The guerrillas had been only lightly armed and carried simple explosive devices. During the last month, five of these small parties have attempted to penetrate Malaya. AU have been killed or captured or have slipped back to their bases on the Indonesian islands that lie only a few miles across the Straits of Malacca.

Until a month ago, large units of Indonesian guerrillas, most of the regular troops, were moving across the Borneo border and attempting to penetrate deeply in sparsely settled areas.

“Now we have had only hit and run raids,” the official said. “None of these groups seems willing to attempt anything except a night crossing, returning to Indonesian territory before daylight.” The border is more than 800 miles long. But Security Forces have been effectively harassing Indonesians, the official said, and they had increased the pressure by adding small units of artillery that fired along escape trails. Indonesian casualty rates are now expected to be higher than officially estimated. More than 500 Indonesians are said

to have been killed, wounded or captured since the Indonesian guerriUa action began 16 months ago. Malaysian and British troops have suffered about 100 casualties.

It is believed troops in Borneo have stopped small groups of Sarawak Communists, most of whom are Chinese, from crossing into Indonesian Borneo for military training. “We’ve seen a return to normal life along the Borneo border in the last month,” the official said. “Agricultural cultivation is going on as usual within a mile of the border. Burning of longhouses (native villages) has stopped and there have been no more efforts to terrorise the natives.”