U.N. Criticised In West Irian

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30631, 23 December 1964, Page 13

U.N. Criticised In West Irian

(N.Z.P. A. -Reuter—Copyright) DJAKARTA Dec. 22.

Indonesia’s delay in developing West Irian was because she had relied too much on promised aid from the United Nations, according to BrigadierGeneral Sutjipto, Secretary co-ordinator for West Irian Affairs.

The Indonesian official news agency, Antara, today quoted him as saying that of

the 27 development projects in West Irian to be financed by the United Nations only 18 projects had so far been approved and contracts for only three had been signed. These three included a

contract signed last week to improve sea and river communications within West Irian.

Brigadier-General Sutjipto said Indonesians had come to realise that they would have to develop West Irian themselves without waiting for foreign aid. Dr. Legowo, deputy-secre-tary to Brigadier-General Sutjipto, claimed that subversive elements employed by neo-colonialist, imperialist and colonialist forces had lately launched propaganda lies amongst missionaries in West Irian. The lies claimed that Indonesia planned to withdraw religion from the people’s lives and replace it with Communism, he said.

“All this, of course, is not true,” Dr. Legowo said, according to the Antara report. He said the first principle of Indonesian pantjasila— Indonesia’s State ideology—was belief in God.

Every citizen was free to choose a religious faith of his own, he said. Dr. Legowo said that most of the missionaries in West Irian were foreigners, but they understood they were working and living in an Indonesian society and were “co-builders” in building something in West Irian. Some organisations in Djakarta in recent months have urged the Government to remove its current ban on political parties in West Irian.

While agreeing to study the requests, the Government has said that the West Irian people are not yet ready for political teachings.