INDONESIA SEEKS GOOD RELATIONS

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30632, 24 December 1964, Page 11

INDONESIA SEEKS GOOD RELATIONS

(N.Z. Press Assn.—Copyright) CANBERRA, Dec. 23. The presence of Australian forces in Malaysia would not bar a peaceful settlement of the confrontation issue, the new Indonesian Ambassador to Australia and New Zealand, Major-Gen-eral R. Kosasih, said today.

“We can understand why you have forces there,” he

said. “Australia intends to help Malaysia because of the military pact between Australia and what you call Malaysia.” General Kosasih, who was giving his first general press conference since his arrival in Australia last week, skipped over the clash between the Australian minesweeper, the Teal, and Indonesian raiders near Singapore a fortnight ago. Gunfire from the Teal killed three of the seven Indonesians aboard Indonesian craft. “Do not let the small things disturb the great objective of our two countries. That objective is for better understanding and promotion of good-neighbour relations,” he said. General Kosasih said President Sukarno had instructed him to Work for these improved relations when he left Djakarta for Australia. He made it clear that Indonesia would continue its confrontation against Malaysia. This policy was making progress and getting results.

He denied a statement made to Parliament last October by the Prime Minister, Sir Robert Menzies, that regular Indonesian armed forces were among the 50 or 60 Indonesian raiders who landed near Malacca. For the first time in the Malaysian conflict Australian troops went into action against these insurgents. General Kosasih said the Indonesians concerned were all volunteers. “Many Women”

He said there were many women among the Indonesian volunteers who entered Malaysian territory as part of the confrontation. The volunteers were assisted by freedom fighters in Malaysia, he said.

General Kosasih, a former deputy army commander in Sumatra, said that he had never sent troops into Malaysia. He forecast that the rate of volunteers would increase while the Malaysian situation continued.

He said the volunteers did not volunteer to anyone in particular—neither the Government nor the Army. Skirting a question as to who armed them, General Kosasih said the volunteers were people from the streets. “If you go there to Djakarta you will see in the streets people practising to prepare themselves to be volunteers against Malaysia and to assist

the freedom fighters there.” Many of the volunteers were trained by members of the first Indonesian revolution, he said. Malaysia had been created on the basis of protecting the interests of its former colonial masters.

Indonesians had had 350 years’ experience of Dutch rule and wanted to see the people of Malaysia did not

go through the same experience at the hands of colonial powers. He forecast that relations between Australia and Indonesia would grow better. Two factors helping this would t? the exchange of cultural visits and trade promotion. General Kosasih admitted the economy of Indonesia was not what they would like but denied that the 45 per cent of the Indonesian national income being spent on defence was the cause of this trouble.

In answer to a question, he said he did not believe there had been any hardening of attitude in Australia towards Australia. “I see many possibilities of working together. It is our duty and my duty to promote improved relationships between the two countries.” General Kosasih believed the border issue between West and East New Guinea would be settled quickly.

Natives from both sides were crossing into the other territory but there was no dispute over this and Indonesia was co-operating with Australia on the matter.