‘BACK TO JUNLGE’

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30642, 7 January 1965, Page 7

‘BACK TO JUNLGE’

(N.Z.P. A.-Reuter—Copyright)

AMSTERDAM, January 6. President Sukarno of Indonesia has earmarked West Iran the former Dutch West New Guinea, as the main “exhaust valve” for the overpopulated Indonesian island of Java, the Hague correspondent of the Catholic Amsterdam newspaper, “De Volkskrant,” reported yesterday.

"De Volkskrant” said more than 5000 Javanese would migrate to West New Guinea each month. The Papuan Bonay, who recently resigned as Indonesian Governor over the Territory, would be promoted to Deputy Home Affairs Minister, to be assigned specifically with the organisation and stimulation or emigration of Javanese families to West New Guinea. One of the coercive measures of Indonesia was the instruction “to send the Papuans back into the jungle in the most literal sense of the word,” “De Volkskrant” said.

Papuans living in main centres on the coast had been told to return to their piledwellings in the interior to make room for Javanese immigrants. Infant mortality figures had increased by 50 per cent after the Dutch left the Territory at the end of 1962. The food situation in West New Guinea is bad, “De Volkskrant” said. Papuans are obliged to contribute a considerable share of their crops to the local Indonesian military authorities. It did not mention a source for the information.