SUKARNO UNDECIDED

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30737, 29 April 1965, Page 19

SUKARNO UNDECIDED

(N.Z.P.A.- Reuter—Copyright) DJAKARTA, April 28. President Sukarno is expected to say at the end of this week whether he will attend peace talks with the Malaysian Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman, in Tokyo early in May.

In Indonesia, opposition to the meeting is mounting and in the most serious set-back to the proposed talks the Minister-Co-Ordinator of Public Affairs, Dr. Ruslan Abdulgani, was reported today as having warned a correspondent not to expect the President to go. The Japanese Ambassador to Indonesia, Mr S. Saito, conferred with the President for two hours today—their second meeting on the proposed talks. Mr Saito told reporters after the meeting: “I spoke to President Sukarno about the reaction of my Government to some item which the President wanted to make clear. “President Sukarno said that he understood my Government’s reaction and said he would give his reply to this reaction at the end of

this month.” The Ambassador did not say what the “some item” was.

Asked if he was optimistic that talks would take place, Mr Saito replied. “I am not optimistic and I am not pessimistic either.” The Indonesian First Deputy Foreign Minister, Mr Suwito, who attended the meeting, told reporters: “Everything is still in the process. So we had better wait the outcome of the process.” This week the Communist and Leftist press has strongly criticised Japanese mediation and has suggested it is fruitless for the Tunku and the President to meet because of their opposite philosophies. The semi-official Indonesian “Herald” has cautioned Japan to go slowly if its mediation is to be successful.