Jubilance And Unrest For Indonesian Anniversary

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30831, 17 August 1965, Page 18

Jubilance And Unrest For Indonesian Anniversary

<N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

DJAKARTA (Indonesia), Aug. 16. Indonesia will celebrate the 20th anniversary of its independence tomorrow in a mixed mood of jubilance and unrest, the Associated Press reported. The nation is jubilant about Singapore’s separation from Malaysia last Monday. For two years Indonesia has vowed to “crush Malaysia,” branding it a British neocolonialist creation designed to encircle Indonesia.

Reuter reported today that the Minister of Internal Affairs, Brigadier-General Surname, told visiting AfroAsian journalists: “If Singapore is really independent, we hope that Singapore will conduct a confrontation together with Indonesia against necolim (neo-colonialism, colonialism and imperialism) including Malaysia.” But Indonesia’s feeling of victory is muted by discord within the Government over policy toward Singapore and by unrest over economic woes .'. . these are some of the topics that 64-year-old President Sukarno is expected to touch on during his highlight speech tomorrow morning. Sukarno In Seclusion As he does every year, Dr. Sukarno went into self-im-posed seclusion on August 5 to seek —as he once put it—a heavenly inspiration for writing his speech. Last January Dr. Sukarno said an inspiration that came during a deep meditation led

him to pull Indonesia out of the United Nations. His friends in the African-Asian bloc and in some Communist countries disapproved but the Chinese approved. This year Dr. Sukarno’s solitude was interrupted on August 6 by an attack of indigestion from which he has since recovered. Dr. Sukarno was interrupted again on August 9 when Singapore broke away from Malaysia. He met with his top advisers, including the Foreign Minister, Dr. Subandrio, who is considered the architect of the “crush Malaysia” campaign. At first the Singapore sep aration was hailed in Indonesia as a first step toward the disintegration of Malaysia. But the Government soon was split over a proposal by civilian foreign policy makers to extend immediate recognition to the new island State. Military Bases

The military is reported opposed to this because of Singapore’s decision to keep the British military bases, considered in Indonesia to be a threat to Indonesia’s security. Dr. Sukarno has not yet announced what decision he has taken on the question. He is expected to discuss Singapore and Malaysia in his speech tomorrow. Economic ills also cast a shadow over the independence celebration. Almost daily, demonstrations converge on the offices of high-ranking officials to complain about the high cost of living, now at a record level Foreign economists have predicted that sooner or later Indonesia will collapse

because of its bad economy. But it has not, and Dr. Sukarno says “we will never collapse.” Since celebrating independence day a year ago, Indonesia has veered closer to China and stepped up its antiWestern campaign. Relations with the United States are at their lowest. Records Burned

To preserve “Indonesian identity in culture,” police on Saturday night burned about 400 records and recorded tapes of Western music and about 30,000 banned publications. The records included some by the Beatles, Rick Nelson and Elvis Presley. Among foreign dignitaries attending Tuesday’s celebrations will be President Chivu Stoica, of Rumania. Other delegations are arriving from China, Cuba, Algeria, North Korea, North Vietnam, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Japan, and Pakistan.