Indonesian Line May Soften

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30897, 2 November 1965, Page 1

Indonesian Line May Soften

(N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON, Nov. 1. The rebellion in Indonesia could result in a more moderate attitude towards Malaysia and her allies, the Chief of the General Staff, Major-General W. S. McKinnon, said today. General McKinnon, who recently visited South-east Asia, said at a Wellington Rotarians’ luncheon that President Sukarno had been "playing off” the Indonesian Communist Party (P.K.1.) against the Indonesian Army. The rebellion had been started by the P.K.I. but the Army now appeared to have control. If this was so Indonesia’s leaders could moderate their policy of confrontation, in spite of statements

to the contrary soon after the rebellion.

“They might take, instead, a long-overdue interest in internal affairs and concentrate on getting them on a firmer basis,” said General McKinnon.

“BIGGEST FORCE” The significant force in Asia was communism, General McKinnon said. “In the 1920 s Lenin postulated the doctrine that to communise the world you must dominate the ignorant masses in tbe countryside and then take the few industrialised cities with minimum effort He said the road to Paris was through Peking.” Had Lenin been interested in Sydney or Wellington he would doubtless have said that the road to these cities was through South-east Asia, said General McKinnon. There was no excuse for failing to recognise what was happening in the East he said. The situation in South Viet-

[nam had been complicated by (frequent changes in Govern-

ment and bad not been good “up to recently.” The Communists were using ruthless terrorist tactics, murdering village officials and their families to force the villagers to collaborate with them. The Viet Cong had built its forces up to 60,000 regular soldiers, backed by 100,000 irregular supporters and clearly-identified North Vietnamese units. There was, however, a significant improvement in recent months because of United States bombing in South and North Vietnam, “which is much more effective than is generally conceded,” the introduction and successes of U.S. troops on a massive scale, and the failure of the Viet Cong monsoon offensive. The successes had greatly improved the morale of the South Vietnamese Army, General McKinnon said. The New Zealand combat unit in Vietnam was valuable lout of proportion to its size, Ihe said.