INDONESIAN COMMUNIST ARRESTS CONTINUE

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30898, 3 November 1965, Page 21

INDONESIAN COMMUNIST ARRESTS CONTINUE

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright)

DJAKARTA, Nov. 2. The Indonesian Army clamp-down on the Communists intensified today. Official news sources said 170 more arrests were made.

Unofficial estimates say 5000 people, including many Communists, have been arrested since the October 1 attempt to overthrow President Sukarno.

Arrests reported today were:—

The Army and volunteers swooped on a clandestine meeting of the Communist youth organisation in Djakarta and arrested 11 young Communists. In Surabaya, East Java, 50 Communist waterside workers were detained by naval authorities on suspicion of having been in-

volved in the coup attempt. Twelve persons were arrested in Army raids on. five towns in East Java. At Tasikmalaja, near Bandung, West Java, more than 100 Communists were taken into custody by the Army. In the same area, two Com-

munists were captured as troops mopped up, seizing many hand-grenades and bulletsPresident Sukarno yesterday signed decrees authorising the Army’s proclamation of a state of war—meaning martial law —in Djakarta area and Central Java, the mili-tary-controlled Antara news agency reported. But this was a pure formality, observers said. The Army declared a state of war in the capital on October 2 and in Central Java last week, after fierce clashes with armed Communists. Effigies Burned At Krawanga, West Java, a crowd of 30,000 burned effigies of the Communist Party leader, Mr D. N. Aidit, and the Malaysian Premier Tunku Abdul Rahman, Antara reported. Communist members of

South Kalimantan district legislatures have been ordered suspended, Antara said. In Djakarta itself, the Justice Minister (Mr Astrawinata) has dismissed all judges who are Communist sympathisers, Radio Djakarta reported. Banning Urged Moslems and other mass groups have continued to urge the complete banning of the Communist Party, an act which constitutionally only President Sukarno can order. The Nadhatul Ulama Party, the biggest Moslem party which claims 6,000,000 members, reiterated the demand in an interview one of its leaders gave Antara today. Official news media and newspapers in Indonesia today continued to carry reports of purges of Communists and coup supporters throughout the country.