SINGAPORE NOT IN PEACE TALKS

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31069, 26 May 1966, Page 13

SINGAPORE NOT IN PEACE TALKS

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter —Copyright) KUALA LUMPUR, May 25,

Singapore would not be included in the Malaysia-Indonesia peace talks which are expected to be held in Bangkok this weekend, the Malaysian Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman, said today.

The Tunku said the talks would be at the Foreign Ministerial level.

He was speaking to reporters at Cameron Highlands, a mountain resort in central Malaya.

His announcement followed a meeting with the visiting Thai Prime Minister, FieldMarshal Thanom Kittikachorn.

The Tunku said originally the talks between Malaysia's Deputy Premier, Tun Abdul Razak, and Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, Mr Adam Maiik, were scheduled to have been held in Bangkok on Friday. “However, there is a slight

hitch and I expect the talks to take place during the weekend,” he said. He declined to say what the “hitch" was, but added “the hitch is not from our part, but from the other side." Mr Malik said in Djakarta yesterday that he would leave for the Bangkok peace talks after May 27. The Tunku said: “We are al! interested in holding the peace talks and Thailand will he the host and Bangkok will be the venue. “We have left the date for the talks entirely to Indonesia and I believe it will be confirmed tomorrow. “I am also confident that the talks will take place this week-end.” Borneo Peoples In Djakarta, Indonesian leaders and newspapers continue to emphasise that the planned talks would not affect the demand that self-deter-mination be granted to the peoples of Malaysian Borneo. In the latest reported instance, Mr Chalik Ali, a high official of the powerful Moslem Nahdatul Ulama party, said confrontation should not give way to capitulation which would be opposed by the Indonesian people. Such a capitulation would only help the British and the Indonesian Communists, he said.

The Tunku said Singapore would not be included in the peace talks as "they have had talks separately with Indonesia.”

“1 have tried before to be a gentleman, sportsman and cricketer and wanted to include Singapore. But they have left us out and have had talks separately with Indonesia. Therefore Singapore will not be included in the forthcoming Bangkok talks," the Tunku said. The Thai Foreign Minister. Tun Thanat Khoman, who is believed to be the main architect in bringing Malaysia and Indonesia to the conference table, told A.A.P.-Reuter that prospects for the peace talks were “bright.” “From what the Indonesians have told us they really want to end confrontation,” he said. The Malaysian foreign

affairs spokesman. Inche Ahmad Nordin, told reporters that a joint communique would be issued later this evening.

Italian Press Hit Bv Strike

tN.Z.P.A Reuter— Copyright ■ ROME. May 25

The two Italian news agencies, Ansa and Italia, closed down for 24 hours yesterday -because of a strike of printers and teleprinter operators demanding better pay and working conditions.

Most newspaper offices were also paralysed and few newspapers are expected to appear during the strike.