Indonesia “Would Break Your Heart”

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31318, 14 March 1967, Page 22

Indonesia “Would Break Your Heart”

“Indonesia would break your heart,” said Miss B. E. Smith, assistant resettlement officer with the National Council of Churches, who has returned from a short visit to Hong Kong and Indonesia.

Although there was a great need In Hong Kong there were many working to relieve It. People did not realise the need of Indonesia, she said.

As It was the reiny season, mud was everywhere, and most people were poorly clad and bare-footed. The people were better housed than they were in Hong Kong, but there was an extremely high rate of tuberculosis which indicated poor living conditions. The average life expectancy is 40 and for those in some demanding jobs, only 35. In Djakarta Miss Smith visited the huge Hotel Indonesia. There were many other large buildings which had been started and not finished because of lack of funds. While she was in Bandung and Djakarta, Miss Smith met Chinese people who had applied to come to New Zealand as refugees.

Her impression was that the situation of the Chinese was very difficult, Miss Smith said. They were on the whole better educated and more industrious than others but were resented by the Indonesians. Thus Indonesia did not want them to leave the country as they would lose many of their best

brains, and at the same time resented their influence over the economy. The Chinese who had applied for entry into New Zealand had very high qualifications, and included a professor of English, a doctor and a lawyer, she said.