Djakarta March On Chinatown

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31363, 8 May 1967, Page 15

Djakarta March On Chinatown

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) DJAKARTA, May 7. Several hu n d,r e d Indonesian student demonstrators, frustrated in their attempts to march on the Chinese Embassy by armed troops yesterday, turned to the city’s Chinatown in an “anti-Chinese show of force”, United Press International reported.

The students were demanding that Indonesia break diplomatic relations with China.

Troops of the Djakarta garrison backed by two armoured personnel carriers cordoned off a square block area around the Chinese Embassy as about 2000 students rallied at the nearby headquarters of the Chinatown area Indonesian High School Students’ Action Front.

Student leaders, in a series of fiery speeches, denounced alleged anti-Indonesian activities by the Chinese Communists, and in addition to demanding a break with Peking t>3y called for expulsion of all alien Chinese from Indonesia. The demonstrators then began a march toward the Chinese Embassy. But they did a quick about-face when they marched up to a solid wall of Indonesian troops armed with automatic weapons. Merchants in Chinatown

hastily locked and barricaded their shops as soldiers from the garrison command sealed off side streets. There were Isolated incidents, but armed civil guards and quick-acting Chinese prevented any serious violence from breaking out.