DUTCH TROOPS MOVE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26413, 18 March 1947, Page 5

DUTCH TROOPS MOVE

INDONESIAN CITY ENTERED NO OPPOSITION MET WITH Rec; 11:15 p.m. BATAVIA, Mar, 17. The Dutch Army has begun an operation from the middle sector of the Sourabaya perimeter to occupy the city- of.Modjokerto, -south of Sourabaya, and has advanced 14 kilometres without meeting opposition. Dr Sutan Sjahrir, the \ Indonesian Prime Minister, was informed by the Dutch Commissioner-general that the reason for the operation was the failure of the, Indonesians to prevent the inundation of Dutch positions

close to Madjokerto by the diversion of the waters of the Porong River. Negotiations between the Commis-sioner-general and the Indonesians about the inundations have been going on for some time. The Dutch advance is the second big operation undertaken from the Sourabaya perimiter this year. The first began in January 24 when the Brantas River Delta, one of the richest sugar-growing areas in Java, was occupied, following the alleged Indonesian shelling of Dutch positions. At that time the Indonesians claimed that 300,000 people were driven from their homes. Many refugees from the Brantas Delta have been living in Modjokerto.