COMMUNIST CHALLENGE TO POLICE AND THE MILITARY IN MALAYA

Wanganui Chronicle, 28 June 1948, Page 5

COMMUNIST CHALLENGE TO POLICE AND THE MILITARY IN MALAYA

ihi.Z.E.A,—Keuter—Copyright.) Recd. 5.30 pm. Singapore, June 20. A challenge to the police and military In Malaya was made in a death threat received today by the ehiei of police in Penang. Mr. W. C. Haines. Signed by "Democratic Freedom Corps, ' ot the "Malayan Communist Party,” a letter received by Mr. Haines stipulated that all Europeans must leave Malaya and all detectives and police must be disbanded. The letter added: "We give you and the Malayan Government a month in which to release all our comrades. It they are not released we shall not stand on ceremony with you.” Alter threatening Haines with the challenge: “Call out all your police ano troops and we shall have a trial of strength ” The programme of insurrection in Burma and guerrilla warfare in Malaya was decided on at an eight day Congress of the Indian Communist party in Calcutta last march, attended by representatives from many countries. This opinion is gaining ground in official circles probing the direction of organisation the Malayan Communists’ challenge to the Government. Fourteen Russian delegates flew to Calcutta for the conference. The official text of a speech by the Burmese Premier, Thakin Nu, in which he is reported to have announced that Burma would seek accord with Russia, said the Government had evidence that the Burmese representative. Hari Narayan Ghosal. returned from Calcutta with a written programme for insurrection. Thakin Nu said the programme was adopted successively by the Communist Political Bureau, the central committee and the full Communist conference at Pvinmana. Ghosal, immediately after the conference. ordered that a general strike must be forced during March as the beginning of the insurrection and the political bureau has ordered that power must be seized by mid-June. Disorders began immediately. and Communist propaganda declared that Government leaders must be killed and the Government overthrown by guerrilla warfare in Malaya. Mr. Lee Soong, soon after his return, went “underground.” A Reuter message from London says correspondents’ reports on Communism in South East Asia State that the Indonesian Communist Party, with many foreign connections, has developed tremendous strength, generally with the Republican Government's approval. Four more murders—two In Johore and two in Selangor—brought the political deathroll in the last 24 hours to nine in one of the bloodiest days vet in the wave of violence sweeping Malaya. Seven armed Chinese today shot dead a Kuomintang official in Johore. A poster beside the body said: “The penalty for a public traitor who sold the people’s rights and co-operated with Britain.” Two Chinese were murdered today near Ktialalumpur and another shot dead in South Johore. Unsuccessful attempts were made on the lives of two European planters near Taiping. in the Perak area.