DUTCH OUTLOOK ON CONTROL OF WEST NEW GUINEA

Wanganui Chronicle, 2 September 1950, Page 5

DUTCH OUTLOOK ON CONTROL OF WEST NEW GUINEA

THE HAGUE, Sept. 1 (Recd. 6pm). —Dutch authority over Western New Guinea will continue if the forthcoming negotiations between Holland and Indonesia fail, the Dutch Governor of Western New Guinea, Mt. S. L. van Waardenburg, told the Netherlands news agency today.

The Governor said agreements reached at last November’s roundtable conference between the Netherlands and Indonesia, granting inde' pendence to Indonesia, contained a proviso that the status quo of New Guinea shall be maintained. “That means that the authority of the Netherlands over New Guinea will be continued,” he said. “Coupled with this stipulation, there is a proviso that within a year the political status of New Guinea shall be determined by negotiations between Indo* nesia and the Netherlands. The view that this proviso means that within a year sovereignty over New Guinea must be transferred to Indonesia, is contrary to the terms as well as the genesis of this proviso. If negotiations are unsuccessful, the authority of the Netherlands over New Guinea continues, no term having been fixed for the duration of this authority.”

Mr. Waardenburg continued: “This not only follows from the clear wording of agreements concluded at the round-table conference, but receives further support from the fact that at the conference a proposal made by the Indonesian delegation to the effect that the authority of the Netherlands over New Guinea be continued for another year only was declared unaccpetable by the Netherlands delegation. and, therefore, rejected.

“Independence cannot yet be given to New Guinea because the population is not yet capable of governing itself. Indonesia does not wish to make New Guinea independent.

What it wants is to absorb this territory. It is a widespread misconception that New Guinea forms pail of Asia. In reality New Guinea belongs to the Pacific area. With an insignificant exception, the population of New Guinea, as far as it could and did express itself in this matter, unanimously desires Now Guinea Io remain under Netherlands authority.”Special N.Z.P.A. Correspondent.