Westerners Abandon Dutch in

[?]An Neighbours

Dutch New Guineat

Westerners Abandon Dutch in Favour of the Indonesians

SHE are Indications that the lundering diplomacy of the Vest, now running in terror be the “communisation” of Asia, changed policy in relation to lesia. latever few remaining obliga the West had to the Dutch >eing thrown overboard. The lesians now are being en ged in their tough and utterly upulous treatment of the Dutch, is likely that when next the jrn New Guinea issue comes 3 the international authority, d States, Britain and Australia support the Indonesians’ in sible claim to that territory, hat we of the Pacific presently nd that we have as our western sours, not the Dutch, who have buted so much to our material 3ss, but the Indonesians—a type who will provide South c humanity with nothing ex a convenient land bridge be overcrowded Asia and our nd half-empty lands. more clearly understand the v of the West’s betrayal of the Pacific —seen in the spiritless ider of Indo-China, Malaya,

Singapore, Burma and Indonesia to swarming masses who are far from ready to govern themselves—it is necessary to recount a little history.

This is merely the outline of a tragic story that has been told many times in this journal since 1945.

THE Dutch took over the scattered archipelagoes and the com pletely disunited communities of the East Indies over 300 years ago, and colonised and organised them to the great benefit of the Indo-Malay people, and their own profit. When the Japanese, after 30 years’ preparation, seized the Southwest Pacific countries by the throat in 1941, they occupied the Dutch East Indies, as well as Aus tralian New Guinea, the British Solomons and Gilberts, French Indo-China, British Singapore and Borneo, and American Philippines.

The Dutch, although their home land was occupied by the Germans, fought doughtily beside the Ameri cans and British against the in vaders. When the latter eventu ally were driven out and crushed, the Dutch naturally expected to be assisted back into their Indies empire by their allies.

But, oh no! The British and the

French and the Australians and the Americans all returned to their re spective Territories —although none of them had been there half as long as the Dutch had been in the Indies —but every Dutch move to return to Java (centre of their Eastern

empire) was hamstrung and de feated, partly by the indifference of the then Socialist-led Britain and Australia and USA, and partly by the intrigues and machinations of a Japanese-implanted gang of Javanese political agitators led by the so-called “Doctor” Soekarno.

Normally, the Dutch could have cleaned up the Jap-Soekarno con spiracy quickly with their own forces.

But Holland had been under Ger man occupation for five years, and could not produce an army and navy immediately out of their ravaged country.

By the time the Dutch created a military organisation, the British and Australian Socialist Govern ments were giving away their South Asia territories to the nationalist organisations with both hands. The Westerners just naturally aligned themselves, both directly and through UNO, with the Javanese politicians against the Dutch, and literally forced the Dutch into com promises which never have been justified.

THE rest is history. Ever since 1947, the Dutch have been try ing to make, with the “Gov ernment” of Indonesia (a self elected gang of political adventurers) some sort of agreement which would take care of the facts that there were in Indonesia some 50,000 Dutch, 400,000 Indo-Dutch (the re sult of inter-marriage over 300

years), and enormous Dutch in vestments.

Agreement after agreement was made—but every one was systematic ally and cynically undermined and destroyed by the Indonesians.

Finally, on February 21, 1956, the Indonesian “Government” finally denounced the Agreement made in

1949 (at a Round Table Conferen under the supervision of the Unit).

Nations), under which the Nethei lands-Indonesian Union was create and numerous matters affectil their common interests were as justed.

It was seen in 1954 that denunci; tion of the Union was coming; W

at time the Indonesians did se that all the matters in dis and especially the persecution mprisonment without trial of subjects) would be cleared up roper and legal manner, every Indonesian promise to ;nd has been broken. There ) less than 23 Dutch subjects n gaol at the present time in esia, without legal justifica- The full Dutch are being latically hounded out of the try; the part-Dutch are mostly persecuted. The Dutch have at least £400,000,000 ig invested in Indonesia—but ire not permitted to take it ae Dutch are forced away, the le are silently moving in and their places. Just as in Indo-China, Singapore, the sing underground influence of linese is reflected in an im le growth of Communism, the counting of the votes in st Indonesian general election, n September, was completed rch, it was discovered that a r of the country’s first Par t are Reds. ese circumstances, it was ex ited that the Governments lich, around 1950, succeeded scredited Leftist Administra n Britain, America and Aus would use their influence for utch and against the Indo 3—especially in regard to the demand for sovereignty over n New Guinea. Between 1951 )55 the Western Powers did to be pro-Dutch. The Indo claim to Dutch New Guinea nphatically knocked back at in recent months, some very

strange things have happened.

Britain, when she has disclosed an opinion at all, has seemed to be as indifferent to Dutch interests in Indonesia as she is to the strategic effect of her retreat from Singapore and Malaya on the British countries in the South Pacific.

Australia’s “Foreign Minister,” Mr.

Casey, who was quite definitely pro- Dutch in 1953-54, has turned a com plete somersault. A well-known Vic torian man, Senator Rankin, speak ing in the Australian Parliament, referred to Indonesian President Soekarno and his Government as “a gang of pro-Japanese Quislings who want to thieve New Guinea.” Any one who knows his far East-Pacific history will endorse every word the Senator said.

Mr. Casey thereupon commented: “This remark is wholly unjustified, and the Australian Government re pudiates it in the strongest terms.

“I would ask President Soekarno and the Government of Indonesia to accept the profound regrets of the Australian Government that any such offensive and unjustified remarks were made”

It is hoped that the Australian outcry against the spectacle of an Australian Minister crawling thus on his belly to the Indonesian gangsters was noted by the friends of the Dutch. Australia has no more valuable human asset than the tens of thousands of Dutch people who have settled there. Australia, for the preservation of her own socio economic standards, will not allow

lesians to go in and settle. un sapienti sat est!

J very latest development is the appearance of the peri jatetic Dulles in Jakarta, where id that “Americans were happy 3 identified with the rapid :ion which has taken place colonialism to independence”; ricans always remember that too, once were a colony, that had won their independence ard way, and that they also lad difficulties in maintaining independence”; and “Indo would have the continued : support and sympathy of both S Government and the Ameri sople.” have read much criticism of ;tivities of “the American Re an bull in the Asiatic china ; and, after that exhibition, Des not wonder at it. le Mr. Dulles was praising the n and patriotism of the Indo leaders, the latter gentlemen giving the final touches to dishonourable repudiation of agreements with the Nether - Almost simultaneously, the [ States concluded the sale to jsia of surplus agricultural e worth £42,000,000 Australian, ormal Ministerial statements, ; Hague and Washington, the lands Government expressed >ck and disappointment with terances of Mr. Dulles, e Mr. Dulles was skipping

around Jakarta and Singapore, Bangkok and Colombo, using honeyed phrases which made more experienced diplomats writhe, the Middle East situation was deteriorat in an alarming way.

London newspapers’ most acid comment was contained in a photo graph, published right alongside the Cyprus-Egyptian news, showing an unclad Mr. Dulles stretched out luxuriously on a Ceylon beach, sun ning himself under the palm trees.

IT all gave point to the summary published late in January, from that most experienced of Far East commentators, Denis Warner.

Because of the danger that the “newly liberated” countries of Indo china, Indonesia, Burma (with Singapore and Malaya close up, of course) may be penetrated by Com munism, Britain and America, as a matter of deliberate policy, have de cided to cultivate the goodwill of the new countries.

An Indonesian named Sastroamid jojo was premier ;n 1954-5, but he fell in mid-1955 because he was practically controlled by Communists, and there was administrative cor ruption throughout the land. There upon the Moslems, under Berhan nudin Harahap, formed a caretaker Government, and held the elections.

This Moslem set-up pleaded that although it opposed Communism, it was slowly succumbing to Red in fluence because of the Netherlands stubborn demands for various

privileges, and the non-cooperation of the Western world.

It was then (end of 1955) that the British-American-Australian “diplo mats” executed a volte face, and began to woo the Indonesians, The latest report is that the three non-Communist parties in the new Indonesian Parliament mostly Moslems and Nationalists —now have got together and formed a Gov ernment under Ali Sastroamidjojo, in an attempt to keep the Reds out of office.

The confusion and the shouting are symptomatic of the Western world’s state of mind. Anything goes—so long as it is, in the en feebled opinion of the West’s “statesmen,” something that can be waved in the face of the merciless, oncoming Reds.

Seen from the South Pacific, the bewilderment and muddling in the Indonesia-Southeast Asia area are

disturbing, even terrifying. But they are as nothing compared with the evidence of diplomatic muddling, bankruptcy of ideas and sheer panic to be seen in the Western Powers’ handling of the Middle East situa tion,