Against All Colonialism
p. 22 · Read in the full issue
Dutch New Guinea
Sovereignty
Afro-Asian Bloc In Full Cry
Against All Colonialism
But Its Own
Cock-a-hoop over what they imagine is victory in the Suez dispute, the Afro-Asian bloc in the United Nations has voted to have Indonesia’s claim for sovereignty of Dutch New Guinea again put on the agenda.
THERE have been two previous attempts but on neither was any progress made —the whole thing petering out in useless argu ment.
Some of the so-called nations who moved to have the matter brought up once again are; Afghan istan, Burma, Cambodia, Ceylon, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Yemen.
With Britain and France (whom they regard as the Big Colonial powers), so recently discredited with the active help of the United States, they feel that the time is again opportune to beat the big drum of anti-colonialism.
It has been pointed out on count less occasions that there is no affinity of race, language or custom between the natives of Dutch New Guinea and the Indonesians: and that the transfer of this western portion of the NG mainland to Indonesia would be no less “colonial ism” than if it remains Dutch.
The only reason why the Indo nesians want West NG is becaues it is Dutch.
They have a far greater claim, ethnologically, to Portuguese Timor and to British Borneo. The Indo nesians already have the former Dutch possessions in both these territories There have been Indonesian murmurings about “liberating”
Portuguese Timor, but so far no claims have been made for British Borneo or Brunei (which supplies one-third of Australia’s petroleum imports). But if we have any more of the face-losing adventures such as took place recently in Egypt, we can expect to hear Indonesian proposals for the liberation of these British colonies.
Our Colombo Plan Friends
A fair indication of the kind of friendship we are buying ourselves with the Colombo Plan millions re sulted from the recent Middle Eastern trouble.
The screams of anguish from
India’s Nehru might be regarded as regulation issue, but soon the whole pack was in full cry—includ ing our Indonesian neighbours who for some reason sought to show their displeasure by banning BOAC and Qantas from using the airport at Djakarta.
Australia was included in the ban because the Indonesian oil-workers “didn’t like Australia’s attitude over the British and French invasion of Egypt”
The ban may have inconvenienced a few Indonesians, but whether or not our planes are graciously per mitted to land at Djakarta is of no importance whatsoever to the aver age Australian.
The few Australians who knew about the ban were amused to be lumped in with Britain and France for general disapproval In December the Indonesians lifted their ban on Qantas, but not on BOAC.
Small things, these—the postur ings by unfledged nations who have not yet attained an adult, inter national code of behaviour. But straws in the wind —as was, in another way, the announcement last month that Eriama Estates was dis continuing the production of kenaf in Papua.
Readers will remember, perhaps, that kenaf growing was to save Aus tralia from being bushranged for jute and jute-materials from India and Pakistan, or from being cut off from these important materials (for wool-packs and wheat bags) in the event of war.
The future looked promising for kenaf —then India and Pakistan, seeing a threat to an important in dustry, straightened out their tangled jute trade. Thus lulled, the Australian Government and the Australian manufacturer withdrew their support from the infant kenaf industry—and it is now finished.
The Suez crisis—and the attend ant reactions of our Asian friends — should teach us that in any kind of conflict, Australasia and the South Pacific islands are still away out on the end of a limb.