Commentary

Indonesia Offers NNG Her "Freedom"

FDONESIA for the first time in July gave the people of Nether lands New Guinea a political promise if they “came back to the fold”.

Indonesian Defence chief General Abdul Nasution said in London that if the native people of “West Irian” came back to Indonesia they could “uphold and develop their own rights, customs and traditions and would have political autonomy, electing their own Government”.

It was an interesting statement, be cause not before have Indonesian leaders given any hint as to what they have in mind for the future of “West Irian” should they get it.

Apparently the existence of Dutch target dates towards independence, and the reality of a New Guinea Council which has insisted that no body now has the right to make any plans for the territory’s future with out consulting the Council first, has forced Indonesia into offering a plum or two herself.

What a shame then that the whole effect of General Nasution’s historic promise was lost by another statement he made in the same interview.

He mentioned that rebels in Indo nesia had “decreased from 100,000 to 10,000”.

Whether 90,000 had been shot, gaoled or forced to change their views ne didn’t say, but all that those poor fellows had wanted was a little bit of that political autonomy Djakarta had promised them after the war.

Even a Sibil Valley savage should ’ealise that under Indonesian “auto aomy” his best chance of freedom kVQuld be to take to the hills!