Dutch Throw New Guinea

Hat In The Ring

From our Canberra Correspondent ’he Dutch plans for UN supervision of West New Guinea direct challenge to the UN on self-determination.

: ect, the Dutch have told the that if those countries which often about self-determination uine, then here is their chance omething more than talk, me in Canberra doubts that tch plan was anything but the if pressure. the external pressures which long been applied to the ands has been added increas essure from sections of the people themselves, plan which the Dutch Foreign r, Dr. J. Luns, put before the 1 Assembly in September pro ar: :tive supervision by the UN inistration and development; :ceptance of a UN decision guaranteeing the right of self nation to the people of NNG; dinquishing of sovereignty to mlation of NNG; 'ansfer of present Dutch to an international authority could gradually take over Abilities and prepare the Jon for early self-determina ider stable conditions; and Dntinued financial contributions present level of about $3O Luns told the UN that his iment was prepared to ask its ;rvants at present in NNG to as long as necessary as inter il civil servants.

Send Commission isked for a UN commission to NNG to investigate political, and economic conditions and ssibility of an early plebiscite, n Australia’s point of view s the most significant thing the Dutch offer is that it leaves ay open for the UN to urge lia to hold a plebiscite on self lination. tralia has never made any bones its ultimate intention to seek inion of the people of its Terri the Dutch offer could force a dte on her much earlier than *d intended.

Never, the Australian Govern

ment’s advisers are confident that if a vote were taken the people of P-NG would overwhelmingly want Aus tralian administration to continue.

The Dutch proposals attracted curiously little attention in the Aus tralian Parliament.

A full day passed before questions were asked, and discussion of the Territories Estimates, which would have been a natural time to examine the matter, was devoted almost entirely to Northern Territory affairs.

The Prime Minister, Mr. Menzies, made Australia’s position clear when he was questioned in the House.

He described the Dutch plan as a “very constructive proposal” and emphasised Australia’s deep attach ment to the principle of self determination.

He pointed out, too, that Indo nesia, which had always rejected the principle of self-determination, was likely to maintain that position.

“Indonesia claims that NNG is part of Indonesia and that therefore nothing is left to argue about,” he said.

“According to Indonesia, outsiders are not to ask for self-determination for NNG any more than they are to ask for Java, Sumatra, the Celebes or any part of Indonesia’s territory.”

Later, when Mr. Clyde Cameron (Labour, SA) asked whether Aus tralia proposed to make a proposal to the UN in respect of Papua, Mr.

Menzies was biting in his reply.

“That is a remarkable question,” he said. “It must astonish the Leader of the Opposition himself.

“Is not Mr. Cameron aware that we administer our trust territory under the Trusteeship Council, one of the agencies of the UN itself?

“Is he unaware of the fact that we have, by a perfectly voluntary action, associated both our trust Territory and the other area in one general scheme of administration?

“And is he not aware that from first to last we have stated that in respect of both our territory and the Trust Territory the object is self determination after an adequate preparation of the native population to exercise that right?”