New Order

Ng Border People

Settle In To A

More than 3,000 New Guinea people in 50 villages which once

bought they owed allegiance to

he Dutch flag have settled down o a new life and a new language ander Australian control. And hey like it. rHE villages are spread out along an area that has become known is the Wans enclaves, on the lorthern border of West New Guinea ind Papua-New Guinea.

Eighteen months ago the people here were administered by the Dutch, vho had a patrol post at Wans and ichools and missions in the area.

Australia was too busy extending ts influence in other parts of the erritory, where there were bigger jopulations, to worry about the >eople in this pocket, despite the fact hat they were on the Australian side )f the border.

When it became obvious 12 months igo that Indonesia was likely to be uccessful in its “confrontation” policy igainst the Dutch in West New juinea, Australia moved hurriedly, ind secretly, to bring the Waris en laves under their true sovereignty.

Surveyors, schoolteachers and milding materials were flown in, and latrols explained to the local people, vith the co-operation of the Dutch, ust what was happening.

Accurately Surveyed

The border was accurately surveyed it this point. Men using astro-fixes aid down small concrete cairns at ntervals of about 15 miles, beginning in the north coast and working down □wards the central ranges.

On the coast, at Wutong, there is i very large, permanent border narker put down by a Dutch party icfore the war.

Big logs were cut, painted white md laid down so they radiated out rom the small cairns on four sides if the compass. From the air these narkers look like white crosses, and in aircraft flying along their course :an identify the border instantly.

Serial photographs indicate clearly vhich villages are on each side of the )order.

The Australians took over the )utch schools and erected others to

speed up the take-over process. It is no accident that when the first junior technical school in the whole of the Sepik district was opened last month—on August 21—its site was at Amanab, which is a key patrol point from which the people of the enclaves are being administered.

Other posts are at Green River and Imonda.

The new technical school includes a dormitory. The students will be taught useful trades.

Missionaries have been working hand-in-hand with the Administration to bring a slight change of gospel to the people of the area, and the earlier apprehension of the Administration is beginning to wear off now as the people show every sign of accepting happily the new order of things. They are getting more attention now than ever before.

Meanwhile, regular contact is be ing made with other people along the border who once were rarely seen by Australian patrols.

Parties of Pacific Islands Regi ment troops, stationed at Vanimo, on the north coast, not far from the border, now patrol right along the border to the central ranges about once a month. In parts it is rugged going, with small or no population.

In the central ranges, themselves, an exploratory patrol is currently mapping the northern part of the Star Mountains in detail, assessing popu lation and attempting to establish friendly relations with the border people.

The patrol is led by Patrol Officer J. R. McArthur, and has a medical assistant, Mr. K. Luther, two medical orderlies, 10 native police and 65 carriers.