Evening star., 1959-12-13
Chinese Trade Ban
Plaques Indonesio

to remain Chinese citizens in any
case This puts Peking under
some moral Obligation to look after
the one million foreign" Chinese
IN Indonesia, though it implies,
to some extent, interference in the
internal affairs of another coun-
try.
Peking is also faced with the
paradoxical problem of protect
ing minor capitalists who become
victim of "co-operativisation" in
Indonesia, though, in Communist
China itself, private enterprise
has been ruthlessly suppressed to
make way for collectivisation.
Peking's methods of tackling
the situation have made the worst
possible impression At first the
Communist Chinese Embassy in
Djakarta vigorously protested
against this new decree. Then
Premier Chou En-lai talked
terSely to Indonesian Foreign
Minister Subandrio, when he
visited Peking to attend the Oc-
tober ! celebrations, as If the
latter should do what he was told
and abolish the ban.
Disobedience Fomented
In the meantime, Communist
Chinese consular officials toured
the countryside and melted local
Chinese to disobey the ban. This
impulsive action ran counter to
diplomatic usage and constituted
open interference in Indonesia's
internal affairs. Peking's repre-
sentatives say they were motivated
by a fear that the local Chinese
would be dispossessed and ILL
treated wherever the army evicted
them from their homes, as pro-
vided for in the ordinance. But
they only made matters worse.
Local Chinese, who were ready to
obey Djakarta, turned defiant and
armed clashes took place, in which
many, were hurt.
Peking has blamed Indonesians
for these bloody incidents" The
Indonesian Foreign Ministry, in a
statement. has warned Peking of
very grave and serious" conse-
quenceS if it felt that actions Of
its consular officials was justified.
Wordy duelS are already taking
place. The Communist Chinese
Embassy has accused IndonesianS
of behaving like Hitler. Indone-
sian officials have declared that
the embassy staff is guilty Of
sabotage and provocation.
To sort out matters, Peking's
Ambassador Huang Chen met DR..
Subandrio and the latter an
nounced that the ambassador had
agreed to support the implement
tation of the ban. The ambassador
Immediately issued a denial. in
which he declared bluntly that
what DR.. Subandrio had said was
not true. The nti-Communist
press in Indonesia has now de-.
manded the recall of Huang Chen
for having called Subandrio a
liar" The ambassador met Presi-
dent Soekarno but has so far re-
fused to support the ban. Accord
ing to Peking's official magazine,
Overseas Chinese Affairs, the
Chinese government firmly op-
poses unreasonable and discrimi-.
natory steps against overseas Chi
nese under the excuse of national
izing."
Diplomatic TroveI Curbed
Meanwhile, Indonesian Army
authorities are taking protective
measures. Certain members of the
Communist Chinese Embassy have
been forbidden from circulating in
West Java at all in the future.
Troops have been combing out
Chinese in the countryside and
shifting them to the urban areas
for security reasons. In one center
of tension, all gatherings of more
than two foreigners" are banned.
The army top brass, who WELD so
much power in Indonesia, regard
local Chinese as potential agents
of Peking.
DR.. Subandrio has promised that
while the interests of Indonesians
cannot be sacrificed, the Chinese.
would be treated humanely. But
the Chinese reman suspicious and,
therefore, instranSigent.
Communist China has an in
terest in extending its influence
peacefully in Indonesia. And neu-
tralist Indonesia has no desire to
make an outright enemy of Peking.
Each side is asking for sweet rea-
son from the other, for deep un-
derStanding" based on past friend
ship, and for restraint to avert an
explosion of the anti-Chinese feel
ing in IndoneSia.
But Indonesia is fully deter
mined to enforce the ban. Much
would, thus, depend on Peking's
attitude during the next few
weeks.