Armed Java Reds Flee to Hills to Escape Dragnet (Evening Post, 12 October 1965)

Armed Java Reds Flee To Hills To Escape DragnetJL W TACARTA, Oct. 11. — Tension ran high to- ^ day in Central Java, where thousands of Communists, some of them armed, have fled into the hills to escape an Army dragnet.Meanwmie, tfte U.b. Am-, bassador (Mr. Howard Green) announced wives and children of Embassy stafll were being withdrawn as a "precautionary measure." Reliable travellers, who reported the dragnet, added that Tiundreds of Communist Party branch ofFicials have been rounded up and are under detention. Army and police operations to winkle out Communists are still going on, but fighting is only brief and sporadic. Every member of the party's Bandung (West Java) Committee was reported arrested in Jogjacarta, in Central Java. There had been "some casualties" in fighting between the Army and dissident forces before the Army took control earlier this week. By Surprise The sources said that although Communist committees in some big towns knew in advance of the attempted coup, events in Jacarta apparently caught the "grass-l roots" Communists in the; countryside by complete surprise. The Army, moving with speed, was soon in control. In Jacarta today the Army announced the city's all-night curfew would be eased by two hours to a total of 10 hours. Reliable military sources said President Sukai-no had beeaa convinced he would have been killed if the attempted coup had succeeded. The headquarters of the Communist Youth Women' s Organisation and the Communist Trade Union Federation in Jacarta were ransacked during the weekend following Friday' s partial burning of Communist Party headquarters. A crowd today burned down the office of the Indonesian Communist Women' s Organisation, Gerwani, at Atjeh, north Sumatra, according to Radio Malayasia, quoting Radio Jacarta. Building Up Radio Malaysia said tension appeared to be building up in North Sumatra. Radio Medan, which is located in this area, has announced the imposition of a curfew in eertain sectors and warned against the posting of political placards. Meanwhile Radio Malaysia today said Indonesian Army troops had been ordered into action against armed bands of Communist rebels and their sympathisers on the island of Sumatra, United Press International reported. The Army also prohibited all mass demor.strations and indoor assembiies in the ma.ior city of Medan _ after nightfall, the radio said. _ There have been mounting demands that President Sukarno outlaw the Communist Party, which was accused by the Army of inspiring the abortive coup attempt. Mobs have destroyed at least three Communist headjauarters, in defiance of Dr.! Sukarno's appeal to avoid I violence. j j 'Are Massing' Radio Malaysia said armed Communists were massing in groups in several areas_ of I Sumatra, which lies.iustaeross the straits from the Malay peninsula. "Army units throughout Sumatra have been ordered j to step up their operations i against Communist rebels and their supporters," Radio Malaysia said. "Their main aim is to disarm and break up armed Communist groups in the various areas." It said the Army units were being assisted by loyal police forces. Meanwhile, Russia's lead-; ers today warned President ISukamo that attempts to strike at "the forces most! aetively fighting imperial- j ism" in Indonesia were a! godsend to imperialism and! reaction. 'Plottmg' The message did not directly mention arrests of Communists in Indonesia after the recent attempted coups, which have been reported without comment in the Soviet Press. But it said [that imperialists and their j agents were constantly plot- | ting against. Indonesia and j ereating a threat_ to its integrity and security. _ "Any difiiculties arising in Indonesia, any sally made by reactionary forces, attempts to strike a blow at the forces most aetively fighting imperialism, everything that can weaken Indonesia — is a gift for imperialism," the message said, according to the Soviet news agency It was signed by the Soviet Communist Party leader, Mr. Leonid Brezhnev, the PrimeMinister, Mr. Alexei Kosy-i gin, and. President Anastas Mikoyan. — NZPA-Reuter.