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

Meanwhiue, tne U.o. AM-~- bassador (Mr. Howard Green) announced wives and children of Embassy staff! were being withdrawn as a Reliable travellers, who reported the dragnet, added that Thundreds of Commun-' ist Party branch_ officials have been rounded up and are under detention.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 dissi dent 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 ‘‘grassroots” 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 Sukarno had been 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_tenision appeared to be building up_in North Sumatra. | Radio Medan, which is located in this area, has announced the imposition of a curfew in certain 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,trations and indoor assembi in the 'major 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 head-, quarters, in defiance of Dr. 'Sukarno’s appeal to avoid violence. [Unreadable] Radio Malaysia said armed Communists were massing in groups in several areas of Sumatra, which | just