PRESS CONFERENCE BY THE PRIME MINISTER OF AUSTRALIA
THE RT. HON. R. G. MENZIES, AT MEDAN MERDEKA BARAT
DJAKARTA, SUNDAY, _ 6th DECEMBER, 1959
Ladies and Gentlemen I want to introduce to you the Rt.
Hon. R. G. Menzies, Prime Minister of Australia. Thank you.
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I suppose, ladies and genlmn yo
would like to ask me questions. Do that. I may be
able to answer one or two of them, but in the meantime
I hope you will let me say that though it has
been a very strenuous journey you people have the
habit of starting the day frightfully early and it
has been very hot still it has been a journey full
of interest. Wie have seen something of your counitry;
we have seen something of the industry and
cheerfulness of your people. I have at any rate
learned something of your problems, administratively
and economically, and of course I have had the inestimable
advantage of talks with your leading men,
culminating this morning in a long talk w'ith your
famous President. I think perhaps you all realise
that I did not come here with a bag full of proposals
to ne ,, otiate about trade or transport, or aything
for that matter. I came really as a means of improving
our contact with Indonesia and of learning
at first hand something of your problems and of your
point of view, and I think that I can say quite
accurately that I am going away tomorrow very much
better informed on many matters than I was when I
came here. Now, if there is some particular question, perhaps
somebody would put it.
QUESTION: Sir, after your talks with Indonesian leaders,
is Australia going to change her decision with
regard to V-1est Irian?
PRIME MINISTER: I had a discussion this morning with your
leader in which we, as I think he himself said, had
a full and frank exchange of views. I explained the
Australian attitude in substantially the terms in
which I explained it in Parliament in Canberra after
the visit of Dr. Subandrio. Your President explained,
with elaboration, the reasons for his point of view
and your point of view. What he said was supplemented
by the Chief Minister and by Dr. Subandrio.
I think the one thing that was quite common ground,
and it is very important, was that the problem was
one that should be solved by peaceful discussion and
not by resort to force, and that statement made by
the President following on one made by Dr. Subandrio
will, I think, do much to improve the atmosphere in
which this problem may be discussed in the future.
I shall merely report back to my own Government any
added material that I have, and the impressions that
I have as a result of this journey. What will be
the result of that, I don't know.
QUESTION: Sir you have said that this should be settled
peacefully. Did you, in your talks with Indonesian
leaders, Lzdvance any proposals from the Australian
point of view for a settlement by peaceful mcans?
PRIME MINISTER: No, I have not. I have not. This is a matter
which exists as between the Netherlands and Indonesia.
QUESTION: QUESIPOriNm: eM rM. i nister your discussion with
PRIME MINISTER:
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O PRIME MINISTER:
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QUESTION: PRIME MINISTER: President Sukarno this morning, is there still any
doubt of thelndonesian policies towards West Irian?
' Is there any doubt about the policy?' In other
words, do I think that there has been any change in
the approach of the Indonesian Government towards
that problem? from the Australian side, because the
President said this morning that the Government of
Indonesia has made clear to your Excellency the view
of the Indonesian Government as issued earlier, that
this Wjest Irian question will be settled by peaceful
means. Yes. Is there any doubt now with your Government
about this policy?
I'm sorry, I don't understand.
Before this all this misunderstanding between
Australia and Ind~ onesia about the policy, about the
Indonesian policy for settling the question of !,, est
Irian after this discussion is there still any
doubt from your side?
Any doubt about the problem being settled
peacefully, you moan.
Yes. No, I accept that: I think it will be settled
peacefully. But when and how I do not know.
Mr. Prime Minister, our President has said and
always says that Indonesia is still in evolution and
the West Irian question is a colonial problem, arnd
that is why it is always possible that in the future
Indonesia might use armed forces to release Irian
Barat. Therefore, will Australia remain passive if
Indonesia uses armed forces to release Jest Irian?
You know that is rather like the old question:
' If you had a brother would he like cheese'. ( Laughter).
Iam much too old, though, in this business to
be answering hypothetical questions. ( Laughter)
Mr. Prime Minister arises then out of your
statement just now that in discussions on the West
Irian problem is going better?
Not that I know of. I am the prime Minister of
Australia, not the Prime Minister of the Netherlands.
You fall into Lin error if you think that this is an
argument between Indonesia and Australia. We make
no claim to that portion of New Guinea. Never have.
Je have a bit of our oxwm which occupies us pretty
busily and costs a great deal of money and effort and
skill to develop.
Mr. Prime Minister will you kindly tell us,
after your visit, will the Australian nation give
more understanding to Indonesia's claim for ilest
Irian? Sorry, I did not hear him.
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PRIME MINISTER:
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QUESTION: PRIME MINISTEli. ( repeated by Mr. Heydon)
Well1, as I said just now, I have learned a
little myself and when I go back I will convey my
impressions of what I have learned to my colleagues
in the Australian Government.
Will you be successful in this?
I beg your pardon. I hope I will be successful
in making them understand me, but if you want to know
what the result of that will be, or if you want to
build up some expectation that it will be exciting,
I don't know.
Is your Govew.. nment, Sir, still committed to
handing over W~ est Irian as a trust territory to the
United Nations?
Is my Government what?
. still committed to changing i1est Irian into
a United Nations trust territory. There was a report
sme months ago in the Indonesian press that the
Australian Government wants to turn the 4Jest Irian
territory as a United Nations trust territory.
I am sorry, I did not see that report.
It came from Canberra.
Oh, but that does not necessarily mean it was
true. ( Laughter) My Government has not put forward
such a proposal.
Mr. Prime Minister, would you please say whether
Australia would be interested in using her good
offices in suttling this issue peacefully.
Look, I think I've said all I can say on this
matter and I am not going to engage in a series of
speculations about it. This is a problem of considerable
importance and some delicacy, and I don't
propose to add to what I have just said about it.
Mr. Prime Minister, Sir, in discussing international
problems, was anything said about the attitudes
of Indonesia and Australia to the summit conference
between East and West?
Oh, no, no. I had no discussions about a summit
conference, no. My own views on that matter, I think
are probably pretty well known. I had no discussion.
Was there any discussion about the action of
Communist China during the past year in your talks
with the President this morning?
No. To return to the question of We-Ist Irian again.
You said that it was a mattor between the Dutch and
Indonesia. Dr. Subandrie yesterday said that the
passive attitude of Australia would constitute a step
forward. By saying that this is a matter to be discussed
between the Netherlands and Indonesia, are you
saying that Australia will remain passive?
I have said all I propose to say on that subject.
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QUESTIONs PRIME MINISTER: Mr. Prime Minister there has been a rpport that
the possibility of President Sukarno visiting Australia
has been discussed at Merdeka Palace.
I think that is a matter really which we ought
to leave to the President himself. I have certainly
made it quite clear that should he find it possible
to visit Australia, he would be warmly welcomed and
the visit could do nothing but good; but of course
he is a very busy man with enormous responsibilities
and it is very difficult in those circumstances for
anybody to say off-hand and quickly if and when,
but you may take it that the invitation is open.
May I ask your impressions of President Sukarno?
That's rather a urly4 one as we say. As a
matter of fact I have never met your President before
and, if it is of any interest, and I can say it without
impertinence, I have been very greatly impressed
by him. I think he is a man of remarkable personality
and he has a superb place in the history of your
country, and therefore I felt it was a great honour
to meet him and I got nothing but benefit from my
discussions with him.
Mr. Prime Minister, after having discussed
friendlily with our Goveinmcnt and explained your
attitude to the press, I do not want to argue with
you but to learn your views. Now permit me to ask
you this question. What are the real reasons that
Australia still recognises the Dutch sovereignty of
dest Irian the real reasons?
You didn't hear what I said before, did you?
( laughter) It has been announced in the local press that
you and the authorities of Indonesia would be discussing
the problem of security. Is it true, or is
it false, and what kind of security, what country
and from what?
It has been said we would be discs sing the
problem of security?
Yes, that was the report.
Well, we had no discussions about the problem
of socurity. I have some views on it myself. The
one kind of security that is needed in the free
world is security .6ainst Communist aggression.
Do you mean Communism as an ideology or some
particular country?
Communism as a spe. cific modurn form of treason,
eating into every country, trying to . dermine its
capacity, trying to spread its power as a result.
, Jo have very strong views on this matter. I imagine
a number of people here have too.
Did you discuss any question of economic aid,
flestern economic aid
Our discussions on the economic field were fairly
general. dfe had no specific ideas. I think I can say
that woe, on both sides, we felt that there would be
QUESTION:
PRIME MINISTER:
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QUESTION: PRIME MINISTER: enormous advantages in what is called " technical
aid" in the receipt and training of students, in the
providing, wherever we can, of experts, as we have
indeed done in the past, in order to help in economic
development. That is, I think, one of the most
fruitful aspects of economic co-operation that has
been devised and I would like to see it extended.
But I had no specific discussions as to how and
where. There is just one question left. Mr. Prime
Minister, can you tell us what your talk with
General Nasution was yesterday because I heard that
you had discussed abroad talk yesterday with
General Nasution, the Chief of our Army.
I had a very interesting talk with the General.
He was giving me an account of the various limited
campaigns that are , oing on in various parts of
Indonesia and we discussed that kind of thing.
But what else? Did you offer anything for
training, for army training, in Australia?
No, I made no offer. I made some enquiries,
got some answers and said that I would discuss
those matters when I returned home. But there was
no offer on either side.
Mr. Prime Minister, after you have talked with
our leaders you would mind telling us your views
on Indonesia's position as towards the question of
peace Asia also the security of Australia.
I think that Australia has a very profound interest
in the prosperity and peaceful living of Indonesia.
It is entirely putting it from a quite
selfish point of view. It is entirely in our interests
that that country should develop a first-class
administrative system and great economic stability
because, of course, I believe . mong other things,
that if Indonesia can establish herselif in that way,
and I am sure she can, with work nd thought, then
of course the whole attitude of the people will be
in the direction of peace. They won't be themselves
tempted by doctrines which are of a more
aggressive kind. They will in fact grow as a large
and powerful and peaceful neighbour, a close neighbour
of Australia on our north. From our point of
view, everything that will make Indonesia peaceful
and prosperous is a good thing.
Last question please.
Mr. Prime Minister, may we heacr your formula
for success during your trip to Indonesia?
I don't know that I have a formula. ( Laughter)
I just said " Good day" to people in a genial fashion,
and they said " Good day" to me. ( Laughter) It is
not a bad formula after all.
F