Sukarno
Sir,—Ralph S. Wheeler’s assessment of Sukarno’s successful West Irian policy is largely sound, but profit was not the main motive behind the Dutch retention of the territory. Philips,' Unilever. Shell, and other commercia’ interests in Indonesia were in fact opposed to the Dutch self-determination scheme for West Irian which required an annual subsidv of £lO million. Factors that influenced the Dutch attempt to generate a separate nationalism in West Irian could be listed- a neo-colonial mystique, the rancour of old diehards against Sukarno, the notions of certain mission groups, and the strategic position of the territory which set eouivocal American and Australian influences at work. Since the ’twenties Indonesian nationalists have defined the physical identity of Indonesia along the artificial Dutch colonial boundaries. No more, but also no less, than this constitutes Indonesia. Unless this fundamental tenet of Indonesian nationalism is understood, then Indonesia cannot be understood.—Yours, etc., JAN HEKKENBERG. Nelson, March 4, 1966.
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Press, Volume CV, Issue 31003, 8 March 1966, Page 16
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155Sukarno Press, Volume CV, Issue 31003, 8 March 1966, Page 16
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