Security Position In Malaya Much Better

Chronicle (Levin), 11 May 1949, Page 7

Security Position In Malaya Much Better

Received Tuesday, 7 p.m. LONDON, May 10. Beviewing the results of the canv paign against Communist terrorists in Malaya, The Times' Singapore correspondent says that although the security position is undoubtedly much better today than it was a few months ago, a hard core of insurgents numbering perhaps no more than 500 to 1000 men, has yet Deen hardly touched. There is no evide'nce of lowered'morale on the part of this eentral section though it appears to be widespread on the outer fringes. A few months ago the Communists began to withdraw units of their anned force from coastai districtfe and to con centrate them in a few remote and in accessible areas where they are be lieved to be receiving fresh traimng The tactics thcy will adopt when tlns process is complete, are still a matter ror speculation. In the meantimo, however, the army and police are succeed ing in koeping the terrorists on the \ move aird in breaking up some of the smail 'killer" gangs which have Oeo • responsibie for the majority of reeeni murdors. Oooperation between Lm police and army is now first rate anu! recruits for the police force are Cummp { forward steadily. Among the many measures takou i>y the authorities to check the terrorists uyne had greater eli'ect than tuose taken to bring settlements of "squat ters" under control. As a resuu Oi t.liese measures some particulariy notor pous communities had been rnoveil as a whole and several hundred Ohinese | had been sent back to Cluna. Nevertheless, the Chinese community generaliy sic well astnde the fence and even the niost cooperative meinbers of it were afraid to testify against the terrorists in the courts. The Govemuient had now taken steps to check the ainount of protection money paid by wmalthy Chinese to bandits and to curu illie.it trading in rubber and tui for the benelit or the terrorists. The oanuits'1 greatest problem at the moiiienL appeared to De a snortage oi ammunition. There was mucli evidence tnat tneir stocks were badiy distnuutei; wliiie, owing to the Maiayan climate, ueteiioration was very rapid. tto ral tnere had been 110 eviuence of ammuni tion entermg ihe couniry from ouisiuu. Gasuaities among the terrorists were now mounting anu an increasmg numoer of wanted men was uemg arrested uurougli ordmary police channels. ''Ai 1,110 ugn tnere iias qeen an lmprovemeni, msiue Malaya, the emergency must Lte jOen in 11s fioutneast Asian context, ae concludes. ' ' a.s long as there are mimant Lonuuunists in ooutheasi Asia, there can never oe the sanie seiueu 'ouiiuitions or the sarne degiee 01 pnysica! security lor Asiatic and Europeaii aiiive, as there wpq before the wai. "i'Jgei,, .Government and security forces can Iook b'aik on their campaign to dath with certain quiei satisiaction but no one can yet say how long the emergency will last. Far too much de peiido upon xactprs outside Ihe contru. oi tlie men in Malaya."