Control of West New Guinea handed to Indonesia
By a Special Reporter and A.A.P.- Reuter
Kota Baru, May 1 – Indonesia today formally took over the administration of West New Guinea, the former Dutch territory renamed West Irian by Indonesia.
Authority was transferred to the Indonesian representative, Dr Sudjarwo Tjondronegoro, by the U.N. Administrator, Dr Djalal Abdoh, at a ceremony in the capital, Kota Baru, formerly Hollandia.
The transfer marked the end of an 18-year “war” of words and weapons by Indonesia in its efforts to wrest the territory from Holland.
Indonesia acquires 161,000 square miles of jungle and mountain and between 800,000 and a million citizens.
At a simple ceremony in the town square, the blue U.N. flag, which has flown over the square during the seven months of transitional U.N. administration, was lowered and the red and white flag of Indonesia left flying alone.
As the U.N. flag came down Russian-built jet bombers and fighters thundered over square and roared low over destroyers, troop transports and submarines anchored in Humboldt Bay.
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