s.
Ernio Roberts, assistant general secrotary of tho AWU has rosigned from the list of parliamentary candidates sponsored by the AGU ani is not now pressins to have his Horsham adoption confirmed by the N&C which has persitently denied him this right. In aletter to his executive council, Mr. Roberts yesterday said ho had decided to devote all his time to union work.
This wesks Brunei revolt has been portrayod by tho British Press as an isolated rising, but the support commanded in Borneo and in the Far-jast generally is vory extoncive. The New China News Agency reports on Dec 13 a speech by President Sukarno pledging support for tho revolt and the Indonesian Poerti Islam Party, the Indonesian Pcor Peasants! Association, the Indonesian Student's ovement and the Chairman of the Indonesian Party have all issued statements this week in support of thse revolt. In both lalaya and Singapore, tho opposition parties have given support, “ahab Shah, Sec. of ths Singapore Party Rayat condemning the use by britain of her Singapore Base.
“hilst the British-backed .ialaysia plain has many critics in the Far 28St, Opposition in Brunei could not be moro complete. During tho slection this year, the Brunei Peoples! Party which raisod the revolt, swept all the 55 elocted seats in four District Councils and all 16 clected seats in the legislative council, A public opinion poll conducted earlier this year by a Gommission of the Lrunei Govt., showed universal opposition to the ialaysia plan. Plenty of publicity is given to the fact of tho rovolt, but little is said or known about the backyround and basis for ths uprising. Ths insurgent army had as its objective the overthrow of colonialism and the formation of an independent Unitary State of North Kalimantan (i.e. Borneo), embracing Drunvi, Sarawak and British North Borneo, The division which at present exists is an artificial one introduced and maintained by ths British who first colonialis.d Borneo in th: 16th Cent., both Sarawak and Borneo having boon at one time within tho original Sultanate. The major Goonomic resource of Brunoi is Petrol, with an output of some 5m tons per yoar, which is monopolised by the British Shell Company. Tho rebels have threatened to blow up these installations, iZehari, Chairman of tho Brunoi Peoples! Party called the rebellion because the British had refused overy other overture for independence conducted by consticutional means, and the only course left was that of force, On Dec 8th, speaking as Prosidont of the Revolutionary Gaernment in Manila‘Weclared the existence of the North Kalimantan Unitary tate. Previously he had bevn imprisoned for 6 months by the British for holding an 'illegal' meeting. Whilst the immediate rising has been ruthlessly battered out of existence with the weight of British arms, the actual struggle will only just be starting. As in Cyprus, the fight is likely to be continued by guerilla warfare and terrorism, a bloody war of attrition that will extend over several years before obtaining its objoctive.