RICKSHAW DRIVERS DEMONSTRATING OUTSIDE THE INDONESIAN EMBASSY AND PRISONERS NEAR PATHANKOT.




Initials DE/VS/BHH/JG


EDITORS: WE REFER YOU TO PROD. NO. 8673/65 INDONESIA: "INDONESIAN MOB STORM INDIAN EMBASSY IN DJAKARTA" SERVICED TODAY -- SEPTEMBER 10

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Background: DURING A DEMONSTRATION IN NEW DELHI ON THURSDAY, A DEPUTATION FROM THE CITY'S RICKSHAW DRIVERS WAS HANDED IN TO THE INDONESIAN EMBASSY EXPRESSING "REGRET AND INDIGNATION" AT THE DECISION TAKEN BY INDONESIA TO SUPPORT PAKISTAN IN THE PRESENT INDO-PAKISTAN DISPUTE.ON THE SAME DAY, NEAR THE AIR BASE AT PATHANKOT, INDIAN SOLDIERS ROUNDED UP A NUMBER OF PAKISTAN PARATROOPS.

THE DEMONSTRATION OUTSIDE THE INDONESIAN EMBASSY WAS ONE OF A NUMBER THAT HAVE TAKEN PLACE THERE DURING THE PAST FEW DAYS.THEY FOLLOW VIOLENT DEMONSTRATIONS IN DJAKARTA -- THE INDONESIAN CAPITAL -- DURING WHICH YOUTHFUL DEMONSTRATORS WRECKED THE INDIAN EMBASSY AND HAILED THEIR GOVERNMENT'S DECISION TO SUPPORT PAKISTAN IN THE DISPUTE.

REPRESENTATIVES OF THE RICKSHAW DRIVERS HANDED IN A NOTE AT THE INDONESIAN EMBASSY WHICH POINTED OUT THAT INDIA HAD "VALUED THE FRIENDSHIP OF THE INDONESIAN PEOPLE" AND EXPRESSED "REGRET AND INDIGNATION" AT THE ATTITUDE ADOPTED BY THE INDONESIAN GOVERNMENT TOWARDS INDIA.THE NOTE SAID THAT "IT IS DISTRESSING AND HIGHLY SHOCKING TO SEE YOUR (THE INDONESIAN) GOVERNMENT SIDING WITH THE AUTOCRATIC RULERS OF PAKISTAN WHO ARE SURVIVING ON THE STRENGTH OF MILITARY PACTS AND BAYONETS AND BLIND RELIGIOUS BIGOTRY AND COMMUNAL HATRED."
MEANWHILE -- IN OTHERS PARTS OF THE COUNTRY -- THE FIGHTING WAS GOING ON.NEAR THE INDIAN AIR BASE OF PATHANKOT, TROOPS ROUNDED UP A NUMBER OF PAKISTANI PARATROOPS.THE SEARCH FOR THEM BEGAN AFTER AN INDIAN DEFENCE DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCEMENT THAT PAKISTANIS HAD BEEN DROOPED NEAR THE THREE KEY CENTRES OF PATHANKOT, PATIALA AND AMBALA.

THE CAPTIVES WERE SAID TO COME FROM THE 19TH PAKISTAN PARATROOP BALUCH REGIMENT -- A FORCE SPECIALLY TRAINED IN PAKISTAN FOR COMMANDO DUTIES.AN INDIAN SPOKESMAN SAID THAT THE 23 MEN ARRESTED NEAR PATHANKOT HAD BEEN APPOINTED BY PAKISTAN TO THE SPECIAL TASK OF DESTROYING INDIAN AIRCRAFT ON THE GROUND AT THE AIR BASE.