PARLIAMENT BUILDING; SUHARTO ARRIVES; SUHARTO MAKES SPEECH.




Initials AH/VS/AE/OS



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Background: IN A SPEECH BEFORE PARLIAMENT, WHICH WAS BROADCAST ACROSS THE NATION, PRESIDENT SUHARTO YESTERDAY (SATURDAY) RENEWED HIS PLEDGE TO DEAL FIRMLY WITH ANY ATTEMPT TO RE-ESTABLISH THE BANNED INDONESIAN COMMUNIST PARTY.

AT THE SAME TIME, THE PRESIDENT CALLED ON THE INDONESIAN PEOPLE TO ACCEPT FORMER COMMUNIST DETAINEES WHO HAD SUBSEQUENTLY BEEN RELEASED. HE STATED THAT 2,500 OF THE DETAINEES WOULD BE RE-SETTLED ON THE ISLAND OF BURU, EAST INDONESIA.

ON THE EVE OF THE COUNTRY'S TWENTY-FOURTH ANNIVERSARY OF INDEPENDENCE, PRESIDENT SUHARTO WAS ABLE TO ANNOUNCED OFFICIALLY THAT THE TERRITORY OF WEST IRIAN, FORMERLY DUTCH WEST NEW GUINEA,IS NOW PART OF INDONESIA.

IN AN ACT OF FREE CHOICE, COMPLETED ON AUGUST 2, 1,025 REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 800,000 PEOPLE IN THE TERRITORY VOTED UNANIMOUSLY FOR INDONESIAN RULE RATHER THAN INDEPENDENCE.

PRESIDENT SUHARTO WELCOMED THE STRENGTHENING OF INDONESIA, AND SAID THAT IT WAS THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF THE ADMINISTRATION TO DEVELOP WEST IRIAN.