Some guerillas give up

It is indeed heartening to learn that the first few issues of Salient are again stirring up political issues on Malaysia and no doubt prompting more letters.

Recent events in Sarawak, Malaysia must have been a blow to revolutionary die-hards at Vic. On October 18, 1973 a group of 482 men and women fighting in the jungles of Sarawak laid down their arms and withdrew from the jungle. This act of "surrender" was only made public on March 4 this year, and presumably, Wellington must have been informed.

Among those who came out from the fighting (these men and women have with their own hands taken quite a few lives) were Messrs Bong Kee Chok, Lau Mean Yaw, Pui Man Tui, Lee Thicn Yong, Weng Lee Seng, Wang Kee Hiu, Lai Soon Tak, Chong Soon Chang and Mesdames Liaw Chin Fong and Hai Swee Ing, average ages 36 years. Such names are, I am sure, familiar to some students at Vic, especially to those from Kuching, Sibu and Sareikei. The Rajang students at Dunedin must also have heard of them. The Sarawak Government have openly declared a policy to accept these freedom fighters back into society and are providing protection to them for fear of reprisals from the remaining fighters in the jungle.

One question to be posed, Mr Editor, is whether one can label these genuine freedom fighters as 'running dogs'. Can we really? After all, they have sweated it out in the jungle at least for the past 10 years, living a life that no student at Vic or anywhere else in New Zealand have experienced before.

A further and more important question, one which I have discussed with your President many times before, is whether armed revolution is the only means to achieve social justice in a developing country.

Without doubt, much will have to depend on the Government in power. It seems there's not much point in shouting revolution when the Government in power is already committed to social justice and progress. Short of totalitarian government, a government coming to power by force has still to contend with such issues as poverty, hunger, illiteracy and so forth.

Paradoxically, if you like the Sarawak government is at the moment instigating a revolution in British Protected Brunei. Herein lies the crux and dilemma of politics in South East Asia—who and what should we be fighting for? Against foreign domination or for social progress and justice, or are the two objectives inseparable?