Documents / FOIA release
The CIA's Directorate of Intelligence issued this Weekly Summary, No. 0369/70, on 8 May 1970. It covers events through noon on 7 May. The Far East section deals with the allied operations into Cambodia, Hanoi's cautious response and the government in exile Sihanouk formed in Peking. Other items cover Soviet military aid, the Sino-Soviet talks, Jordan, Dahomey, Guatemala and Brazil, and a special report looks at Cuban support for subversion in Latin America. Many pages are withheld, and the summary contains no UFO material.
Approved for Release: 2023/03/28 C03154550 MALAYSIA WORRIED ON ANNIVERSARY OF 1969 R1oTs The Malaysian Government is displaying considerable nervous- ness as the anniversary of last year's postelection communal riots approaches on l3 May. Although there is no evidence that any group is planning disturbances to mark the occasion, government of- ficials are trying to damp down rumors that trouble will break out. Last week Prime Minister Rahman announced that the govern- ment is "ready and capable" of tackling any incident that might occur "before, on, or after l3 May." Another official has de- nied stories that government of- ficers have been refused leave during the first part of May. The government has issued curfew passes and other contingency pre- cautions appear to be under way. At least seven persons have been arrested recently on charges of rumormongering, and shopkeepers, most of whom are Chinese and In- dian, have been officially warned not to heighten Malay resentment by raising prices if people start to stockpile food in anticipation of trouble. Last year, when political campaigning was in full swing, the atmosphere was more highly charged than it is at present. The 1969 riots resulted in the killing of over l50 people, mostly Chinese, and a state of emergency was imposed on the country. The government's efforts over the past year to assuage racial tensions and return the nation to a condi- tion in which parliamentary elec- tions could be resumed have been low key and unimpressive. If any- thing, the country has become more polarized, with the Chinese lying low, the radical Malays unhappy, and the government only marking time. As was the case last year, the Communists, and by associa- tion the Chinese population in general, are being billed as the potential source of trouble. The setting of booby traps attached to Communist flags and the dis- tribution of Communist pamphlets that took place in late April throughout West Malaysia were designed to mark the 40th anni- versary of the Malayan Communist Party. But more important, the organizational ability demon- strated by these actions has added to the government's worries at this time. Even the prime minister, in the past more fair- minded toward the Chinese commu- nity than many of his Malay col- leagues, has been making anti- Chinese statements. T4'4444’4444'47 X1) 3 /\/'\ CTCT /\ \/ The government appears fully ready to handle most incidents that might occur, but widespread disturbances would sorely tax the security forces. In the event of trouble, the predominantly Malay forces would be tempted to delay intervention in situations where their Malay compatriots are getting the best of it. Whether or not the Communists become in- volved in any outbreaks this year, the Chinese would again be the losers. \ (l b)(3 Page ll WEEKLY SUMMARY 8 May 70 Approved for Release: 2023/03/28 C03154550
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FOIA release, from the cia-readingroom collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is above. 78 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.