Jungle Surrender

When the Federation of Malaya gained its independence and full-fledged membership in the British Commonwealth last August, Prime Minister Tengku (Prince) Abdul Rahman immediately dispatched a message into the jungles (TIME, Sept. 16). Its net: if Communist terrorists still holding out after nine years of costly guerrilla warfare against the British would lay down their arms and forswear Communism, they would get a full pardon. Those unwilling to give up Communism got the offer of free passage with their families to Red China. Rahman gave the rebels until year's end to accept his "final" offer.

With the deadline nearing, Tengku Rahman reported that 122 of the 1,750 remaining rebels had come out of the jungles and surrendered. Encouraged, Rahman extended the amnesty deadline until next April 30, showered 12 million safe-conduct passes into the forests. But he had less success with Chin Peng, 36, Chinese-educated leader of the guerrillas. From his jungle lair across the border in neighboring Thailand, Chin Peng sent word that he would be willing to meet Rahman only to discuss "an end to the war," not a surrender. Snapped the Tengku last week: "Unless and until Chin Peng is willing to surrender, there will be no meeting."

Increasingly confident that he can reduce the rebels to impotency and end Malaya's state of emergency before the state's first anniversary next summer, Prime Minister Rahman considered staging a series of "little armistice" talks in individual rebel villages, prepared to ask Thailand for combined operations against Chin Peng and his men.

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