Red Terrorism in Malaya

Report Outline
British Campaign Against Red Guerillas
Political and Social Tensions in Malaya
Measures to Promote Long Term Stability

British Campaign Against Red Guerillas

New Effort to Extinguish Communist Terror

Communist terrorism still nourishes in Malaya after four years of British effort to stamp it out. From scattered camps in the Malayan jungle, Red guerillas continue to wage an active campaign to disrupt the economy and retard political development of Britain's last major colonial dependency in South Asia. In the event that Chinese Communist armies should invade Southeast Asia through Indo-China, the guerillas in the strategic Malay peninsula would constitute a dangerous fifth column in the rear of anti-Communist defenses.

Recognizing the inadequacy of an indeterminate holding operation, the Churchill government has undertaken comprehensive efforts to step up the fight against the terrorists and to improve those Malayan political, economic, and social conditions which are sources of internal disunity and unrest. Gen. Sir Gerald Templer, British High Commissioner of the Malayan Federation, has been given complete operational command over all armed forces in the peninsula in addition to his responsibility for civil administration.

Since his appointment last February, Gen. Templer has taken vigorous action to recapture the initiative against the Communist guerilla movement. Terrorist activity has somewhat declined during the last six months but the situation remains serious.