Competition for a Witch

On the glamorous island of Bali, evil is personified by Rangda, a loathsome witch with sagging breasts and white, shaggy hair. In recent weeks, Rangda has had some stiff competition: 38 Balinese have been assassinated by roving bands of youths. As a result Bali's music-filled nights have become silent, its festive dancing curtailed.

Balinese had been staunch supporters of Indonesian nationalism, conducted guerrilla war against the Dutch up to the signing of the first U.N.-sponsored Indonesian-Dutch accord in 1948. At that time 800 young Balinese rebels surrendered and the guerrilla war ended on Bali. The Dutch sentenced the guerrillas to criminal terms ranging from ten to 15 years in prison; they were released last year when Indonesia achieved full independence.

Bali was quiet enough until the arrival this summer of two units of Javanese military police. Then the assassinations began. Balinese noticed that the killers often arrived at the scene of their crime in military vehicles, carried out their assassinations with automatic weapons. This indicated that the Javanese military police were egging on the terrorists and supplying them with arms. Most of the victims were suspected of collaboration with the Dutch during and after the postwar rebellion.

Last week the youthful Sultan of Jogjakarta, vice premier of Indonesia's present central government, paid a flying visit to Bali, conferred with local army authorities and civil officials. Said the Sultan: "I promise immediate action."

Rangda's modern disciples might be as hard to catch as Rangda, who has been hiding out on her 10,308-ft. mountain, Gunung Agung, for 1,000 years.

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