The following statement issuod by the Goa Loaguo (London Branch) is dated 13/12/61 and was issued before the Indian Governmont's invasion of Goa. It was sont to us for our information and is commented upon clsewhere in the Bulletin.
"Soven thousand minors are on strike; and the manganeso and iron ore mines are at a stadstill. Sovoral miners who have managed to escape into India described the chaotic conditions insido Goa.
" Goan civil and military personnel aro abandoning their posts. They are threatended with arrest and dcath undor the now omergency powors. All Goan personnel is undor police surveyance.
"Sovoral Portugese police posts havo boon attacked by Goan fightors within the last six days. Sevoral bridgos have boon blown up.
"On Decombor 8th the poople of threo villages near Polom in Southern Goa stoned the house of tho regedor (Parish authority) end hoisted the Indian flag. On the following day they wore “evacuatod" by Portugese troops. It is not known how many poople wore killod during tho "evacuation" or to where they have boen takon. Three othor villages - Surla, Tiraco and Rawan, in different parts of Goa — have also rebelled against Portugese authority.
"The Portugese have evacuated tho familios of thoir suropean troops. Thoy have also takon away art trcasuros from the muscum of Pangim and historical records to Portugal.
"The Goan Political Convontion, the united front of all Goan organisations inside and outside Portugal, sent an ultimatum to the Government of India that unless it ordered troops to enter Goa to assist tho nationalists thoervo within a wook, it would itself send 5,000 Goan voluntecrs to do so,’ It has drawn the attention of tho Governmont of India to tho terrible massacre that would onsuo and for which it would be rosponsiblo. Routors erroneously reportod that this ultimatum came from India's oppostion parties and that the Goan Political Convention was a Communist body. Whon tho Goa Loaguo pointed out those errors, Routers corrected thoir report as above."