Photos shown in Jakarta of Soviets' Afghan thrust

September 2, 1981

The Soviet Union tried unsuccessfully to prevent an exhibition of photographs depicting Soviet intervention in Afghanistan, diplomatic sources report. Soviet diplomats repeatedly asked that the exhibition be stopped, and Moscow sent a formal protest note, including an implied threat that the Soviets might change positions on UN votes concerning Indonesia, the sources said.

The three-day display, which opened Tuesday in a Jakarta mosque, was mounted by the Indonesian-Afghanistan Solidarity Committee to mark the third anniversary of Soviet military intervention in Afghanistan. Photos and video-films depict anti-Soviet guerrilla fighters and conditions in Afghan refugee camps.