TREATMENT OF REFUGEES

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24797, 11 February 1946, Page 5

TREATMENT OF REFUGEES

RUSSIAN PROPOSAL REJECTED LONDON, February 8. The Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Committee of the United Nations rejected a Soviet proposal which would give the countries of their origin form of control over the destinies of all displaced persons. The committee had before it a subcommittee recommendation that dis-

placed persons who had valid objections to returning to their own countries and who were not war criminals, Quislings, or traitors, should not be compelled to return to their country of origin. The Soviet proposed an amendment that displaced persons should be divided into two categories: (1) criminals. Quislings, and traitors; and (2) genuine refugees who had other reasons for not wanting to return to their country of origin. The settlement of the second class, the Soviet contended, should be decided by the consent of the country of origin and the country of the refugee. Mrs Roosevelt said a man not wishing to return to his country of origin had human rights. The Soviet proposal was creating a possible danger to those rights. An Australian delegate pointed out that the Governments of such places as Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia no longer existed. The Ukrainian delegate retorted that such remarks were not pertinent to the subject. Those countries were now part of the Soviet constitution. The chairman (Mr Peter Fraser) said that they were unable to deal with those sort of things at present. The subject of refugees was too important. He added, amid laughter: ‘/If anyone says that New Zealand is part of Australia, I will not object.” The Soviet motion was defeated by 28 votes to 6, and the original proposition was carried.