COLOMBO PLAN AID

Press, Volume XCII, Issue 27795, 21 October 1955, Page 13

COLOMBO PLAN AID

N.Z. Contribution To Programme

(Rec. 11 p.m.) SINGAPORE, Oct 20. New Zealand felt that she was shar-. ing in something valuable in the Colombo Plan, the New Zealand External Affairs Minister (Mr T. L. Macdonald) said tonight in a broadcast over Radio Malaya. “In accordance with our ability, we in New Zealand have participated in the provision of economy aid under the plan and have contributed to projects in Burma, Cambodia. Ceylon, India, Indonesia. Nepal and Pakistan.” he said. “In the important field of technical co-operation. New Zealand has sent some of her experts to various countries and has been glad to accept people from South and South-east Asia for training in New Zealand. “Although our climate is somewhat cooler than their own, the trainees appear to have enjoved their time with us in the South Pacific. We have had 51 persons from Ceylon. 47 from Malaya, 14 from India, and 39 from Pakistan, as well as some from Burma, Singapore, British North Borneo. Indonesia and Nenal.” Mr Macdonald said: “I feel that this nhase of the work has a double value. Not only do people become technically trained and therefore more useful to thir own community, but many are given the charee to live in other countries while they are being trained. In our case, that means that the trainees get to know all New Zealanders. They share our dailv lives, they eat our 'food and they visit our homes. In turn, New Zealanders learn from them of conditions in South and South-east Asia. There can be no better wav of achieving a fuller understanding between peoples,” he said.

Gamin? Laws in Cambodia.-— All games of chance, and even the storing and importing of playing cards, have been banned in Cambodia under a bill passed through the Cambodian Council.—Phnom Penh, October 18.