Apartheid “Shame Of The Century”

Press, Volume C, Issue 29478, 3 April 1961, Page 13

Apartheid “Shame Of The Century”

(N.ZP -A .-Retiter—CopyHpht)

NEW YORK. March 31. An African delegate has described South Africa’s racial policy of apartheid as "the shame of our century." Speaking in the United Nations General Assembly’s Special Political Committee. Mr Amadou Thiam, of Mali, added: "Non-whites in the Union are subject to contempt. are imprisoned, and at times lynched. "Their rights are utterly denied and they do not even have the right to worship God in a church for whites.” The Mali delegate said that South Africa had placed itself "beyond the pale.” The United Nations must now decide whether it would simply abandon the question or take effective measures, he said. Mr Thiam said the theory of racial superiority inherent in apartheid, recalled "the reason adduced by Hitler in Germany for persecuting the Jews.” Attitude Of N.Z. Mr Foss Shanahan, of New Zealand, the next speaker, said his delegation came to this debate with a sense of anxiety and urgency deepened by recent events. “South Africa's growing isolation.” he said, "reflects the very nature of apartheid itself. There is not one of us in this organisation who can claim to be without blemish in securing the observance of all human rights.

"However, almost all members arc. I believe, doing their utmost to ensure that peoples of al! races enjoy full equality of rights and onportunities. Unhappily in South Africa alone the opposite tendency prevails." "Totally Opposed” New Zealand was totally opposed to apartheid as a policy, Mr Shanahan said. The relationship between the peoples of New Zealand had always been based on completely opposite concepts to those that prevailed in the Union.

“Not only,” he added, “do we object to apartheid on moral grounds; we believe that it is not a practicable policy in a mixed society." It is understandable that discussion of South Africa's policy should arouse "the strongest feeling of repugnance and indeed of anger.” Mr Shanahan said he did not think it would be a sign of weakness or indifference for the Assembly to adopt a resolution calling once again upon South Africa to revise its policies. The New Zealand delegate said the United Nations Secretary General (Mr Dag Hammarsjkold) should continue his efforts to find a solution to this? problem. The overriding concern must be to induce the Union Government to change its policies. “My delegation.” he said, “shares the mounting anxiety of those who see no progress towards this goal, and we deplore the lack of any positive response to the appeals which the General Assembly has made. “Even so. we do not discount the value of renewing these appeals. In recent years we have achieved a truer and

clearSr expression of opinions held the world over, through the promotion of resolutions which were able to command increasingly wide support.” "Weight Of World Opinion" Mr Shanahan continued: “The recent resolutions of the Assembly on this subject represent the weight of world opinion on a matter of the deepest human concern. They draw attention to the rifts which South African policies are bringing about in its relationships with other countries. “Even outside the immediate sphere of inter-govern-mental contacts, these tendencies are already leaving their mark. “We know also that South Africa cannot escape the effects of the great changes which the last few years have seen in the continent of Africa. The presence among us of 16 new African members is one example. Surely, a ship meeting head-on so vigorous a current cannot be uninfluenced in its course." Burma's delegate. U On Sein, said laws in South Africa were merely devices to “foist indignities and humiliations on the nonwhite people." The United Nations must take notice of any violation of rights enshrined in the Charter, he said.

Mr E. J. Lapian (Indonesia) said that while all other nations were trying to mitigate race conflicts and to adjust to contemporary trends. South Africa persisted in trying to perpetuate colonial practices. This violated the United Nations Charter, the Declaration of Human Rights and all concepts of human dignity.