COMMUNIST CONGRESS

Press, Volume C, Issue 29535, 9 June 1961, Page 13

COMMUNIST CONGRESS

- Entry Refused By Australia <N.Z Press Assn.—C'opi/rtqlii) CANBERRA, June 8. The Federal Government has refused to let three Russian Communists visit Australia for a congress of the Australian Communist Party. One of them belongs to the Soviet hierarchy. The Government gave no reason for its refusal. In Sydney, the Australian Communist Party’s general secretary, Mr L. Sharkey, said he believed the Government had also refused visas to guests from China, Italy, and Czechoslovakia. Only two international e guests had been allowed in. he said. One was Mr Abu f Bhupesh Gupta, a represeny tative of the Indian Parliai. ment who arrived last Sund day. The other was the secretary of New Zealand’s s Communist Party, Mr V a Wilcox, who arrived a few it days ago. il The most important of the . three Russian Communists d is Mr P. Pospelov, an alternative member of the presiy dium of the central commitit tee of the Soviet Commone ist Party. k The other two are Mr L .. Kirillin and Mr V. Nekrasov, r> who are members of the p' party in Moscow. The first announcement of d the refusal was given, not by the Government, but , Moscow Radio. It called the decision “an act in the cold * war spirit."