South Africa’s Place In U.N. Immaterial

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30325, 28 December 1963, Page 13

South Africa’s Place In U.N. Immaterial

(N .Z.P.A .-Reuter—Copyrig ht)

PRETORIA, December 27.

South Africa's representation in the United Nations Organisation did not matter; the Afro-Asian States would continue their maliciously false campaign whatever she did, the Foreign Minister, Mr Eric Louw, said today.

“It was my own experience at eight meetings of the General Assembly, and the experience of our delegation at this year’s assembly, that whether we are present or not—whether we give information and reply to accusations or if necessary counter-attack ail this makes no difference,” he said. Mr Louw. who is due to re*;gn next week after serving as Foreign Minister for nine years, was reviewing his term of office. Mr Louw said if the United Nations and the General Assembly continued in their present course as a forum for

airing grievances and for attacking member States they would come to an “inglorious end—‘unwept, unhonoured and unsung’—except perhaps by the Afro-Asians who will have lost a useful weapon of attack." ‘’Double Standard*’ He said the Assembly, which has just adjourned, had adopted resolutions whereby member States undertook not to provide arms for South Africa—“either for defence against attacks threatened by the Addis Ababa conference or for internal defence against revolutionary activities instigated by African States.” Mr Louw said West Germany, which was not bound by the resolutions, had also said it would not sell arms to South Africa—“not even revolvers"—but was quite willing to sell cars and other goods.

Some United Nations members and West Germany, were selling arms to African States “again the double standard,” said Mr Louw. U.K. Trade Mr Louw said South Africa was among Britain’s best customers and her second largest customer for motorvehicles.

British and United States oil companies also had refineries in South Africa which would need crude oil for the cars exported from British, United States, European and Japanese manufacturers.

Mr Lcuw said it was ironic that some of the attacks on South Africa had come from Weyeyn countries where there were racial clashes during the year. Mr Louiw said the United

Nations resolution calling for the release of the “90-day” detainees and sabotage trialists was an “impertinent intrusion into our administration of justice.” Repressive Laus He asked if any Western delegation which supported the resolution had ever protested against India's law “which permits imprisonment without trial of the Government's political opponents.”

“And have they ever complained of a similar law in Ghana, recently renewed for another three years, where political opponents of Nkrumah’s regime are imprisoned without trial—including the previous Minister of Foreign Affairs —and where the Chief Justice was recently summarily dismissed for having found two of Dr. Nkrumah’s political opponents to be ’not guilty’ of charges preferred against them.” Mr Louw said the United Nations condemned South Africa by a 106 to 1 vote, but there “was not a whisper of protest by the Western delegations against India’s and Ghana’s tyrannical actions.” Fear Of Majority He said fear of antagonising the Afro-Asian majority in the Assembly and selfinterest were the main reasons why South Africa could not secure the Western nations’ support.

"In some cases they also go in fear of the Socialist parties that are notoriously antagonistic towards South Africa,” said Mr Low. He added that the Socialists exerted pressures on Governments of countries where they (the Socialists) were the opposition or members or in the coalition Government