Students Protest To Govt. On Exclusions

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30477, 26 June 1964, Page 12

Students Protest To Govt. On Exclusions

The International Student Conference yesterday protested to the New Zealand Government about its refusal to grant visas for four representatives of the International Union of Students to attend the Christchurch meeting as observers. There appeared to be no dissent. The resolution, moved by Ghana, was as follows: — “The eleventh I.S.C. having satisfied itself that adequate guarantees were given to the secretariat and the N.Z.U.S.A. by the Department of Internal Affairs that all accredited delegates to the I.S.C. would be given visas to enter New Zealand, taking note of the fact that four representa-

tives of the International Union of Students have been refused permission to enter New Zealand for the conference, the conference wishes to protest most strongly to the Government of New Zealand for its unco-operative attitude in this regard.” The brief discussion was based on yesterday’s statement by the Prime Minister (Mr Holyoake) and other information gathered by the Wellington representative of “The Press.” No official communication has been received from the Government. The only fresh indication of the Government’s attitude was obtained in “The Press,” said Mr M. J. Moriarty, president of the New Zealand Universities’ Students’ Association. He said his association believed there had been clear agreement that accredited visitors would be allowed to enter the country. Outside the conference, when questioned by “The Press,” Mr Moriarty said that he, Mr J. S. Singh, and Mr G. Morgan, of the co-ordinat-ing secretariat, had been told by a Government official there “should be no difficulties.”

This was a month or more before the conference when officials were deciding whether the meeting would be held in New Zealand. The officials, Mr Moriarty said, wanted this assurance before New Zealand was chosen as the conference venue. Asked about the term “Government undertaking,” Mr Moriarty admitted that an “understanding with an official of the New Zealand Government” might be a better term. There was nothing in writing.