Noisy Protest At Airport

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31277, 25 January 1967, Page 1

Noisy Protest At Airport

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, January 24.

The South Vietnamese Prime Minister, Air Vice-Marshal Ky, encountered more serious opposition than in Christchurch to his controversial visit to New Zealand when he arrived in Wellington this morning.

About 50 anti-Ky demonstrators made sufficient noise with shouts of “Sieg Heil” to drown the welcoming cheers of supporters when he stepped off a plane at Wellington airport shortly after 10 o’clock.

Air Vice-Marshal Ky met the Cabinet, attended an official lunch given in his honour by the Prime Minister (Mr Holyoake), laid a wreath at the National War Memorial and met civic dignitaries.

In a welcoming speech at Wellington airport, Mr Holyoake said the New Zealand and Vietnamese Governments had one great joint aim—to bring a secure and just peace to Vietnam and an end to the sufferings of the Vietnamese people. He concluded his speech saying: “Let us hope and pray that 1967 will bring success to our efforts.” “New Zealand has shown

sympathy for our cause and understanding for our plight,” Air Vice-Marshal Ky said in reply. As in Australia, Mrs Ky has attracted almost as much attention as her husband. This morning, wearing a lavender costume, she was presented with a bouquet of flowers by a Colombo Plan student in her last year of M.Sc. study at Victoria University. Later, she lunched with Mrs Holyoake and visited the Karitane Hospital. After attending the Cabinet, the Vietnamese' Premier was entertained at a lunch given by the Prime Minister. Political Plans

In an after-lunch speech he said it would be a “great mistake” to expect a Western-

type democracy to develop within South Vietnam in a very short space of time.

He told his audience that his country was, hopeful of having a new constitution by next month and that it was hoped to organise nationwide Presidential elections by the end of this year. Although the parliamentarians might regard “the elections in the midst of war, the democracy-building during the most critical times in our history, the social reforms in the midst of destruction, the social revolution during a fight of attrition” as unattainable, unrealistic and “overly ambitious,” these things did “fall into a pattern in the' war we are waging,” he said. He said that unless the “hidden enemies” of his nation—"poverty, disease and social injustice”—were defeated, then the Communist could not be beaten.

Air Vice-Marshal Ky said that the Communists now saw clearly that they would never win a military victory in Vietnam. In conclusion, he said that his Government’s policy, which had been stated when it assumed power, was threefold—“to win the war, to achieve economic stability and build democracy.” In a statement issued after Air Vice-Marshal Ky met the Cabinet, Mr Holyoake said: “We agreed that so long as the North Vietnamese persisted in their attempt to take over- South Vietnam by military means, there would be a continuing and possibly increasing, need for military assistance to the Republic of Vietnam to help resist the Communist aggression.” Mr Holyoake said there had been a searching discussion about steps already taken in an effort to bring about a peaceful negotiation of the conflict.

Of this, he said: “We agreed that our objective was a just and reasonable settlement which would safeguard the right of the South Vietnamese people to determine their own future free from external influence.” In addition to these prerequisites. Mr Holyoake said, it would be essential that any peace settlement should embrace provision for continuing international supervision and guarantee.

Visit To Memorial

A security officer with a binocular watched over the Vietnamese visitor from the top of the memorial tower, as he came to lay a wreath in the Hall of Memories.

Air Vice-Marshal Ky was met at the memorial by Mr H. Mitchell, president of the Returned Services’ Association, and Major-General Sir William Gentry. After placing a large wreath of plastic red and gold flowers, on which was a plain card with the message: “In remembrance from Air ViceMarshal Nguyen Cao Ky,” he walked over to a group of

about 40 children and, invited a small boy and girl to walk down the steps with him. They did so, holding his hands.

In bis other official engagement today the Air ViceMarshal called on the Mayor of Wellington, Sir Francis Kitts. Air Vice-Marshal Ky went out of his way to speak to a group of children near the entrance of the Town Hall. Left In Rain

Air Vice-Marshal Ky and Mrs Ky were bidden farewell at the airport by the Prime Minister and Mrs Holyoake, and the Mayor as they sheltered from the rain and bitter wind under the wing of a DC6. The R.N.Z.A.F. aircraft took off at 7.15 p.m. and landed at Auckland at 8.45 p.m.