Plea for refugees

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33034, 29 September 1972, Page 9

Plea for refugees

(N.Z .P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) NEW YORK, Sept 28. The General Assembly Steering Committee has called a meeting today to consider Britain’s urgent request for the inclusion in the agenda of an item on the problem of the 80,000 Asians expelled from Uganda.

Diplomatic sources say there is little doubt that the committee of 25 nations will recommend the Assembly to include the item, but they expect strong African opposition when the committee’s report is taken up by the

plenary body, probably tomorrow.

The Uganda Ambassador (Mr Grace Ibingira) denounced the British move last night, exercising his right of reply in the Assembly to a statement made earlier in the day by the British Foreign Secretary (Sir Alex DouglasHome).

Sir Alec Douglas-Home said that the expulsion of up to 80,000 Asians, and the uncompensated confiscation of their assets, was “an outrage against the standards of human decency, in the face of which this Assembly cannot remain silent.” “Asians who have had their homes in Uganda for generations are now being ejected and stripped of most of their belongings and of savings accumulated over many years,” he said. “The arrangements that had been made for an orderly flow of British Asians into Britain, at the rate of 14,000 a year, have been thrown out of the window by Uganda, and a time-limit of 90 days set for the refugees departure. “There are now only 42 days left,” Sir Alec DouglasHome said. “President Amin has said that he will put them in camps if they have not left before the deadline. We do not accept that this deadline has any justification in law, or in morality.” The British Foreign Secretary asked for United Nations

action to gain an extension to General Amin’s deadline, and permission for the refugees to take out their belongings. Mr Ibingira said that Article 2 (7) of the United Nations Charter, which bars the United Nations from debating issues falling within the domestic jurisdiction of a member-state should prevent the Assembly from inscribing the proposed item.

He accused Britain of employing bullying tactics, and of trying to force through a resolution that no Great Power would accept. The reaction in African and Asian circles appear cool towards the British initiative: one Asian ambassador has said that while he recognises the humanitarian problems involved, he fears that debate would emphasise political considerations.

If the Assembly decides not to take up the issue in plenary meetings, it is expected to go to the Social Committee, which generally deals with human rights matters.

It is reported from Kampala that more than 1000 expelled Asians left Uganda today for Britain, Canada, and India, and that 740 more are booked to leave tomorrow.

At the British High Commission, 14,561 Asians had been granted entry permits by last night, and another 1000 or so were being processed today.