Report of Fiji walk-out denied

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33987, 30 October 1975, Page 18

Report of Fiji walk-out denied

A report that thei New Zealand delegation had walked out of the South Pacific regional women’s conference being held in Suva has been denied.

A Press Association report from Suva early this morning said that the conference confirmed a decision to send a telegram to Maori land rights protesters in New Zealand, expressing the conference’s solidarity with the march, in spite of some dissention fro mwithin the New Zealand delegation. Some members of New Zealand’s delegation, including Ms Paddy Walker wanted the telegram to list the names and countries of those who supported it. “It should not be sent in the name of the whole conference,” she said. The conference organising secretary, Ms Claire Slatter, said that the message would go in the conference name because it was a majority decision to send it, even though it was not a unanimous decision. Voting was 45 for sending the message, five against and three abstentions. Some delegates were origally hesitant about endorsing the message because they felt it was an internal political issue. There was sharp disagreement between members of the New Zealand delegation about the matter, but Ms Slatter denied there was a walk-out by New Zealand delegates. Earlier in the week the Fijian “Sunday Sun” reported that a New Zealander, Mrs Titiwhai Harawira, had made a statement: “Don’t forget—the white man is your enemy.” Mrs Harawira was reported to have made the re-

\ mark when she addressed a rally in Suva on Saturday, according to the Fijian “Sunday Sun.” Mrs Harawira is well known in Auckland and Wellington as one of the organisers of the Maori land march. The paper reported that Mrs Harawira told a small crowd of multi-racial harmony supporters: “Coloured people unite, stand firm and don’t let the white people divide you.” It called her comments “pure racism.” The paper reported that she told the crowd of multiracial harmony supporters and various Saturday morning shoppers that about 20,000 people had joined the land march. “We believe that if we don’t stand up and fight we'

t will be landless.” she is reported to have said. The “Sunday Sun” said that her remarks about white men I appeared incongruous as she stood amid posters carrying such slogans as. “Unite Against Racism” and “End Racism Now.” In an editorial after the story the newspaper, which is partly owned by the actor, ! Raymond Burr, told its readers that the comjnents made by Mrs Harawira were out of place at a : rally for multi-racial harmony. “The struggle for Maori land rights in New Zealand > is an honourable one but it won’t get very far if al! its : leaders are like Mrs Hara- : wira,” it said. “No civilised person likes racists — whether they are 'black or white.”