Churches write to Mr Gill

Press, 16 August 1978, Page 2

Churches write to Mr Gill

PA Wellington The chairman of the Churches Commission on Human Rights (The Rev. John Murray), has asked the Minister of Immigration (Mr Gill), to give “clear and full” reasons for the Government’s ban on holders of the University Students’ Association South African Scholarship speaking publicly in New Zealand about the political situation in their countries. "The right of the Government to prohibit foreigners who might reasonably be considered a risk to the political, social, and economic welfare of our country, is not in question,” Mr Murray said in a letter to Mr Gill. "What is in question is the right of the Cabinet to discriminate selectively against certain people, without giving clear and full evidence that they do constitute some danger to us.” No such evidence had been put forward in the case of the recipients, past and

i future, of the University scholarship, he said. “One can only believe there are more and grave I reasons yet undisclosed,” he said. I “I would also be grateful ,1 if you would inform me why (Other people from Southern lAfrica do not also come under the same ban. I would ! list such people as the Con- . I sul-General of South Africa, the chairman of the South African Trade Federation, j exchange students and memi bers of exchange teams ■ sponsored by Rotary, and (other temporary visitors (from that area. “As you and the Govern(ment have expressly de- ; nounced the system of apartheid, it seems incredible that you put a ban on a vicj tim of this system.” Mr told Mr Gill. “The action seems more in I line with the policies of the (white regimes of that area than with the democratic, land humane and dare I say, ■ Christian, principles under ’which we live.”