Govt would consider Horta admission

Press, 26 August 1978, Page 20

Govt would consider Horta admission

PA Wellington If the Labour Party proceeded with the "provocative” decision to bring the East Timorese, Jose Ramos Horta, to New Zealand to speak, then the Government would consider whether he should even be allowed in, said the Prime Minister, Mr Muldoon. The Labour Party’s New Zealand council last week voted unanimously to invite Mr Horta on a speaking tour of New Zealand. The Government had earlier ruled that the exiled leader of the Fretilin movement, which is fighting the Indonesian takeover of the former Portuguese colony of East Timor, would only be allowed into New Zealand for a week and then on the condition that he did not speak publicly about his organisation. Mr Muldoon said that the long-term aims of the

Fretelin movement were to overthrow Indonesia, the “de facto” Government of East Timor, and this was the reason the condition was imposed on his visa. He said that Government policy was not to allow organisations which aimed at overthrowing governments of territories recognised by New Zealand, to “propagandise.” “A year or so ago we had a similar type of experience with two Yugoslav Croatians who came to New Zealand and the Yugoslav Government would be. very angry if we permitted them to hold meetings around the country, attacking a Government w’hich we recognised.” Nor, he said, did New Zealand allow Taiwanese to “propagandise against the Government of mainland China, which we recognise.” Mr Muldoon accused the Labour Party of pursuing the issue “to capitalise

politically on what they claim is a negation of free speech.” But he said, the Government’s policy on the issue had been consistent and the principles “squared” with the Yugoslav and the Taiwanese cases. Asked whether the Government would allow the exiled Russian Nobel Prize-winner, Alexander Solzhenitsyn to visit New Zealand, Mr Muldoon said: “He does not lead a group which wishes to take over the Soviet Union. He is simply campaigning about the conditions there.” The people who would not be allowed to come to New Zealand to speak were those, “involved in groups or parties which have as their long-term aims the take over of the Government of the particular territory.” He said all Solzhenitsyn would do was campaign against the “cruelties” and “bestialities” of the system.