N.Z. sympathy for Third World nations

Press, 24 September 1980, Page 7

N.Z. sympathy for Third World nations

PA Wellington By the end of this year one in every 900 New Zealanders will be a resettled refugee from IndoChina. the International Parliamentary Union was told by a Government member of Parliament, Dr I. J. Shearer, at its meeting in East Berlin last week. The text of his speech was released in Wellington by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Dr Shearer said New Zealanders had made $8 million available for feeding, clothing, retraining and resettling the refugees at a time when their own country was facing possibly its most serious economic problems since the Depression of the 19305. “In this New Zealand is not alone, but others with far greater resources than we and relatively close at hand could, and should, we believe do more to ensure that all the refugees still in transit camps find new permanent homes and jobs elsewhere. The problem cannot be solved in terms of money alone,” he said. In a second speech in a debate on the third United Nations Development Decade,. Dr Shearer said New Zealand was well able to understand the

sense of frustration. shared by many developing countries at the failure of efforts to achieve a new more equitable economic order.

“Developed importing countries do not seem to recognise that by allowingimports of farm produce at prices lower than those at which their own lessefficient producers can supply them, they contribute both to a reduction of domestic inflation and to an increased ability of the supplier to import manufactured and other goods — goods which they themselves, as developed nations can produce efficiently,” Dr Shearer said.

New Zealand’s other representative at. the meeting. Mr T. J Young, a Labour member of Parliament, spoke in the debate on the necessity of arms control.

“South Pacific nations wish the South Pacific to be a nuclear-weapon free zone, and to have nuclear testing stopped in that region.

“New Zealand opposes all forms of nuclear testing, atmospheric and underground, wherever they occur. We remain resolute in our opposition to nuclear testing in the South Pacific and, in particular, to the persistent

testing by France at Mururoa, he said.

Mr Young said there appeared to be a reluctance by the two Super-Powers towards making real progress’ in nuclear arms control and disarmament issues.

“Now Zealand appeals to both the United States and the Soviet Union to reduce their nuclear arsenals and to continue negotiations on the arms limitation treaty,” he said. Later in his speech Mr Young said New Zealandhad no hesitation in naming the Soviet Union as an aggressor in Afghanistan.

“The Soviet presence in Afghanistan is unwarranted and deprives the citizens of that nation of their rights to determine their own destiny,” he said. Nothing short of an immediate unconditional and total withdrawal of Soviet troops from the country would satisfy international Opinion.