Legislation opposed by former P.O.W.s

Press, 14 June 1983, Page 6

Legislation opposed by former P.O.W.s

PA Wellington Former prisoners of war are going back into action. The target: legislation governing prisoners’ behaviour.

Proud of their own prowess at escaping from the stalags of 40 years ago, the old soldiers are incensed that the Government has seen fit to make it law for prisoners to take “reasonable opportunities” to es-

Tbe former P.O.W.S condemned the legislation as “ridiculous” and “impossible to impose” when they discussed the move at a weekend conference of the New Zealand Ex-Prisoners of War Association at Tauassociation has already approached its biggest gun, the Minister of Defence, Mr Thomson, himself a former P.O.W. to take aim at the Armed Forces Defence Act

It also plans to enlist the support of the Returned Services Association in its

campaign to shoot down the legislation.

A clause in the act makes it an offence punishable by court martial and up to five years imprisonment for a captured serviceman to fail to take reasonable steps to escape the enemy.

The legislation was introduced to bring New Zealand into line with its A.N.Z.U.S. allies, Australia and the United States. It is said to have been necessary for ail A.NXU.S. forces because of the number of American servicemen who surrendered during the Vietnam War. Some New Zealand former P.O.W.S are incensed, their views summed up by the president of the Mid-Canterbury Ex-P.O.Ws Association, Mr J. S. Hay, who says the legislation, due to come into force in August, is not in keeping with the tradition of New Zealand forces. -

“No-one gets caught for the sake of it,” he said. “Soldiers from this country

always took advantage of any opportunities to escape captivity. “It is stupid, really ... a silly piece of legislation.” The association’s national secretary, Mr R. J. Coleman, said that delegates at the conference were not happy with the legislation. “The merits of escaping have to be determined at the time,” he said. "You have to have consideration for comrades.

“One man escaping can cause a machine-gun to be turned on the rest. The officers in a court martial might have no concept of what it is like to be in a camp.

The editor of the association’s journal, Mr D. Bailey, said that it was always an unwritten law among prisoners of war that they try their best to escape. He said the new law was “absolutely ridiculous and impossible to impose.” He said feeling among association members was strongly against the proposal.