Consulate trio isolated

Press, 23 October 1984, Page 6

Consulate trio isolated

NZPA-Reuter Durban .. Britain , stepped ,up pressure yesterday on three South African dissidents encamped at its Durban Consulate to leave, denying them visits from their relatives and lawyers? The lawyers said that the move had showed Britian planned to close the Consulate in 48 hours so that the South African police could move in and arrest the trio. The three, who went into the Consular offices five weeks ago to evade orders for their indefinite detention without trial under security laws,_are all leading opponents of apartheid. Accusing the British Government of conspiring with the South African Government to facilitate the men’s arrest, the lawyers said, “The British Government is now apartheid’s overzealous policeman.” The British Foreign Office said that the clampdown on visits had been introduced because the dissidents had abused their presence in the Consulate by their “political activity.” “We regret these steps. But they have been forced on us by the refusal of the three to give us any assurance about their conduct,” the Foreign Office said.

Besides denying the three visits', except from doctors, Britain also said that it was cutting the work of the Consulate. Only Consular staff would be allowed into the offices, to answer correspondence, telephone calls, and telex messages. The dissidents, who have never been allowed phonecalls, will now have no contact at all with their representatives. On Thursday they produced a long statement in consultation with the lawyers criticising Britain for not intervening with the South African Government on their behalf and setting out conditions on which they would leave. The British statement said today, “We have made it clear we cannot countenance any demands from the three ... We have also repeatedly emphasised that we cannot intervene in the legal processes of South Africa, however much we may disapprove of some of them.” The affair has seriously strained relations between Pretoria and London, and South Africa has said that it will not return for trial four South Africans wanted in Britain on charges of arms smuggling. Their trial was due to begin in England today.