'Blatant racism’ alleged

Press, 31 May 1986, Page 21

'Blatant racism’ alleged

PA Wellington Labour Department figures showing that onethird of overstayers are Pacific Islanders yet make up 86 per cent of those prosecuted is "disgusting and blatant racism,” said Mr Mika Kelekolio, secretary of the Western Samoan Advisory Council.

The Government should inquire urgently into the reasons why overstaying prosecutions fell heavily on Pacific Islanders, he said.

Mr- Kelekolio, a vocational guidance counsellor for the Labour Department at Porirua, said the person who was in charge of deciding who was prosecuted for overstaying should resign. “The figures are a grave step in this country’s efforts to establish excellent race relations. They just prove that racism is alive and well in some Government departments,” he said.

Mr Kelekolio said he would approach members of the advisory council and attempt to arrange an emergency meeting to dis-

cuss what representation should be made to the Government on the matter.

“However, I don’t believe that any excuse given by the Government would be suitable or could justify what has been the first true admission of racism.” He said while it was too early to know what effect the findings would have on the Pacific Island community, it would be safe to assume that Pacific Islanders would feel as though they were being singled out by the Government.

Mr Kelekolio said he believed there were many people working towards harmonious race relations and it would be those people most disturbed by the prosecutions. The Labour Department report made public on May 28 showed that from August 1, 1985, to March 31, 1986, 313 prosecutions for overstaying were begun in the District Court. Of those, 270 alleged overstayers, or 86 per cent, were Western Samoans, Tongans, and Fijians.