SELF-GOVERNMENT FOR THE NATIVE PEOPLES

Chronicle (Levin), 25 July 1947, Page 3

SELF-GOVERNMENT FOR THE NATIVE PEOPLES

■o ■Press Association

By Telegraph-

WELLINGTON, J'uly ±1. Au infcrnationai slaud by trade unions oi' the world on the issue oi soli' . goveruincnt for colonial peoples, is propoHed in a cablegrum sent by the secretary o.f the New Z-eala'nd Eedoration oi j Labour, Mr. K". Baxter, to the general- ! sceretary of tho World Eederation oi) Trade Unions, Mr. Louis Saillant, in ; Paris, because oi the developmenls in I Indouesia. j Mr. Baxter soul. the following mes-j sagc to Mr. Saillant: "The New Zea-t laud Eederation of Labour afliruis its! sujtport of the priuciple of self-govern-ment (as laid down at our annual conferenee in 1945). We believc the World Eederation of Trade Unions should take a world- wide slaud on this issue. " The .1945 eonferen.ee of the Eederation oi Labour eudorsed the action of its national exeeutive in sending the following resolution to the New Z-ealand j Governiueiit: "That Ihe New Zealand J Eederation of Labour atlirms its support of the principle of .self-government for all colonial peoples and asks the governmeiit to approaeh the British Governnieut for the purpose of obtaiuing full inforniation as to the position in the Netherlands East lndies and if neces- ■ sary to make representations to the Brij tisli Governinent to ensurc that British forces are not used to dcfeat the legitiniale aixns of the Indonesian people for national independence and self-govern-mcnt. The New Zealand Eederation of Labour also ahirms its emphatic protest I agaiust any use of Japanese i'orcOa j against tlie Indonesians or in conjunction with the British or Allied forees for any military purpose wliatsoever. ' ' This resolution was adopted at an early stage in the dispule over self-gov-ernment for the Indonesians. Tliere were at that timo confused reports of the situation. There was a fear that British or Japanese tioops might be involved. It was for tjiat reason that. the resolution contained the reference to British and Japanese military forees. Tlie flrst. olfieial eongress of the World Federation of Trade Unions lield in Paris in October, 1945, adopted the following resolution: "Congress asserts the right of colonial peoples to onjo.v self-determination and national independence and instructs the exeeutive to make representations to United Nations on this point." The resolution of the congress added: "Recent evonts in Indo-China and "lndonesia, disclosing the use of military forces to eombat native peoples, appear in confliet with the expressed principles of United NationR. ' }