TYRANNY ALLEGED IN BROOKE CASE

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5284, 21 December 1946, Page 5

TYRANNY ALLEGED IN BROOKE CASE

(Press Assn.—

' STATUS OF SA'RAWAK

RESTRAINING ACTION HAS COMMONS' SEQUEL

-Ren. 0.30 n.m )

LONDON, Dec. 20. It was officially announced at 'f-Higapore to-day that Mr. Anthony Brooke, nephew of the former White Rajah or Sarawak, Sir Charles Vyner Brooke, and (daimant to the Sarawak throne, lv,s refused to give assurances that if he caine to Singapore )m Hongkong he would refrain 1'rom making statements or ind- Iging in any activity relating f-: the status of Sarawak, the ^ = ansfer of which to the Crown "?Ir. Brooke opposes. The Singapore Government is awaiting news of his future intentions. An immigration official requested f>rrespondents waiting at the airfield not to see Mr. Brooke for two niinutes after his arrival so that he eould be warned not to speak to the press. The official hinted that he would be arrested if he broke the order. The Malaya Tribune quotes an earlier statement from the Gover-nor-General's office that Mr Brooke would not be gagged. When questions were raised in the Il'ouse of Commons whether the banning of Mr. Broolce's visit to Sarak was not an infringement of an inrlividual's right, Mr. Creech Jones, ( "clonial Secretary, said the procedr s adopted was perfectly legal. Mr. Brooke sou.ght to overthrow eonstitutional Government in Sarawak. "The urgent need is that re-constructio-n should continue and that the people should not be faced with ."ii other eonstitutional problem," he ■ulded. Censure Motion Proposed Mr. Churchill: That last statement a very perfect declaration of tyranny in the mouth of the person rpeaking it. Mr. Teeling gave notice that' he would raise on the adjournnient tomorrow the matter of the Government's refusal to allow Mr. Brooke to : nter Sarawak. Mr Churchill gave' notice that when Parliament reassembled the Opposition would aslc for an opportunity ?c niove a vote of censure. Mr. Herbert Morrison : What arc wc to be censured for? Mr. Churchill: I should not attempt U> draft a motion at this moment, but tyranny, conceit, and incompetenee would he tho suhstance of it.