Revolted

"It has now become quite clear that the repressive measures employed by the Chinese to deal with the revolt in Tibet have aroused widespread revulsion and condemnation throughout the world. This has been the case in New Zealand, as in Asian and Western countries overseas, and the New Zealand Government has made its attitude towards these tragic developments perfectly clear.

"In particular, two expressions of New Zealand views on the situation in Tibet were made in the context of the South-East Asia Treaty Organization Council meeting in Wellington earlier this month.

"On April 7, in commenting on an article in the Soviet forces' journal 'Red Star' which linked the Tibetan revolt with the opening of the Seato conference, I made it clear that, although the basic concern of the Seato alliance was the defence of member countries against outside aggression, 'as free democracies we are naturally concerned at what has been happening in Tibet, as we should be at similar events anywhere in the world.'

"New Zealand also associated itself with a reference to Tibet in the final communique of the conference issued on April 10. In this, after taking note of the sternly political progress being made in territories administered by member governments, the council 'noted the stark contrast between these developments, and the situation in Tibet and other areas subject to Communist domination.'

"The communique went on to say that As members of the free world community, the members of Seato share the general concern at developments in Tibet and the widely-expressed abhorrence of the violent and oppressive measures employed against the Tibetan people.'—Yours, etc.,

W. Nash."