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Salient: Victoria University Students' Paper. Vol. 30, No. 4. 1967.

Stimulating remits on international affairs

Stimulating remits on international affairs

New Zealand student delegates have ! equipped their national body to play a greater role in the formation of public opinion on international issues.

Salient Reporter

The New Zealand University Students' Association opposes the increasing of the Government's military aid to South Vietnam, the bombing of North Vietnam, and advocates recognition of the Peoples Republic of China by the New Zealand Government.

These are some of the 47 international remits passed at NZUSA's Easter Council. About half of them were moved by Victoria.

"It is important that NZUSA be given the widest possible policy base for speaking out on international issues." Victoria's International Affairs Officer Mike King told Salient.

"As a spokesman for the largest informed and principled pressure group in the country, the President of NZUSA is obligated to contribute to the formation of an enlightened public opinion."

Mr. King noted that by devoting more attention to international matters, NZUSA is adopting a policy long accepted by its counterparts over-seas.

"Students, because of their training and freedom from vested interest, should do all in their power to ensure public opinion is both accurate and morally aware," he said.

"Student research projects in such areas as South Africa, South West Africa, and. more recently Rhodesia, have done much lo inform the world about what is happening in those countries."

Easter Council's Vietnam motions recognise the necessity for a negotiated settlement of the war, and call for the cessation of the bombing of North Vietnam.

Regretting the New Zealand Government's decision to increase military aid to South Vietnam, they further condernn the fact that this decision was made without consuiting parliament.

More positively, NZUSA advocates increases in civilian aid to Vietnam, especially to the Qui Nhom hospital, and to the project to house war orphans.

A remit on the People's Republic of China condemns the New Zealand Government's policy of non-recognition of that country as being one that will increase China's sense of isolation.

Mike King (above), Victoria's International Affairs Officer at Easter Council. Mike was co-opted onto Executive at the beginning of March. It was the second time Mike had been co-opted. He was co-opted as secretary after Roger Lawrence had resigned in December "65.

Mike King (above), Victoria's International Affairs Officer at Easter Council. Mike was co-opted onto Executive at the beginning of March.
It was the second time Mike had been co-opted. He was co-opted as secretary after Roger Lawrence had resigned in December "65.

It notes the absurdity of regarding Taiwan as representative of China as a whole, and urges the New Zealand Government to support the admission of mainland China to the United Nations.

The illegal regime of Ian Smith was attacked for its exercising of racial discrimination, its use of censorship, and its desire to perpetuate a white minority government. NZUSA calls for the New Zealand Government to support mandatory sanctions against Rhodesia, and extension of these to countries which do not apply them.

Other motions commit NZUSA to partial sponsorship of five graduate volunteers for VSA support of the World Family Planning Association and the International Planned Parenthood Federation and support for a University of the South Pacific.