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Salient.The Newspaper of Victoria University College. Vol. 19, No. 4. April 6, 1955

N.Z. and S.E. Asia — Trows to Malaya Why?

N.Z. and S.E. Asia

Trows to Malaya Why?

The latest move of the N.Z. Government, is quixotic to Hay the least, that is the decision to send N.Z. troops to bolster the failing bastions of European Imperialism in Malaya. The United Kingdom must realise that the days of their Colonial exploitation in S.E, Asia are irrevocably over.

They may be able to hold on for a few years in Malaya but in the interim they are further antagonising the people of Malaya and the whole of Asia at a time when the goodwill of the Asian world is of the utmost importance to the preservation of world peace. However they appear to be unwilling to relinquish the last vestiges of their Imperial pride in the face of the mammoth forces of emergent Asian Nationalism. The public reason given for their tenacity is that they are stopping the spread of the dread bogy Communism. Personally, I consider that the people of Malaya have every justification for turning Communist in an even more virulent form than they are at present.

Whatever the revolt it has evolved from discontent within; from a country that has had its natural economy ruined by a century of British Colonial Mercantilism which has ruined the native Industries in the interests of Industrial Britain, which has imported innumerable other Asiatics to work in the mines and industries, and so Malaya was meta morphosed from a happy self-sufficient country, to an over-populated country dependent for its economy on the fluctuating world markets in such cash, export products as rubber and tin.

Malaya has a chance of joining an economic union of other South East Asian States in which she will exchange industrial products for food from the rice bowls of Indo-China etc. If Britain withdraws soon before she does any more damage it will need a strong government to restore the ravaged economy of the country, and Judging by the work in East Europe a totalitarian gov ernment would appear to be eminently suitable for the task.

Encourage Nationalists

The Western world must realise that their best defence against the emergent tide of Asian Rationalism which they label Communism is not to engage in hopeless resistance but to encourage it. In the hope that strong government may be able to set up an economy which will solve that agricultural overpopulation problem by setting up Industries: before the Asians realise they are so over-crowded, and take over the empty spaces of Australia and New Zealand.

Purpose of Troops

If it is useless for England to try and hold Malaya, then there is even leas reason for New Zealand to assist her. We are more vitally concerned in Asian politics. Nothing annoys the Asian Nationalities more than the Western World trying to fight their battles in Asia; we can at the most expect an attitude of neutrality in South East Asia in the event of world conflict, but the presence of New Zealanders fighting in Malays can only have the effect of antagonising Asians towards New Zealand. When will Western politicians realise that Asians are naturally enough jealous of their new found national-ism and will not tolerate Interference from outside countries? Has the New Zealand Government been duped into sending troops into Malaya with the thought that they are preventing the spread of Asiatic Communist dominance to New Zealand? I have endeavoured to point out that I consider that they are doing the opposite.

Declaration of War

They are bringing to the Asiatics notice that we consider they are a menace; it is tantamount to declaring war on the whole of South East Asia. Every normal South East Asian has been fed since birth on a hatred of European Imperialism, be it English. Dutch or French, and there can be no sense in assisting England to fight a loosing battle, while antag onising South East Asia.

Futile Retention

England is merely attempting to get New Zealand and Australia to shoulder some of the cost of her own futile retention of Malaya. She was little assistance to us in our defence in the last war, and would be even less in the event of another. So why help In an unworthy cause? There has been too much Idle talk in New Zealand since 1945 of the menace of the teeming millions of over-populated Asia; the menace is there certainly, but the remedy is not futile guerrilla warfare in Malaya, but to leave the Asians to themselves to set up strong national totalitarian governments by which the main problem of unbalanced economics could be solved.

—R. Schroder.