The Australian National Union then wrote requesting: an invitation and were told they could send a press observer. Their International Affairs Vice-president immediately flew to the conference and was successful in gaining observer status.

Australian student newspaper reports indicate that from the point of view of Australia and New Zealand the conference was worse than a complete failure.

Information from various sources has been collated to give the following picture of the conference.

Dissension

Not only was there much argument between delegations and between groups of nations represented, but there was major dissention within the delegations of India and Indonesia. On the first day of the conference delegates from nine countries—Pakistan, Ceylon, Malaya, Afghanistan, Iran, Japan, India, the Philippines and Indonesia agreed to walk out if political issues not directly related to students affairs were brought up. It is known that Pakistan, Malaya, and the Philippines were leaders in the walkout move, and that the Indian and Indonesian delegations would split on the decision whether to stage the walkout.

A meeting in the lobby of a Bandung hotel to discuss this matter broke up in disorder when two rival Indian delegates each claimed to be leader of the Indian delegation. Each delegate was noisily supported by rival factions in the Indian delegation, and the chairman adjourned the meeting to the conference hall. The cause of the split was not immediately clear, though it later turned out that one group, led by Pran Sabharwal, declared itself to be "non-Communist"—the other faction presumably being "pro-Communist."

In the conference hall it was announced that after the opening speech of the Indonesian delegation leader the conference would adjourn. Sabharwal immediately objected, his objection was over-ruled and the Philippines delegate on the IPC stepped down from the rostrum and supported him from the floor. Further uproar broke out between the Indian factions and the meeting was eventually adjourned until further notice.

On June 6 the conference split into five "commissions" to discuss real student problems for the first time since the conference began a week earlier.

On June 7 the conference concluded in official accord but not without last-minute bitterness. A heated exchange occurred between members of the Indian and Pakistan delegations; India had sought conference support for the freedom of Goa, but Pakistan objected, and for the sake of unanimity the steering committee rejected the Indian proposal.

Communique issued

In a sudden burst of speed after more than a week of slow progress the conference produced a lengthy communique and adopted resolution dealing with both student problems and world affairs. The resolutions condemned colonialism and racial discrimination and recommended steps towards closer relations among the students of Asia and Africa.

The communique stated the conference had considered common problems and common interests in an atmosphere of mutual understanding and closer friendship! It then listed a number of unanimous agreements.

The resolutions were recommendations of sub-committees in which India and Pakistan and their supporters are understood to have moderated the demand of Communist China and its supporters by demanding that the resolutions be unanimous and threatening that otherwise they would walk out.