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Anti~War Conference

by Ian Powell

The National Antiwar Conference to be held at Auckland University April 22-23 is occurring at a particularly opportune time. On the one hand it shows international solidarity with antiwar demonstrations all over the world on April 22. On the other hand it coincides with the current offensive of the Vietnamese. This offensive is refuting the claim, continually repeated by the US government and its supporters, that the revolutionary forces in Indochina are in retreat, and that the war is "winding down". The North Vietnamese Defence Minister, General Giap, stated that "the United States imperialists who have sustained heavy defeats are facing innumerable difficulties and are in a fix." With the war back on the front pages, the antiwar movement must renew its efforts to mobilise the war-weary New Zealanders into the streets to demand an end to the war.

The two huge anti-war mobilisations on April 30 and July 30 last year proved the value of mass actions of this sort. The government was forced to retreat somewhat and withdraw most of the troops. The government's stated reasons for this withdrawal were that the war is almost over, and that the NZ withdrawal is associated with general US and allied withdrawal, But the fact that the war is raging as strongly as ever and that the US is stepping up the number of aircraft carriers and bombers round Indochina proves how false these reasons were. The real reason for the limited withdrawal, in New Zealand as in the USA, was the growing sentiment against the war, which was reflected in mass demonstrations.

The NZ government was especially concerned because of the approaching election year. Above all it does not want the war to become an election issue.

But the role of New Zealand in the war is basically unchanged. Since 1965 there has been a token NZ military force in Vietnam, and there is still one there. A New Zealand army team training Cambodian soldiers in South Vietnam is of next to no military significance, but the US has what it wants - the New Zealand flag. This point was emphasised by Dr Spock when he visited New Zealand last year. He described how Johnson used New Zealand's token support in order to explain to a suspicious American public that his government was not alone in its war policy.

The New Zealand role is more than mere "complicity": it is one of direct involvement. As well as its commitment in South Vietnam, New Zealand is continuing to play basically the same role in Malaysia and Thailand. Former Minister of Defence Thompson stated that he sees this as being part of the "same struggle". In the light of this the antiwar movement has to continue to demand immediate and total withdrawal from all of South East Asia, an end to the bombing, and a break from the so-called "defence" pacts - Seato and ANZUS - which bind New Zealand to the war effort.

Both the Auckland and Christchurch Mobilisation Committees have called for a nation-wide antiwar mobilisation on June 30, and the Conference will probably endorse this.

The depth of antiwar sentiment in New Zealand is mirrored in the broad sponsorship for the Conference. Last year six Labour MPs endorsed the July 30 mobilisation; this year eleven MPs have already endorsed the Conference, including Arthur Faulkner, who is Labour spokesman for Defence. The endorsers also include various Labour Party branches, churchmen, the universities, city councillors, academics, and prominent unions and unionists.

At the Conference on Saturday morning there will be two speakers. Firstly, Walter Pollard, an Auckland University lecturer, will speak on the continuing and expanding nature of the war. Secondly, Peter Rotherham, Coordinator of the Auckland Mobilisation Committee, will speak on "Perspectives for the Antiwar Movement."

In the afternoon there will be two sets of workshops. The first covers different aspects of antiwar organising: future actions, publicity, funding, principles, liaison, media and aid. The second allows people from different social groups to initiate activity in their areas, share experiences etc: unions, students, Labour Party, churches, women, high schools, Polynesians, teachers and lecturers. On Sunday morning there will be reports back from these workshops, while the afternoon will be devoted to resolutions.

The evening before the Conference, Friday April 21, there will be a march through the city.

The more people that attend this Conference, the more successful it will be. If you have any interest whatsoever in the antiwar movement then come a long and participate in this vital decision-making occasion.