UTMOATT MTMANTOTANTAN ONO NAOT ONT Ar MTT TIN

* A PT EXCLUSIVE

City youth leader gives
on-spot report of Cyprus

Vancouver youth leader BERT JOHNSON, well known to many of our
readers, recently visited Cyprus in his capacity as secretary of the World
Federation of Democratic Youth. During his stay there he had discussions
with President Makarios and many other government, trade union and

youth leaders.

The following article, written on April 30 specially for the PT, is a result
of Johnson’s investigations on the strife torn island.

By BERT JOHNSON

NICOSIA, CYPRUS — The dan-
ger of war in the Eastern Med-
iterranean is imminent. The
Turkish government, supported
and encouraged by Britain andthe
U.S., threatens invasion of Cyp-
rus if the demands of the Tur-
kish Cypriot ultras to maintain
the present chaotic conditions or
partition the country are not met.

The Cyprus government head-
ed by President Makarios, is de-
dicated to a democratic solution;
and a peaceful one, if possible.
However, the British contingent
of the UN peace keeping force is
using every method to provoke
civil strife and sabotage a peace-
ful solution to the Cyprus prob-
lem,

British forces are supplying
weapons and war materials tothe
Turkish Cypriot fortifications.
British helicopters and army
trucks are transporting Turkish
troops and carrying out military
reconnaisance for the insurgent
forces. Supplies and men are
being smuggled into Cyprus via
the British coastal bases at Epi-
scopi and Dhekelia,

The other day a British Red
Cross ambulance was stopped
outside of Nicosia andthree Tur-
kish soldiers and one mercenary
from Jordan were found inside.
After their phoney bandages were
removed government medical au-
thorities declared that all four
were hale and healthy.

These actions by the British
are in open opposition to the

What are grievances of

The Fred Steele case in the
Queen Charlotte Islands has re-
ceived much press publicity in
recent weeks. ‘‘Was the Fred
Steele case an isolated instance
of resentment or was it asymbol
of bigger problems affecting the
Haida people?’’ asks a special
two-page feature article in the
May 1 issue of The Fisherman.

The article devotes consider-
able space to the contents of a
special brief prepared by a joint

-committee of the United Fisher-

men and Allied Workers Union
shoreworkers local, and the
Native Sisterhood of B.C. The
brief, which was presented to the
Minister of Citizenship and Im-
migration R, Tremblay in Ottawa,
was signed by 12 leading Haidas
and two union representatives,

‘‘There is little doubt that this
case represented what many
Haida people felt was a raw
example of ‘‘white man’s just-
ice,’ the breaking point which
culminated in direct action to
stop Steele’s continued employ-
ment at Queen Charlotte Canners
Ltd, But a host of conditions and
incidents lie behind the Steel
case. They include police brutal-
ity, the questionable actions of
the present Indian agent, poor
housing conditions, lack of em-
ployment.”*

UN resolution, which calls for
peace and order. As a result,

anti-British feeling is running

_high on the island and efforts are

being made to force the British
to withdraw from the areas of
conflict or leave the UN force.

The other UN contingents have
so far kept within their man-
dates and have enjoyed good re-
lations with the Greek Cypriots.
In many areas of Cyprus, UN
troops consisting of Irish, Finns,
Swedes and Canadians ~-play
soccer games with Greek Cypriot
teams and the Greek people
hold evenings of entertainment
for the troops.

The other day I visited the
mountain village of Dhikomo,
where there is sporadically heavy
fighting between the Turks and
government forces. The villagers
told me of the help that Cana-

‘dian troops had given to the

farmers’ of a large collective
farm which was under heavy Tur-
kish fire. The Canadians were
feeding the animals and tending
the farm,

In an interview with Makar-
ios, he told me he did not feel
the UN’s presence would solve
the problems in his country. He
stated the probiems were an in-
ternal affair’ and the Cypriot
government only accepted the UN
force as an expression of good
will towards the Turkish minor-
ity that constitutes 16 percent of
the population.

The life of the country has been
very badly disrupted. Communi-

This is the way The Fisher-
man sums up the contents of the
extensive brief in its special
two - page spread. The brief
makes these major points:

e ‘“‘The Haidas, particularly
of the Masset area, are suffer-

INTOLERABLE HOUSING AT MASSET. Photo shows the
housing conditions of the Haida people which has

cations between many towns are
broken. Because of the Consti-
tution imposed upon the people of
Cyprus. there are no town or
municipal councils in existence
and the central government has
been forced to take over their ad-
ministration. For a number of
months it was impossible for the
government to collect taxes be-
cause of the terms of the agree-
ment it was forced to sign in
1960 to gain partial independ-
ence.

Makarios told me that if the
Turkish ultras and the Turkish
government did not agree to dis-
cussions aimed at a democratic
solution to the present problems
the Cyprus government would be
forced to’ take other courses of
action — which includes placing
the question directly before the
UN General Assembly in the fall,

The president has earned the
united support of the people of

ARCHBISHOP MAKARIOS, presi-
dent of Cyprus, who outlined to
former Vancouver youth leader,
Bert Johnson, in a personal inter-
view, his hopes for a democratic
and peaceful solution of the Cyprus
problem.

ing economic privations, - with
many living under conditions of
abject poverty . . . The amount
of money required to provide
proper conditions to Haidas, in
employment, in housing, in edu-
cation, in equality of opportunity,
in diet, and in health and dental

Cypriots want to live in peace.

Cyprus for his principled stand
against the British and U.S.
threats against the sovereignty
of his county. He has also earned
the disfavor of the NATO pow-
ers and there is widespread fear
that there are plans afoot to as-
sassinate him or stage a coup
to remove him from leadership.

One step being taken to coun-
ter this danger is in a bill be-
fore Parliament which will open
the armed services to all men
between the ages of 16 to 50—
with no political discrimination.
Previously, the country’s left

“wing was excluded from the arm-

ed forces,

&

The Cyprus government is re-
ceiving wide support from the Af-
ro-Asian and socialist countries,
particularly the Soviet Union.
Many people told me: ‘‘As they
helped save Cuba, they saved
Cyprus.’’ Whereas anti - com-
munism and anti - Sovietism
was quite widespread six months
ago, now they are very unpopu-
lar and, in fact, publicly un-
known,

The same feeling for the U.S,
and Britain doesn’t exist. Recent-
ly ademonstration which included
many previously considered right
wing groups, marched to the U.S,
Information Centre in Nicosia

Haida people?

care is nothing compared to the
wealth taken each year from the
Islands.

“It is time the government
realized its responsibility and
instituted a crash program to
drastically improve the condi-

.

led to a demand for action.

—FISHERMAN photo

May 15, 1964—PACIFIC TRIBUNE

ings
_the cannery have earniné

Haida people by stoppin’ i

70
chanting ‘‘U.S. and
Get Out!’ and ‘‘Lone

Khrushchev!’’

*

President Makarios express!
his concern to me that We? 7
news agencies were not oF ‘5 i
sifying new reports coming ° We
Cyprus, but were also incorrer” ty
depicting the present conf
simply hatred between the Gf
and Turks.

Actually, Greeks and Turks
Cyprus have lived at vee yet
hundreds of years. The ie
to the present crisis 1° e
found in the ‘divide and ti
legacy left Cyprus by Britis é
onialism, Cyprus is a 5!#@
point from which impet?
hopes to extend its military ri
economic influence inthe ei tif
Mediterranean while pro ;
its oil holdings in the Ara?
tries.

During the past week © es
visited many towns an Z vero”
I have spoken to many 8°" oy
ment and civic leade os,
men, students and wor

de

The people of Cyprus 2° ine
termined to win their ™ aple
dependence and their inall@® ig
right to determine ‘eM ine
country’s future, They any ty
fident that in their growiN® ive
and the support of progr” if
people throughout the world, fu!
noble cause will be succ®

”
tions of the Haida people.

6
© «THe: Haida-Massel a
depressed in the worst fl
of the word... . TR® Sila
whelming majority who we tot it

this source ranging only yet +
$500 to $1,000 per yeal: gil |
are simply not enough Veo
for many, the jobs availa? ont
vide only poverty sub5! ive
. . . Jobs are needed oll ,
a sense of adequacy, of ae f
of opportunity, and of sec -
in”
® “It is the opinion of thé at ;
mittee that the area India? apie
was in collusion with © ne
manager S. Simpson 10 aM nD
ing to bring pressure 0D ° gag!

allowances to such peopl —
start of this dispute.”
in
The brief asks that the” 4%
agent be replaced and 9°" i
long ‘list of complaints
him, including an ‘art

to the Haida people; ae
showed favoritism in givin’ i?
and clothing allowances: “4:
he “shirked responsibilit: Ae

See HAIDA, pg- 1!