\AFRO-ASIAN CONFERENCE
1,700 million for peace

CAIRO

The Afro-Asian Peoples’ Solidarity Conference, which concluded here on New Year’s
Day will go down in history as one of those gatherings that over the centuries have mark-
ed the advance of human freedom. ;

Unike the Bandung Conference of 1955, whose 10 principles it reaffirmed, the Cairo
Conference was not held at government level. But ‘at no time was there any doubt that the
delegates from nearly 50 Afro-Asian countries attending the conference spoke for the
overwhelming majority of their peoples in demanding peace and independence.

As Madame Rameshwari Neh-

_ Tu, leader of the Indian dele-

gation and chairman of the
Asian Solidarity Committee,

reminded delegates, the “will

of the peoples is the ultimate
force which, harnessed to just
and good causes, is ever vic-
torious. I have no doubt that
the United voice of 1,700 mil-
lion peoples represented at this
Conference will not and can-
not be denied.”

The conference, she said,
was “a powerful expression
of the desire for freedom with
which the hearts of the peo-

. Ples of these two continents

s Ng in the cou

j torium
g There, p
| delegate

_ ber i
4 S of the diplomatic corps

are pulsating.”

Delegates heard A. Rashi-
dov, Soviet chief delegate to
the conference, assure them
that the Soviet Union was “al-
ways ready to help the people
ot any country in their struggle
for liberation and subsequent-

si In the strengthening of
meir political and economic
Independence,”

Rashidoy added: “We do not
attach to such help any strings
Political, military or other-
aa We do not interfere in
a internal affairs of the

ae tes that are getting our

‘We are guided by one feel-

ee One aspiration and one
ue uae and that is peace
riendshi z
ae p between peo
aes
Noting that the solidarity of
VS Peoples of Asia and Africa
Be Srowing steadily, Rashi-
ae Said, “Not a single import-
international problem can
a Solved today without the
eoeren peoples.”
4h Yo Mo-jo, head of the Chi-
Se delegation tolqg the con-
ference:
bes the world has no im-
sane no colonialism, no
onies oy Semi-colonies, then

it will reach a ri
lastj : ight state of

eee is the goal towards
ch our nations in Asia and
Tica are jointly

ae striving.
ae 1s the goal for which the
. man race as a whole is head-
rs i
Siac e of its devel-
rate final session of the con-
nce was held in the audi-
of Cairo University.
efore an audience of
S.and observers, mem-

and cheering Arab and Afri-;
can students, Anwar el Sadat,
conference president, read a
declaration reaffirming ad-
herence to the 10 principles of
the Bandung Conference.

Then Youssef el Sebai, con-
ference secretary - general,
called on the heads of delega-
tions of independent countries
— Algeria, Cameroon, Cyp-
rus, Chad, Kenya, Oman, Pal-
estine, British Somaliland,
French Somaliland, Togoland,
Uganda and Zanzibar. When
they were assembled on’ the
platform he solemnly wished
them success in their struggle
for independence while the
auditorium rang with ap-
plause.

Among the many documents
and resolutions adopted by the
conference were a message to
the peoples of the world, an

appeal to world scientists and .

another to the United Nations,
and resolutions on disarma-
ments and banning of nuclear
weapons. imperialism, racial
discrimination and economic
problems.

The appeal to the peoples of
the world declared that if the
10 principles of the Bandung
Conference were accepted
“present world tension would
definitely relax and the dead-
ly fear of annihilation that
now grips the hearts of millions
can be lifted.”

Asserting that “the founda-
tions of peace cannot be firm-
ly established until we dis-
sipate this tension,’ the ap-
peal called on the peoples of
the world “to use every pos-
sible means for creation of
areas of agreement and un-
derstanding which will inev-
itably lead to disarmament, to
the banning of production of
nuclear weapons, their experi-
ments and use.”

An appeal addressed to the
governments of the United
States, Soviet Union and Bri-
tain condemned “continujng

tests of nuclear weapons as a

serious menace to humanity,”
and called for “immediate and
unconditional banning of tests
as the first step towards com-
plete prohibition of manufac-
ture, stockpiling and use of
these weapons of mass des-
truction, and a step towards
universal disarmament.”

A resolution on disarma-

ment affirmed delegates’ be-
lief “that Asia and Africa

“should be a peace zone where

no nuclear and rocket wea-
pons should exist.”

Another resolution called
on the peoples of Asia and
Africa to “take common ac-
tions on March 1, 1958 in order
to prevent the nuclear test
at Eniwetok atoll by the
United States.”

The appeal to world scient-
ists called on “you who are
responsible for the invention
of these destructive weapons
to take every possible step to
bring pressure to bear on all
governments concerned to pro-
hibit the use of nuclear wea-
pons and to destroy those in
stock.”

The resolution on imperial-
ism was a comprehensive
document stating the confer-
ence’s stand on many issues,
from the right of the people
of Kenya to self-determina-
tion to withdrawal of all
armed forces from Korea and
unification of that country
“by the people of Korea them-
selves without any foreign
coercion.”

Giving “full support to the
rights of peoples to freedom,
self-determination, sovereignty
and complete independence;
to settle their internal prob-
lems by themselves; to choose
the forms of their govern-
ments according to their de-
sires,” the document touched
one by one on the issues that
represent the continuing
struggles of the peoples of
Asia and Africa against im-
perialism — return of West
Irian to Indonesia, return of
Okinawa to Japan, return of
Goa”~ to India, right of the
people of Cyprus to self-de-
termination.

South Africa was singled
out for condemnation by the
resolution on racial discrimi-
nation for “systematically
flouting the decisions of the
United Nations.”

Among demands made by
the resolution were granting
of equal citizenship without
reservation and repeal of all

laws legalizing racial dis-
crimination, segregation or
apartheid.

The conference set March 1
as Algeria Solidarity Day
throughout Africa and Asia.

In its resolution on imperialism, the Afro-Asian Peoples’
Solidarity Conference at Cairo demandeg an end to British
oppression (top) in Kenya and (bottom) in Cyprus.

Three demands were made
in the appeal to the United
Nations. They were: ~

® Action to correct the
under-representation of Afri-
can and Asian countries on
various bodies of the UN.

© Recognition of China’s
“legal and rightful” place in
the UN. :

@ Admission of Mongolia
to the UN.

The conference set up an
Afro-Asian People’s Solidarity
Council to implement ‘its de-
cisions. The council will have
a permanent secretariat of a
secretary-general and 10 sec-
retaries and maintain head-
quarters at Cairo.

January 10, 1958 — PACIFIC TRIBUNE—PAGE 9