What They Said
p. 20 · Read in the full issue
At Uno
Nauruans ought to be given more powers, Dr, Najmuddine Rifai, of the United Arab Re public, told the UN Trusteeship Council during the Nauru de bate in June.
Dr. Rifai, who recently was in West Samoa as UN Plebiscite Commissioner, said political de velopment in Nauru was slow and unsatisfactory, and the Local Government Council ought to be transformed into a legislative body.
The Soviet delegate was, as usual, more to the point. He in sisted that Nauru should be “granted independence.” He added for good measure that the British Phosphate Com mission was a colonialist outfit that was plundering the re sources of the island. It had to be liquidated and all its assets handed over to the Nauruan people.
The Nationalist Chinese repre sentative, Mr. Chiping H. C Kiang (who led the 1959 Visit ing Mission to Nauru) said the Australian Government’s offer of re-settlement was generous, but the Nauruans should be brought to Australia first to see if they liked it.
Mr. Dudley McCarthy, for Australia, said some Nauruans didn’t like the idea of living in Australia, but “a substantial number” were in favour of it.
Most of the older people wanted to remain on Nauru. Probably there would always be some population on Nauru, when the phosphate ended, said Mr McCarthy.