Afghanistan echoes

in Madang

The Russian cruise ship Alex ander Pushkin arrived on Sun day, March 17, in Madang after the Papua New Guinea Government had reversed its previous decision not to allow the ship to berth. This was in accordance with the inter

national boycott brought on by

the Russian military inter vention in Afghanistan.

The PNG government felt that there was no reason for the West European passengers to be the victims of a boycott, es pecially as the ship’s visit oc curred so close to the establishment of a West Ger man embassy in Port Moresby.

The authorities however for bade any of the Soviet crew to disembark.

Four hundred and thirty West German and Dutch tour

ists stepped thankfully ashore

in Madang, relieved that they hadn’t turned into so many Fly ing Dutchmen cursed to forever haunt the oceans of the world.

The 86-day cruise around the world started on January 5 in Rotterdam.

The first taste of things to come was in Panama, where the American authorities al

lowed neither passengers nor Russian crew to land.

In the Pacific, the ship called at Tahiti, Western Samoa and Fiji, the 340 crew being forbid den to go ashore in most places - although this was due mainly to the well-established Soviet policy of keeping the crew under tight control so as to avoid any chance of defec tion.

Several passengers complained about the cold war atmosphere on board, the crew

being expressly forbidden to

have any contact with the pass engers apart from their normal duties.

From Madang, Captain A.

P. Rusin took his ship to Manila, planning to return to Europe via the Suez Canal.

Jimmy Cornell in Madang.

Tourists return to the Alexander Pushkin after a short stay in Madang. Photo Jimmy Cornell.