GA/AP/643, 21 March 1977
The Chairman of the Special Committee against Apartheid, Leslie O. Harriman (Nigeria), has today sent the following telegram to the British Anti-Apartheid Movement:
"On behalf of the United Nations Special Committee against Apartheid I extend warm congratulations to the Anti-Apartheid Movement for its campaign for a mandatory arms embargo against South Africa and for organizing a petition for this purpose signed by tens of thousands of persons.
"An effective and comprehensive arms embargo against South Africa, prohibition of any assistance by corporations in the military build-up of apartheid regime, and cessation of any form of military co-operation with that criminal regime are the minimum steps which any Government honestly opposing apartheid must take.
"The Special Committee has been greatly disturbed at the stubborn resistance of the three big Western Powers to a mandatory arms embargo, continued military co-operation by several Western countries and Israel with South Africa, and big loopholes in the embargo by countries which claim to implement it. This is all in the face of growing repression, the wanton and indiscriminate killing of blacks in South Africa, retrogression rather than progress in the situation of blacks in that country, and the occupation of the Territory of Namibia by military force, frustrating the United Nations in fulfilling its sacred trust and responsibility to the Territory and people of Namibia.
"The Committee hopes the Security Council will decide on a mandatory embargo during its current discussion of the question of South Africa and that the three big Western Powers will facilitate the action.
"Urgent mobilization of public opinion in favour of action against apartheid in Western countries is imperative. I commend you for your co-operation."
The Chairman has been informed by the British Anti-Apartheid Movement that a petition for a mandatory arms embargo with more than 60,000 signatures has been presented today to the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, David Owen, by a delegation including Jeremy Thorpe, M.P., Robert Hughes, M.P. and Chairman of the Movement and Abdul Minty, Honorary Secretary of the Movement.
The Movement is holding a public meeting tomorrow, 22 March, in a House of Commons Committee room to plan continuation of the campaign for a mandatory arms embargo.
The petition reads as follows:
"I am totally opposed to the sale of arms to South Africa and believe that the British Government should implement a strict embargo on all military collaboration with the apartheid regime. I support a mandatory United Nations arms embargo against South Africa."