HC Deb 23 March 1960 vol 620 cc501-4
Mr. Callaghan

(by Private Notice) asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will make a statement on the rioting in Nyasaland yesterday in which tear gas was used against demonstrators.

The Minister of State for Commonwealth Relations (Mr. C. J. M. Alport) rose—

Mr. Callaghan

On a point of order. Without any personal discourtesy to the Minister of State for Commonwealth Relations, may I ask whether, in view of the sensitivity which is felt in the Colonies about the position of the Commonwealth Office, the hon. Gentleman proposes to explain to us why he should reply?

Mr. Alport

Certainly. The reason is that my right hon. Friend the Colonial Secretary is at present airborne, on his way to the Federation, and my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies is in Cyprus. I have been asked to reply.

Last night, my right hon. Friend received from the Governor an account, which I will circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT, of three connected incidents involving the use by the police of tear smoke and batons, which had taken place in the course of the day. A police detachment was returning to headquarters after making a number of arrests. At one point they were obstructed by 300 villagers, who were dispersed. The detachment was stopped at two further points and obliged to use force.

Four Africans were hurt, but none seriously, I am glad to say. The police party was stoned, but eventually returned safely to headquarters.

Mr. Callaghan

Is the Minister aware that we wished him to give that explanation, although we are not unaware of the movements of Ministers? If hon. Members opposite realised how sensitive African opinion is, they would welcome the opportunity which has been given to the Minister.

Will the hon. Gentleman convey to the Colonial Secretary, who is about to leave the country, our feelings that he should not regard this as an isolated incident, but that it bears out all the information that has been reaching us over the last few weeks that tension is building up? Although we on this side of the House have been very restrained in our approach to this problem since the Colonial Secretary came into office, will the hon. Member convey to the right hon. Gentleman that, nevertheless, we expect that, as a result of this visit, definite progress will be made in the release of detainees and that, on his return, he will be able to report definite progress in further constitutional advance in these territories?

Mr. Alport

Naturally, I undertake that whatever is said in this House will be conveyed to my right hon. Friend, but I think that it is important that the hon. Member and others interested in this incident should study the statement which the Governor has made and which I am to circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT. It says that the incident which took place on 21st March related to the pulling down by villagers of the tented camp of the Assistant District Commissioner and the Agricultural Officer.

The hon. Member is well aware that there has been, over a long period, continuous and almost endemic agitation against agricultural reforms in Nyasa-land which are connected with the anti-soil erosion measures, and are of the greatest importance to the people of Nyasaland. I would hope that the hon. Member and his colleagues will do whatever they possibly can to discourage that sort of agitation, which is against the interests of the people of Nyasaland as a whole.

Mr. Callaghan

I hope that the hon. Member is not imputing that we should in any way encourage such agitation, but, equally, I hope that he will not assume that this is unrelated to the political situation in Nyasaland. Does not the hon. Member think that he would be making a very grave mistake if he were to dissociate what is happening, which is in line with the letters that we are receiving from the territory, from the desire of the people there that their leaders should be released and that there should be constitutional progress?

Will the hon. Member convey to the Colonial Secretary the fact that we shall support him in any action that he takes to achieve a solution on these lines, even if it means the removal of the Governor because he is unable to agree with what is put to him?

Mr. Alport

I am not assuming anything. I only hope that the hon. Member and his colleagues will not read more into this incident than is warranted by the facts when they are disclosed. Following is the statement: The Nyasaland police were compelled to use tear-smoke and batons on 22nd March to disperse a hostile crowd of Africans blocking a district road near Mlanje, in the Southern Province. Earlier, a police mobile force. accompanied by the District Commissioner, had arrested 13 Africans at Chinyama village some 10 miles from Mlanje. This followed an incident on 21st March in which the tented camp of the Assistant District Commissioner and Agricultural Officer had been pulled down by the villagers without any apparent motive. While the police were returning to Mlanje they encountered a series of road blocks which had to be cleared by the advance party so that the police vehicles could proceed. At Mbisa village the police party was stopped by a crowd of about 300 Africans. The District Commissioner spoke to the crowd, but they refused to disperse. As the crowd was hostile, the Riot Act was read and the police mobile force moved forward using tear smoke and batons. It was necessary on two further occasions to read the Riot Act and use tear smoke and batons, and in the course of these encounters four villagers were slightly hurt. Six people were arrested for obstructing the police. The police party was stoned in the course of clearing the road blocks, but were able to return safely to Mlanje.