NEW ZEALAND: COMMONWEALTH SUMMIT SITUATION UPDATE скачать в хорошем качестве

NEW ZEALAND: COMMONWEALTH SUMMIT SITUATION UPDATE

(10 Nov 1995) English/Nat Protests against the death sentence on Nigerian political activist Ken Saro-Wiwa have greeted world leaders from more than 50 nations arriving at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) conference in New Zealand. The Nigerian death sentence and the thorny issue of French nuclear tests in the South Pacific dominated the agenda of the first day of the conference. Even before the conference began, the death sentence on Nigerian playwright and political activist Ken Saro-Wiwa dominated the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting conference (CHOGM) in New Zealand. Protestors calling for the freedom of Nigerian activist Ken Saro-Wiwa lined the streets of Auckland to greet CHOGM arrivals. While Nigeria is facing intense pressure about its human rights record from other world leaders, it will be the African states who will play a critical role in deciding how the Commonwealth will act. Saro-Wiwa led a campaign by his Ogoni people in Nigeria against alleged pollution of their land by oil companies. Nigeria confirmed on Wednesday it intended to hang the activist and eight others for allegedly ordering the killing of four men during a political rally. South African President Nelson Mandela arrived to a rapturous welcome. It is the first time a representative of the country has attended CHOGM for 33 years. South Africa was forced out of the Commonwealth in the early 1960s because of its apartheid policy. SOUNDBITE: Q: Could South Africa persuade Nigeria to revoke the death penalty? "Well I don't know if I can go that far. As a collective yes, but I'd rather leave this task to people who are more experienced than myself and who have been busy with Nigeria all along" SUPER CAPTION: Nelson Mandela, South African President. Protestors against French nuclear tests confronted British Prime Minister John Major as he arrived for the conference. The controversial tests have been publicly condemned by leaders such as Australian Premier Paul Keating. It was a flamboyant opening ceremony. But once the music ended it was immediately down to business. Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien condemned Nigeria for putting Ken Saro-Wiwa under a sentence of death. SOUNDBITE: "It flies in the face of what we stand for and it flies in the face of the spirit of the .... declaration. The death sentence of Ken Saro-Wiwa is the example of the type of behaviour that we all want to see abolished." SUPERCAPTION: Jean Chretien, Canadian Prime Minister New Zealand Premier Jim Bolger raised the French nuclear testing in the South Pacific - likely to cause a rift at the meeting between other Commonwealth leaders and John Major, who has refused to condemn the tests. SOUNDBITE: "Here in New Zealand we find the testing of nuclear weapons inexplicable and unacceptable. The good news is that the world is moving in the right direction away from testing. We will soon draw down the curtain on 50 years of testing which has left a legacy of pollution in many parts of the world" SUPERCAPTION: New Zealand Premier Jim Bolger Nelson Mandela, the man who destroyed apartheid, was accorded an affectionate welcome from his Commonwealth colleagues. SUPERCAPTION: Nelson Mandela, South African President All told, there's no shortage of contentious issues to keep the Commonwealth leaders talking at this conference. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...