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GV ZOOM IN British Prime Minister James Callaghan enters room and sits down at table
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CU Callaghan speaking
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GV PAN Newsmen
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CU ZOOM OUT TO SV Callaghan speaking
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TRANSCRIPT: SEQ. 2: CHALLAGHAN: "On the question of southern Africa, as you will see from the communique in due course, there is considerable common ground which has been found to exists in the objectives we are seeking to achieve. There's certainly common recognition of the need to continue negotiations as far as we possibly can -- to the very uttermost. There's a realisation that until Zimbabwe's independence is secured within the framework of majority rule, then the armed struggle will continue -- and will intensify. And the Commonwealth intends to continue its role of assistance to the people of Zimbabwe and Namibia and also the "Front Line" Commonwealth states. And during the period of our discussion we had a number of talks about how that help could be given and people were able to say what they were doing themselves.



Mr Callaghan also spoke about the section of communique dealing wit Uganda.



CALLAGHAN: "As far as Uganda was concerned it says that there is accumulated evidence of sustained disregard for the sanctity of life and of massive violation of basic human rights in Uganda and it is the overwhelming view of Commonwealth leaders that these excesses are so gross as to warrant the concern of the world and to evoke condemnation by the Head of Government in strong and unequivocal terms. I quote from the communique as I say that. But our differences are not with the people of Uganda, not at all. And so mindful that the people of Uganda are within the fraternity of Commonwealth fellowship, the Heads of Government look to the day when the people of Uganda will once more fully enjoy their basic human rights which are now being so cruelly denied. That was the overwhelming expression by t he Heads of Government and although I do not comment on individual expressions of opinion I am bound to say that I do not recall any occasion in which condemnation has been strongly expressed by so many people and those who are perhaps closest to it as well as those who are further away and can take a more -- if you like -- a different view about it. This was something the Commonwealth felt they had to stand for in terms of human rights and to express their opinion."




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Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: At the end of the Commonwealth Conference in London on Wednesday (15 June) a communique was issued which included a condemnation of the "systematic disregard of the sanctity of human life and massive violations of basic human rights in Uganda." According to the London Daily Telegraph newspaper this breaks the double standard whereby the Commonwealth has regularly condemned racialism by white government in Africa, but has remained silent on the atrocities of Ugandan President Idi Amin. President Amin was not attacked personally in the communique, a decision taken after a close-door debate between those for and against naming him. Earlier in the day the Conference hosts, British Prime Minister James Callaghan, told newsmen that a large measure of agreement had been reached on how to cope with the problems of southern Africa.