PRIME MINISTER TUESDAY, 20 NOVEMBER 1979
From the Press Office
SUMMARY OF ABC'S
Today, on the second anniversary of his peace trip to Jerusalem,
Egypt's President Sadat formally laid claim to Mt. Sinai.
The problems of refugees in East Timor and South East Asia.
have'been gaining increased attention in the United States. it
has resulted in a special Congressional hearing on East Timor
being called for next month. Freelance journalist, Jeremy Mark,
has made a special study of the refugee crisis: interviewed.
Said there is a growing interest in Washington-these days in
East Timor, particularly in the last two weeks and with
considerable press interest in the subject.
Timor: Ken Pottinger reports from Lisbon that a new organisation
has been formed to fight for the independence of the former
Portugese territory of East Timor. At a press conference announcing
the start of a campaign for independence for the Pacific Ocean
territory, a former resident of Timor said the movement had
no political ideology and welcomed support from all willing to
fight for independence. The movement's first objective is to get
the Portugese Government and-the U. N. behind a campaign to oust
the Indonesians who formally annexed Timor in July 1976. The
group wants the Portugese. Government to take over administrative
responsibility for. Timor in the interim period before full
independence was granted. The movement seeks to retain independent
Timor's links with Portugal in a country run by a Christian
government with freedom of worship and political association.
Three Americans from among the 80 hostages at the U. S. Embassy
in Tehran have been-freed by their Muslim captives and are now
in hospital in West Germany. 10 others later told foreign
reporters that they too would be released later tonight.
In Washington, the suggestion of placing the other American
diplomatic hostages on trial has created a sense of outrage.
Report from Peter Barnett in Washington.
Union officials and industry leaders rubbed shoulders last night
with a common purpose; to farewell the strong-man of N. S. W.
Labor politics, John Ducker, at a $ 25 a head dinner. Report
from Graham Ramsey.
The former South Australian Premier, Don Dunstan, has dismissed
allegations about him cont-ained in a new book called " It's
Grossly Improper" as a distorted fantasy. It is claimed that
Mr. Dunstan gave special favours to Mr. John Ceruto because of
their close friendship. Ceruto maintains the allegations
are correct and adds that he may back them up. Report from
Peter Rapp in Adelaide. Interview with Don Dunstan.
The nation's share markets have experienced their sharpest
fall since June 1974, as interest rates rise overseas and-gloom
settles over the international econom-ic world. Interview with
Allan Wood, Chief Economic of the Syn tec group of management
consultants.
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The man that most of Britain is waiting to hear from is the
self-confessed Russian spy and former member of the Royal
household, Professor Anthony Blunt. According to his
solicitor, Blunt will give a press conference shortly and
the whole affair will be debated in the House of Commons
tomorrow. Report from Richard Palfreyman in London.
As mentioned earlier, ten hostages-at the U. S. Embassy in
Tehran were allowed to hold a press conference earlier this
morning, in which they told journalists that they expected to
be released later tonight. Warwick Adderly contacted the
Embassy: interview with one of the students.
A new book comes out today concerning the ABC's multilingual
access station in Melbourne, 3ZZ, which was closed amid great
controversy in June 1977 when the Federal Government felt it
was having a dangerously divisive effect on the ethnic community.
The book, " Radio Power", was written by a former staff member
of 3ZZ, Joan Dougdale: Interviewed.( Transcript attached).
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