Jj AUSTRALIA i-EMBARGO: 5: 0 0 pm
PRIME MINISTER'
FOR MEDIA SUNDAY, 18 IAY, 1980,
ELECTORATE TALKIt
is quite clear that the Soviet Union has no intention of
withdrawing its invading troops from Afghanistan. It is
now almost 5 months since Soviet tanks rolled onto
Afghanistan soil.
It was the first time that Russia had stepped outside its
iron curtain to suppress, with its own forces, a sovereign,
non-aligned Third World country.
Since then, the Soviet Union has steadily increased-its
invading forces, and built up the infrastructure to support
them. The situation for the people of Afghanistan has
worsened in recent weeks.
All this is in complete defiance of international law and
contemptuous of the overwhelming United Nations vote which
soundly condemned the Soviet invasion.
We recognised at the outset, and that recognition has since
been hardened, that boycotting the Moscow Games is the most
effective way of bringing home to the Soviet people, and
their masters, that the invasion of Afghanistan is
internationally condemnod.
We also recognised then, as now, the sacrifice we would
be asking our athletes to make. As I told Federal Parliament
in February, asking the Australian team to s ' tay away from
the Moscow Games is not a step to be taken lightly or
happily, least of all by a country like Australia which
has a distinguished Olympic record.
Australia is a great sporting nation. It is a nation which
remains committed to the Olympic ideal, but it is also a nation
which has a role in international affairs.
We are not, and-cannot be, detached from international events
in a world as tense and inter-dependent as it is now.
Whether we like it or not, the decision on whether or not
Australia goes to Moscow is one that goes far beyond sport.
When the Government first announced its response to the
Soviet invasion, we included a request to the Australian
Olympic Federation that it not send a team to lioscow. In
doing so, Australia was one of the first countries to support
the call of its ally, the United States, for a boycott of the
Moscow Games. / 2
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Our decision was immediate. It was necessary. It was
right then, and it has been proved right since.
The Australian Olympic Federation has been aware of our
views on the Moscow Games from the start and we have
spoken and written to the Federation on a number of
occasions. I have met with its President and Secretary,
while Mr. Anthony, as Acting Prime Minister, Mr. Peacock
and Mr. Ellicott, spoke to its full Executive last month.
Mr. Anthony also addressed the full Federation meeting
before it considered its position on April 19.
At that meeting, the Australian Olympic Federation took
a most responsible decision which allowed it to continue
to monitor the international situation. It was aware,
when it voted then, that the United States Olympic Committee
had decided against participation in Moscow. I am sure
this fact weighed heavily in the AOF deliberations.
Later this week, the Australian Olympic Executive meets
again to take a decision on whether an Australian team
will go to Moscow. Since its last meeting, there have been
a number of significant events, which I trust the
Australian Olympic Federation will again take into account.
First, the West German Parliament voted by a margin of 446 votes
to 8, with 9 abstentions, that their Olympic team should
not go to Moscow. The West German Olympic Federation
announced just two days ago that it would not go.
The situation is the same in Canada, where the Olympic
Association voted by/ 137 votes to 35 to reject the invitation
to go to Moscow.
So the United States, West Germany and Canada have decided
not to go to Moscow. And when to that is added all the
other countries many from our own region it is clear that
an effective boycott is already in place.
The Japanese Government has made a public announcement favouring
a boycott. In doing so, it noted that the aim of the
Olympic Games is to help build a better and more peaceful
world through sport, thereby creating international goodwill.
It noted that the host Government of the Olympic Games-* is
requ ' ired to observe strictly the Olympic spirit, and has to
bear the heavy responsibility of ensuring an atmosphere which
enables the athletes of participating countries to take part
in the Games with the blessing of the whole world,
The armed intervention into Afghanistan by the Soviet Uni on
evoked a severe condemnation by international public opinion,
to the effect that the Soviet action harmed the spirit of peace
and friendship. The Japanese Government could not be other
than seriously concerned over those facts.
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In Latin America, in recent days, Argentina has become
the first major nation in that region to reverse its
previous decision and now supports a boycott.
In our own region alone, China, Japan, South Korea,
Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan and
Bangladesh, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea and Fiji,
have at Government level, and in many cases at Olympic
. Committee level, decided to support a boycott.
The number of teams which will attend gets smaller every day.
It is in these circumstances that the Australian decision
on attendance at the Moscow Olympics must be made.
It is my view, it is the view of the Government, that an
Australian Olympic team should not go to Moscow, that it
should support the effective boycott which is now in place.
I am sure that that is also the view of a great majority
of concerned and responsible people right around Australia.
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