THE GHANA DEPORTATIONS
Sia,—You ask why some of us who have stood for personal liberties have not protested against the de- portations in Ghana. The answer is that Ghana is now independent and as British citizens we are not responsible. Nevertheless, because deportations with- out trial arc in my view crimes against liberty wherever they are practised, I wrote to Dr. Nkrumah as soon as news of the action of his Government was published, deeply deploring what had happened. Since then, the Singapore Government has de- tained thirty-nine persons without trial. I hope you Will also protest against this denial of liberty. The Movement for Colonial Freedom, of which I am Chairman, has already done so. We cannot ignore the fact that the British Govern- ment has given a deplorable example to Governments which emerge towards independence. It has been re- sponsible for deportations in recent years in Bechuanaland Uganda, the Camcroons and Cyprus. The press which has denounced the Ghana deporta- tions made little protest on these occasions.
For many of us freedom is indivisible. Is it to Ma—Yours faithfully,
FENNER BROCKWAY
House of Commons, SW1
[Of course freedom is divisible; otherwise the com- munity would have to leave criminals, psychotics and lepers at large. The test is: arc the grounds for depriving an Individual of his freedom, and deporting him, valid in law and just in principle? The Spectator has condemned governments which have departed from this rule, in the case of Archbishop Makatios and in the recent Ghana affair; but where a govern- ment is trying to protect its citizens from minority intimidation of the kind Singapore has experienced, to resort to deportation may be a sensible, even a humane decision.—Editor, Spectator.]
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