Mintoff's 1961 letter to Makarios to help Malta become independent

Former Prime Minister Dom Mintoff had written to the President of Cyprus in June 1961 asking him to help Malta achieve its independence from the British, a former Labour minister has revealed.

Reno Calleja said Mr Mintoff had also written to a number of presidents and prime ministers of Commonwealth and Eastern European countries to press Malta's case for independence from Britain.

Mr Calleja was addressing a group of youths at an event organised by the Kirkop branch of the Labour Youth Forum during celebrations marking the 30th anniversary of Freedom Day - March 31, 1979 - when the British Services left Malta.

He revealed the contents of the letter Mr Mintoff had sent Archbishop Makarios III on June 9, 1961 asking him to help Malta achieve independence from Britain and to push for Malta's case in the United Nations.

Archbishop Makarios became the first President of Cyprus when Britain granted the island independence in 1959.

Mr Calleja said the Malta Labour Party had transformed itself into a freedom movement in 1958, when the plan to integrate Malta with Britain fell through.

He showed the audience a note by Mr Mintoff in which he told Archbishop Makarios he was sending the letter to him through a messenger "because our telephones are tapped and our letters are opened".

Mr Calleja criticised University lecturers and some modern historians who, he said, for political reasons, diminished the importance of Freedom Day and particularly "the noble and difficult road that led to this historic day".