I FOUND D Margrett's letter on the recent world government's meeting in Durban very condescending about our fellow human beings in Africa (You Say, September 9).

Let us not forget that there were many established civilisations - including Africa - when our ancestors were still going round daubed in blue paint and killing members of their own tribe for ritual purposes.

Whatever the Indians, Arabs and the Africans were doing to each other in the past thousand years, that was no reason for "Christian" Europeans to invade, rob, kill or enslave them.

Affluent West

Presently, the affluent West has a vested interest to keep Third World countries poor.

This is done by selling them arms, to keep them busy fighting each other; making loans, which they can never hope to pay back; buying their raw materials, produce and services cheaply and in return sell them expensive western technology.

Let us also not forget how the Amerindians, Aborigines, some Arabs and Africans, have been marginalised in their own country by white settlers.

MR L SPITERI, Worcester.