PRIME MINISTER'S TOUR OF SOUTH-EAST ASIA
Press Conference , iven by the Prime iviAst: er,-, Mr. Harold Holt
at Siniapor Airport 30TH APRIL. 1966
I thought it might be useful if I had a few comments
of a general kind to make, as this really is the wind-up of my
tour of the various countries of South-East Asia I have been visiting,
and then provide an opportunity a rather loner one than I was
able to give you before for any questions which you might wish
to put to me. I am sure those of you who live in this region or who
have studied its problems closely will appreciate what a valuable
experience it has been for me to visit in a relatively compressed
eriod of time so considerable an area of South-East Asia
ince leaving Australia I have of course covered a considerable
territory, going first from here to Viet Nam spending some days
there then on to Ubon in Thailand and into Bangkok for disucssions
with the Government of that rountry, coming from there then to
Kuala Lumpur for further discussions with the Deputy Prime Minister,
later meeting with Tunku Abdul Rahiman at Butterworth where he came
to join me at the dinner given by the Air Force mess.
But in addition I have been able to see Australian
troops on station at various points in Malaysia and West Malaysia
and more recently, including today, in Borneo.
Yesterday I was able to make, after having had the
very useful talks with Dr Toh and other senior Ministers of the
Government here a long delayed but very welcome visit to the
Singapore naval base. Ihave been talking about Singapore naval
base for many years and this is the first time that I have been
able to study it visually and at first hand with the senior officers
who are stationed there. By flying over it in a helicopter,
one got an admirable view of the base and its relationship to this
area as a whole. As you will know, Australia attaches considerable
importance to a continued British maintenance of the base and in
my talks with the representatives of the two Jovernments most
closely affected, I find that they too have an appreciation of the
contribution to stability and security in the area which we all
derive from the considerable British presence here, that is
represented by the base and its establishment.
I was impressed, too of course, with the considerable
part that the operations at the base play in the total economy of
Singapore and I can imagine how important it is on that account
also to the Jovernment and people of Singapore.
But a visit of this kind spread over so wide an area
and confined in point of time to little more than a week is I
believe, very helpful to perspective and to a judgment of events
in the area. While I have concentrated on the countries where
Australian troops are stationed, it is a fact that in each of these
countries there is a common threat to be met. It varies in degree.
It has been more intense at one point of time or another in one
country or another; the threat of communist subversion, infiltration,
ageression is, I would assert, common to all of these areas. / 2
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* The-fac+-that-Jitis. seen at its most active degree and
its most aggressive form in Viet Nam at this time should not obscure
from our assessment of the total situation the fact that it is not
so very long ago that we were contending with a very real emergency,
as a result of communist -uerilla activity in West Mlaysia and
affecting Singapore itself.
The Jovernmentsof each of these countries find it
necessary to either maintain forces or take police action against
threats as they arise of communist activity, and so those of us who
wish to live in peace and security and make an orderly economic
progress and developing relationship in our affairs with -ne anotner
in This area of the world have to recognise this threat and I
believe we must combine where occasion requires this of us, in
order to stave off the threat as it develops.
We have as a country done this in the case of the threat
when it presented itself here. We worked gladly in co-operation
with other Commonwealth forces. We are meeting this problem which
is part of the total problem of confrontation, in Borneo at tAe
resent time and we know from the discussions I have had with the
overnment of Thailand that this Government has become concerned by
the existence of communist subversion and an accelerated degree of
infiltration and communist activity.
Ivly own belief is that as the military situation improves
in Viet Nam and I feel confident that it will improve one has
only to see, as I have so recently done the massive effort being
put into the challenge there by the United States and other friendly
forces. the Korean Government, for example, are contributing
forty thousand troops.
I was told in Sai , on that the activity at the airport there
has made it the busiest in t~ e world. I was a little sceptical about
this. I said " You don't mean to tell me more movements in a day
there than at idlewild in New York?" and I was assured that this was
so. Well it is perhaps that there are so many movements and they
go through such a long period of each of the days that this occurs,
but it is illustrative, at least of the massive effort which is
going into the struggle there anA which I believe will have a
decisive effect upon the military aspects.
I have stated before quite emphatically, and it remains
a strong view, that the Viet Con will not win the military struggle,
and while we may face other problems in the political field and a
continuing problem for perhaps a long time to come in the military
sphere, the communists may very well turn more of their attention
as success eludes them in the military sphere to the political phase,
and perhaps to stirring up trouble in some of these other countries
that I have mentioned.
So not only does it become important for us to establish
the security ' f South Viet Nam but we must maintain together a
vigilance against any spread of this cancerous scourge through the
other countries of South-East Asia.
What I have seen has encouraged me in other directions
also, because I believe there has been a firm acceptance by all the
governments the military authorities and diplomatic representatives
confirmed this for me an acceptance by all the governments of the
need to supplement vigorously the military efforts by vzhat are
variously termed programmes of resettlement civic action rural
development and rural reforms end so forth, according to tAe
requirements of the particular situation. 9 a
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It comprises a significant part of the activities of
Australian servicemen wherever they are stationed. I found that
General Ky Prime Minister Ky was devotin, a great deal of the
time of his Government to these programmes.
We went to one of the institutes where rural cadres
are being trained for varied duties and services which they can
render in the villages and this programme literally extends to
thousands, many thousands, of individuals.
The United States has clearly indicateZ through
statements of President Johnson and through the other information
I was able to acquire there that it recognises and is devoting
considerable part of its efforts towards this material improvement
of the standards of the people.
And what is being done, viewed against the backgiound
of the changes which have been occurring in South-East Asia as a
result of the stirrings of a recognition for change, the bending
of the pattern of cenuries in some of the practices that are being
carried out as attempts are made to adapt opportunities for
employing modern technology to the age-old practices in rural
activity in these various countries, the emergence of the processes
of industrialisation and so forth all these things are part of
the lively dynamic situation in South-East Asia in particular which
represents, believe, one of the historic movements in the history
of mankind. Now how these events work out, of course, is a matter
more for speculation than for accurate assessment, but without
necessarily trying to evolve any of the theories which seem to be
confusing so many minds as to what is happening and why what is
being done should be done, I believe that mere contemplation of the
facts as they are occurring and as we know them, provides sufficient
base for or at least provide the material for the kind of
policies which the governments, the friendly governments associated
together in one arrangement or another in this area of the world
are putting forward to meet this common threat.
As to our own Australian forces they are enthusiastic,
they are devoted to their tasks and they well appreciate the need
for their presence in the areas in which they find themselves.
I found them in very good heart, functioning at a level. which I
think I can say without bombast for my country, has earned the
commendation of whichever country they have been located in.
But I think I might just say in conclusion, gentlemen,
that I shall return to my own country feeling not a necessity for
changes in policy, but strongly confirmed in the correctness of the
policies that we have been pursuing and, I believe, better equipped
as to certain aspects of detail to follow the course of events
in these various countries to make perhaps a better based assessment
of what is occurring there and to draw on a volume of detail
which has been acquired in these most intimate discussions which
should prove of considerable valine to myself and my colleagues for
a long time ahead. Although the time was short, when a head of government
is assisted, as I have been, in the most friendly and helpful way
by other governments to see as much as can be shown, and to hear
in the most intimate fashion the closest information held by those
governments, it can't fail to be a most valuable addition to
knowledge and experience and I feel that this at least has been
a very considerable dividend which I have drawn from this fascinating
tour of South East-Asia. / 4
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Well, thank You-Cop-ld I now invite perhaps this time from our
Singapore friends because we beat them to the punch in Australia
last time and I think we should respect their opportunity. The
other boys will be seeing me a good deal in Australia. Anyone
from Sin, apore who'd like to ask a question or two?
Sir, Britain has offered one million pounds in economic
aid to Indrnesia. In view of the confrontation, how does
Australia feel?
MR. HOLT: Well, Australia made a gesture at the time of the flood
experience in Java we gave some aid to Indonesia. I'm sure
that we have all retaine a hope that Indonesia would resume a
course of friendship with the countries of this area. It would
be so much more beneficial, we believe, for Indonesia itself
and it would certainly make the task of orderly and peaceful
economic progress in other areas of South-East Asia more
capable of management. But I don't think we should canvass the
Indonesian situation too closely at this time. I don't think
it would be helpful to an emergence from that situation of
perhaps a better understanding. Those who are concerning
themselves with the difficult problems of adjustment inside
their own country would not welcome advice from us as to how
they were to manage their affairs. For my part, I do take some
comort from the fact although it was a terrible event in human
terms that there has been so clearly demonstrated resistance
to communism in that country. The removal of communist influence
in large areas of the administration at least reveals that to
the extent that there have been changes, these changes have not
been sympathetic to communism.
Q" DSir, in view of the latest developments Pzd changes in
Djakarta, do you expect an early solution to the Ialaysian
problem?
MR. HOLT: Well, I think I covered that one in what I just saii.
I'd prefer not to elaborate or speculate about the situation
there. We have indicated to the Government of Indonesia that
we would hope for a better relationship in the years ahead, but
I shall await the events of the future hoping that there will be
some brighter developments. But one can hope without necessarily
being optimistic.
Q. Sir the Singapore Government felt that the strength
and scope ol co-operation in the economic field with Australia
is too limited. Do you think that Australia would rather
modify its policy cn this point?
MR. HOLT: We have had some discussions with your Government on
this matter and I know that the Department of Trade has been
considering some views, or perhaps reguests,( I haven't had the
documentsbrought under my own attention as yet) which were
conveyed from the Government here to the Australian Government,
I understand. But we will look at this matter, of course, in
the helpful spirit that we always bring to matters which arise
between a Government of Sinoapore and he Jovernment of
Australia. We are ourselves a developin country trying to
establish industries in order to build employment opportunities
for our people and this must be appreciated, as I know it is.
It is recognised here as one of the facts in the situation, but
just how we can, either through action of our own or in
association with other friendly countries, be of assistance to
the Jovernment of Singapore in the necessity it finds to create
a considerable number of a~ ditional employment opportunities, this
has yet to be resolved. But I repeat, you will find us
approaching the matter helpfully.
Sir, you were-widely quoted up here, not so lonj ago as
saying that you felt Australia had a role to play as a bri e
between East and West. Could you elaborate on what you ha
in mind there?
MR. HOLT: Well, elaborate is really the word isn't it. I made a
speech about this in New York which took'the best part of an hour.
Interjection: Unfortunately, only the idea was reported.
MR. HOLT: The Ameroa/ Asia Association had a conference in New York
last year at which they invited me to speak, and this was the
subject on which I was to speak. Jreat Britain, of course,
in the case of Malaysia, has maintained very considerable forces
here, but I am speaking of other aspects in which Great Britain
understandably has not been as active, for example in the Asian
Development Bank. That's roughly the sort of thing I had in
mind.
Q. Is it too soon to talk about another tour, Sir as
lengthy tour?
MR. HOLT: In Asia, yes. I've got to get through an election first.
Q. Sir, there is some controversy about sending your National
Servicemen to South Viet ham. Have you had any change of heart
at all as a result of this tour?
MR. HOLT: I haven't. I most certainly haven't had any change of
heart. In fact, one sees the need for a National Service
component in the Army even more clearly as we study the situation
in these various areas. What I think has lingered in the
minds of many Australians is a recollection of what occurred in
the two WorlU vars, when Australia, without waiting for the
threat to come to our own shores, joined with Allies to resist
the aggression which developed and the military action which made
a global war out of each of the crises of that time.
Now, we have had very substantial voluntary enlistments.
It is not perhaps generally known that Australia sustained
nearly hal a million casualties in the two World Wars. I am
sure that most people in the United Otates would be surprised
to know that we lost more Australian servicemen killed in the
First World War than the United States did. So that when our
peetle think of an operation of war, they tend to think rather
in erms of these two great world wars in which we had such a
massive contribution of the nation's limited man-power.
But the situation here differs very notably from that.
We are not engaged in a world war. We are engaged in resisting
aggression in its most sinister and subversive orms, aggression
which at times takes the form of military action but which calls
for skilled troops, for hard-hitting, efTective, mobile military,
air and naval force2. And this is what Australia is trying to
provide. We believe that with the National Service component, we
shall be able to maintain the orderly regular contribution to
our military needs with the least disiocation to the general
national effort required in other directions as well. / 6
MR. HOLT ( Contd.) Here we are-with a continent the size of the United
States-to-develp and less than twelve-million to perform
that task, so at the present time we are trying to carry on a
programme of national development and associate with that an
increasing provision for defence by way of these contributions
in various parts of this area of the world.
I think that as people see more clearly in perspective
the National Service element they will reli'se that this is
not only the most efficient way but I believe the fairest way
for the young manhood of the nation to serve. TheyT are
selected by ballot and certainly those who have been so
selected have accepted the obligation in a manly fashion.
NOTE During the changeover of tape, one or two sentences were
missed. Mr. Holt said that the addition of a National Service
component was the most efficient way of maintaining an
orderly commitment, the efficiency of which would be
greatly assisted by this scheme.
MR. HOLT Thank you, gentlemen.